Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-10-31
HOITT'S HOBBY.
His Opposition to the
Perry Amendment.
THE AGENT OF BANCROFT.
His Attempts to Secure the AID OF
the San Joaquin County Board
of Education.

educational department OF Calitorni;
should therefore be conducted honestly
and fairly, and simply with u view tc
the best interests of the children whose
future and that Of the State are in.
volved in it. The Superintendent OF
Public Instruction is the official on
whose shoulders rests to a great extent
the responsibility of making the public
schools success or a failure. He must
be progressive, thoroughly acquainted
with the educational requirements and
the needs of the department, and, above
all, he must be free from any outside
influence. He must have but one
obiect-the improvement of the com
mon-school system-and to that end
must have no friends to favor and nc
enemies to punish.
The Republican party has seen tit tt
place upon its ticket for the office o
Superintendent of Public Instru otior
Ira G.. Hoitt, the President of the
Board of Education in this city. HI
has been for years, directly and indi
rectly, in the employ of one OF the
largest publishing firms for the purpose
of introducing their books in the : ublit
schools.
In fact, ne owes his election as mem
ber of the Board, to great extent, to
that firm.
Their employees were at the last elec
ton requested to vote for him, be.
cause he was "frendly" to the firm.
His attitude in the Board, whenever
any of their interests were involved,
showed conclusively that his sympathies
were first for the firm and then for the
people, who elected him.
What may be expected from man
who is subservient to a publishing firm,
if he should be elected to the Office OF
State Superintendent of Schools?
The salary attached to the office is
comparatively small. and the profits to
be derived from the introduction of Ger.
tain textbooks in the public schools are
immensely large. Personal interests
will be considered before public ones,
and the people will have to submit.
Rumors of the gravest character re-
garding Mr.. Hoitts integrity have long
since found their way to the public ear
Practices which should bring the blush
of shame to the cheeks of the most cor
rupt official have been laid to his door
Insinuations and direct assertions hav,
been made that he has stopped low
enough to attempt to corrupt and brib'
legislators when any educational mat
ters involving the sale of school.book
were being considered by the representa-
tives of the people. State Senate
George H. Perry, of this city, himself ;
Republican, vouches for the truth o
the following account of one OF Mr.
Hoitt's plans:
In 1883 Senator Perry introduced into
the Legislature bill amending thu
Constitution to the extent that tht
State publish in future the textbooks
necessary for use in the public schools
After their publication it was intended
the books should be sold at cost price te
the children, saving to the people abou
$3.50, 900 per year. The bill was passed
by both houses of the Legislature. not.
withstanding the tremendous opposition
of Eastern and local publishers and
their tools and agents. The amend
ment was submitted 70 the people a.
the last general election, and was
adopted by an overwhelming majority
During the last regular session Of the
Legislature Senator Perry introduced q
bill, appropriating sum of money suffi.
cient to carry the amendment into
effect. 1t provided the means and ways
by which the State could be enabled to
compile and print the textbooks in &C
cordance with the adopted amendment
to the Constitution.
Mr.. Hoitt was at one time in Sacra.
mento, aud meeting Senator Perry in
the vicinity of the Golden Eagle Hotel.
solicited an interview with him.
The request was granted, and Mr..
Hoitt made the voluntary statement that
he was the authorized agent of A. l.
Bancroft & Co., and was interested in
the defeat of the bill then pending be.
fore the Legislature. He requested the aio
and influence Of Senator Perry 10 attain
this object, and offered him a financial
consideration if the latter scould aid him
in his scheme.
The proposition was Indignantly re.
fused, but Mr.. Hoitt's EN- mployers were
evidently 10th to give up the fight, and
again he approached Senator Perry in
this city at the corner of Kearny and
Bush streets. The matter was again re.
ferred to and no satisfactory conclusion
for Mr.. Hoitt was reached.
Finally opotbar ottap,rt xu,o roa do h.,
Mr.. Hoitt to corrupt the Senator in the
interest of the publishing firm. A call
was made by him at the rooms of Sena.
tor Perry, and there the broad PROPOSE.
tion was made that the latter should
mention the amount necessary to defeat
the bill
He was again unsuccessful, and the
outraged legislator declined to hear any.
thing more about he corrupt job.
Mr. Hoitt stands thus before the pub.
lie as a medium between publishing
house, in whose employ he was. and the
people, for the purpose of inducing off.
cials to corrupt their offices and to VIC.
late their oaths. In other words, he
wanted the Senator to ''sell out" the
people in the interest of A. L. Bancroft
& Co.
1t is also alleged that in 1880 he at.
tempted similar scheme in trying to in
duce the Board of Education of San ,Joa.
quin county to introduce Bancroft's
books in the public schools. 1t was rep.
resented by him to different Directors
that it would be 'to their advantage" to
favor the books. OF course the EXPIRES.
: sion used was sufficiently broad to indi-
cate its meaning.
These are, briefly stated, some'of the
acts of the man who aspires to the posi-
tion of Superintendent of Public In.
truction. His connection with the
Board of Education in this city is too
well known and too obnoxious to war;
rant review at this time. His ctions
have been recorded in tho daily press,
and repetition of the statements would
simply show his antagonism to the