The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-07-15
THE SCHOOL-BOOK QUESTION.
Views Of the County Press on the Law, the
Award, and the Character of the Books.

Warsaw Times: The last Legislature has
opened a scheme that will lead to more
schoOl-boOk swindling than the people of
Indiana have ever known before, or we
shall miss our guess.
Xenia Journal: In crushing one monopoly
a greater and more disreputable monopoly
has been created. The Republicans of In
diana may well afford to 20 into the nekt
and no monopoly.
Anderson Herald: The award of contracts
for books which are obsolete, and ave
proven unsatisfactory in another State,
seems a plain violation of the law, and, to
say the least, is injudicious if it does not
smack of jObbery.
Richmond Telegram: There is an un-
| pleasant atmosphere encircling the busi-
| ness, quite apart from the quality of the
books adopted. And when this latter ele-
ment is taken into consideration, the I'M
pleasantness is greatly thickened.
Elkhart Review: The State of Indiana is
to have a mOngrel set of school books. AS
further bids cannot be advertised for until
the next Legislature meets, these books
will be adopted on a sort of ,go-as-you-
please plan by the various schools.
South Bend Tribune: If the books are to
be made from the old stereotype plates,
bought or rented by ex-MarshaI Hawkins
and his confreres, the children of Indiana
will be supplied with the poorest text
| books Indiana has had in forty years.
ItIu heDuUllCdu. LILO UOOhS IulhO u W
be an old series called the..Standard, )" that
nave not been able to gain a fO0thold in
the market on their merits. They will not
do for the schools of this State, which are
the best, and want nothing but the best.
Hartford City Times: The Indianapolis
| Journal should be supported in its vigorous
defense of the cOmmon-school system of
the State against a lot of scheming politi-
clans. who are trying to make big money
| by q plan detrimental to the educational
interests of the States s@
South Bend Tribune: The State is now
in the hands of the school-bOok trust and
at it's mercy. The violence is that the boys
| and girls of Indiana are to ave a poor
that very little money will be saved to
their parents by the change.
Plymouth Republican: The books are
said to be inferior to many others, but it
was the best the board could do with the
bad law enacted by the last Legislature.
books in our schools they will prove far
more costly than good books at a higher
price.
Porter County vidette: The Indiana
school book law is likely to create a mon
strOus monopoly in the sale of books unless
great care is taken. Already a combina-
ton has been formed, a lot of books pur-
chased that have been thrown out of mar
ket, and old covers taken off and new ones
put on, and an effort is being made to dis
pose of them in this State.
Winamac Republican: The excellent
school system of Indiana is in imminent
danger. The real intent of the schOOl-b0ok
law passed by the late Legislature Is be-
coming apparent. 1t was framed to ex-
clude standard textbooks, and to admit
worthless trash, for the benefit of a State
ring, which is now fully organized and
backed by ample capital.
New Castle Courier: The textbook com
mission on Wednesday inflicted a genuine
nnl - ,rrrra0n nm tho frr,o snnI rs
our public schools by accepting the prOpO-
sitiOn of the Indiana School-boOk Company
on the readers, biographies and arlthme-
tics offered, rejecting all other books. The
jected series published by a st. Louis house,
and have never been satisfactory wherever
tried.
Steuben Republican: Things are, and
are likely to be for some time, in a very
pretty middle in Indiana ON account of the
crude, hasty and most ill-advised school
book law" passed by the majority of the
last State Assembly. In this, as in almost
everything they touched, they %blundered
egregiously, showing themselves about as
form as SO many ten-year-Old school boys
would nave been.
Richmond kilograms: The basis of ex-
change under the new deal" is anything
but liberal. On exchange the readers will
cost 9. Ia, %. 26 and IS cents, respectively,
or only l, 2. 8, 4 and 5 cents less, respective
ly, than they will cost where there is no
exchange. On the two grades of arithme-
tics the differences between the straight
out and exchange prices are but 3 and 5
cents, and on the two grades of biographies
they are but 3 and / cent.
Elkhart Review: Hon. o. u. Hubbell. of
this county. in a speech against the present
schOol-book law. in the Senate, last winter,
charged that a certain newspaper concern
(meaning the indianapolis SENTINEL, which
was strenuously urging its passage, had q
lot of old schoo1-books, purchased at 5 cents
on the dollar for composition, which it was
DESTROYS of unloading on the people of the
plainiv that our townsman knew whereof
he affirmed, and that the book scheme
which was worked through the last General
Assembly was a speculation of the most
questionable character.