The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-10-30
DIseusTeD SCHOOL BOOK AGENTS

A Little scheme of the Trust Which Came
20 Grief Last Week.
A convention of city school superintendent
of eastern Indiana and western Ohio was held
at Richmond last week. The agents of the
school.book trust tried to capture the conven-
ton, and thought they had the pins nicely set
up TO that end, but their plans miscarried, and
the resolutions which they had prepared, con-
demning the textbook law and the Indiana
books, we're not even introduced. II they had
been offered they would have been overwhelm-
inrly defeated, and this is the reason, and the
only reason, why they were not presented.
Saturdays journal contained an alleged report
OF the proceedings from which the following
is extracted
somewhat reversing the order OF the program, the
topic, "The Indiana School Book Law" was made
the first order Of business this morning, ard the
general II not universal. expression was n oondem-
nation OF both tho law and the books that have this
winter been forced into the schools under H.. How
ever there we're no resolutions adopted pledging
concerted opposition 10 the law or the books. with
state legislators otherwise. That work. II done,
viii be done quietly.
A prominent Indiana educator. who attended
the convention, said to a SENTINEL reporter
Saturday: ''Fhe above statement Is altogether
false. About the only opposition TO the In
diana law and books came from the Ohio rep.
resentauves, most of whom are creatures OF
Van Antwerp. Bragg 4 Co. and from the paid
agents Of the book trust -Four Of these latter
were present-Ike' Roose and j. c. Ridge OF
Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co., w. L. Frye OF
Ivison Brakeman q Co.. aud the irrepressible
Cy' Smith Of A. s. Barnes & Co. These
four individuals with characteristic gall,
made themselves very conspicuous IN
the convention, and monopolized things
until amost everybody-even the Ohio
men who had been imported for the purpose
of carrying resolutions against the Indiana
law and books-became Disguised with them.
Ike Roose was INDUCED in a long TRADE de-
nouncing the new law, and when interrupted
by n teacher with the question: DO you think
the local school boards arc better judges Of
school books than the state boardp replied:
Yes, and think it would be better stu 10 let
the people OF the different school districts
adopt text books by popular vote Except
among the trust agents and two or three OF the
Ohio men, the general sentiment seemed quite
friendly 10 the Law and the new books The
position taken by most of the Indiana superin-
tendents was that it was their duty, as citizens
and public servants, TO comply with the law
| cheerfully and i'm good faith and that only
thorough trial which they had not yet received,
| would determine the relative merits OF the new
books as compared with those heretofore IN
USE 'Cy' Smith got in his work by acting as
reporter for one or two of the daily papers, TO
which he furnished the most absurd false
statements. Leaving out the Ohio men and
the paid agents Of the trust am certain that
resolutions pledgng faithful obedience to the
law, and expressing general approval OF the
new books could have been passed without
dissenting vote The school book agents were
badly disgusted over the failure Of their
scheme to manipulate the convention"