The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-08-02
THE SCHOOL-BOOK MATTER.
Editors Of County Papers Continue to Express
Unfavorable Opinions of the New Law.

Rockville Republican,: We miss our
guess if there is not laundering big howl
along about the time the schools begin.
Stenben Republican,: The school book
law, rushed through the last General AS
sembly under whip and spur as caucus
most ill-advised" proceeding, and not with
out a strong faint of jobbery.
Shelby Republican: Attorney general
Kitchener has declared the new schOOl-book
law constitutional and therefore 1T must
stand as the law until repealed by some
one, and will prove very unpopular before
the end of two years.
Winchester Herald: Before the recent
schOol-boOk law was passed, mOnOpohes
sold our books to u.s. But they were num-
erous and the strife was great. Now there
is but one monopoly, and, as it is legalized,
there can be no conflict. 1t was leap from
the trying-pan into the fire.
Monticello Herald: We predict that
within six months the new schOol-book
the part of the people than has already
come from the press of the State. The best
purpose it can possibly accomplish is to
pave the way for free textbooks. and this
we believe will be its effect.
Huntington Herald: The Herald is satls-
fled, after personal inspection of the lew
series of Indiana schOol-books that they
are inferior to the schOol-bOOks now in use
in this city and county. both in the charac-
ter of the matter, and in typographical APP
pearance. The change will be an expensive
one to the people, as the old books will be
wholly valueless.
Worthington Times: The Indiana School
book Company boasts that it's profits for
furnishing books under the present con-
tract with the State will amount to S15O0O0
this year. AS the publishing-houses which
have previously been furnishing school
books have only been charged with max
ing 500, 900 profit, we fail to see how the
present contract will help boOk-buyers
| much. more especially as, if the new books
are put in the schools this winter. people
will be compelled to buy new outfit COM
plete.
New Albany Tribnne: There seems to be
| fair prospect for great injury to the COM
! mon schools of the State on account of the
| school book middle. 1T is doubtless within
| the Limits of fact to say that nine-tenths
| of the school officers of the State are ep-
| posed to the change abodt to be made. The
best judges are of the opinion that the
books are of inferior character, and not at
| all up to the standard required for our
modern schools. The opposition to the new
| books is not yet fully developed, though
| occasionally there is county that has al
| ready declared war. When the time comes
! to purchase the new books there is likely
to be storm. And the storm will increa Sc
| in fury if the books prove inferior to those
| now in use.
Winamac Republicans: The beauties ~
of the new schOol-book law are becoming
more apparent every day. AS has already
| been stated. corporation known as the
Indiana School book Company" has been
| awarded the contract to furnish readers
from first to fifth, inclusive. two arithmetics
and two Biographies intermediate and
completely, and copy books. This book
| company announces that the books. to be
| known as the Indiana Educational Series"
will be ready in September. Each county
superintendent has been made a book
dealer for his county, and the township
trustees and high-school superintendents
are made distributing agents. County
| Superintendent j. Ii. Reddick has filed adj
| ditional bond in the sum of So 900 as dealer
for Pulaski county. Superintendent Red
| dick and Prof. Reid have received notice
that they must adopt the books or they
| will be prosecuted. Here we note the grea,
swindle of this strictly Democratic and un-
| just law. In Pulaski county there are 5.0Ot
school-schildren. Every reader, every geog
rapby, every arithmetic and every copy
book used by them last winter are utterly
worthless to them this fall and their
| parents must go to the expense of buying
new books or their children must stay a.
| home.