The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-04-17

For cool, unblushing efrontery, the follow
ing circular, which is being sent by Van Ant
werp, Bragg & Co. of Cincinnati to booksellers
throughout this state. takes the prize:
L. Van Antwerp c. $ Bragg
Henry II. Vail A. H. Hinkle. Harry T. Ambrose.
The Eclectic Educational Series Of School and College
Tszt Books
| VAN ANTWERP, BRAGG & CO., PUBLISHERS,
1877 wALNUT-sT., CINCINNATI.
APRIL 9, 1889.
DEAR Strive are in receipt of numerous letters
from book sellers in Indiana stating that they have
on hand certain quantities of the kinds of our pub
cations used in their schools, and asking if will
take them off their hands when they superseded
by any other series In reply to these and similar in
qures we take occasion TO make this general state
ment to all:
In our opinion the dealers of Indiana will not have
occasion TO dispense with the school books regularly
IN the schools, In any other way than by selling
them TO their customers. We have examined care
fully the law recently passed BY the Indiana legsla-
ture and have come TO the conclusion that the
books now in will remain in use for some time to
come In the first place the constitution of the state
OF Indiana provides that mo act shall take effect
until the same shall have been published and ercu-
lated in the several counties OF this state by author
ity." We learn from the Indianapolis papers that
the acts OF last winter have not yet been printed and
that their publication will yet consume considerable
| time longer. Hence, 1t is reasonable to presume
that their official publication and the proclamation
OF the governor will not be made much, if any, be-
fore the LIST of July. We also learn that the law has
not yet been signed by the governor Then by the
terms of the law the state board has thirty DAYS
meet, twenty-One days to advertise and SIX months
time in which to receive proposals. 1t is not likely
that any books which may be offered 70 the state
board will be equal to those at present in uSe and II
they should upon examlnation De found TO be IN
Terror IN any respect, either in size quality, style OF
manufacture or merit then by the conditions OF the
law the state board would be Obliged 10 reject Such
bid and advertise again Hence you that il would
be impossible that set OF contract books could be
prepared and ready for distribution for the next
school or early .IaDuarY. lsyl or
even February OF March. By this time the pupils
year, and county superintendent and trustees would
not be likely 10 require them TO throw aside these
books and change in the middle OF the term. Deal
plies OF the books now used for their iall and
winter trade. Even should the board
proceed so far as to make contract there
is probability that the books would be distributed
and used because the method proposed for the dis
tributiOn is impracticable and the law will become
of itself imperative.
ers county superintendent trustees, leading teach
ers and others all over the state. The sentiment OF
not into operation and that the proposed change
in text books without any just cause reason meets
with no favor from any class Of the population.
Book sellers readily the injustice OF interfering
with their private business and taking from them the
staple Of their trade They think this upon the
middle man. unjust and that the project to deprive
them OF the small amount Of profit made upon school
books by means OF which they are enabled 10 keep
up store for the accommodation OF their friends
power, and an interference with their just rights
but unwise and unsound policy in depriving the
community OF so valuable an auxiliary to education
When they succeed in blOttlng out the book stores
they abolish the most effective medium for the dis
semination of learning and intelligence. and Of
the greatest aids to education and civilization.
Superintendent and teachers do not approve of the
law because they believe the books already in
be the best-the ones selected, chosen and adopted
by them after most careful examination and COM
paTison as the kind best suited to their and to
the requirements of their schools Teachers have be-
come accustomed TO work with them, and courses OF
study have been planned In accordance thereto ana
under the present system of county uniformity in
text books with uniform course OF study, they
know that the schools of Indiana better organized
and more prOsperOusly and prOftsbly carried on
than the schools Of any other state.
The people are attached to the school books which
their children have used with so much profit, and
which have been so heartily approved by the COM
munity, the names Of whose authors have become
household word and there is no desire on their part
10 discard such books for sort OF contract books
let out by the job On the whole there is no demand
for change OF books the part Of any class OF the
community and since there is nothing the law en-
forcing the of the contract books, if there
any, requiring the people TO buy them, or teachers
and pupils TO use them; nothing whatever TO pre-
vent any teacher trustee from continuing the
books already satisfactorily in use we do not be-
leve that changes to any considerable extent will be
made either this year next Our advice TO dealers
Is to hold on to the trade which you have sell
the books now in at as low prices as you can al
ford and continue furnishing them long the
people wish to buy them. Every dollars worth Of
.
gold, dollar for dollar You need not apprehend the
loss of as much dime your stock. Yours
truly, VAN ANTWERP, BRAGG Co.
The above circular is sent THE SENTINEL by
firm of booksellers in q neighbOring town,
who say:
The idea that the retail trade has ever made any
money their Van Antwerp, Bragg Co 81 books
is prepOsterous. They had their prices fixed that it
was an np0ssibify to make anything on their books
and il is our humble opinion that there are rey fer
retail dealers in our state but what are glad to have
seen the school book trust smashed, and we say
smash em again." Your course in this whole
matter can not fail to meet the appreciation of all
fair-minded and candid people, and again We say
you are right and they are wrong and the right viii
always in the end prevail.
This circular makes it plain that the school
book ring Is determined to break down
the new law If possible. 1t hopes to accom-
plish this by the same methods which original
ly gave it its grip upon the people of Indiana,
whom il has been plundering mercilessly for
years. The legislature, at its recent session, in
response TO an overwhelming popular demand,
dealt this iniquitous ring what believed to
be death blow. But the ring dies hard. By
| the aid of subsidized newspapers and by buying
up local school officials throughout the state, it
is apparently counting upon retaining its mo-
nOpOly of the school book business of Indiana,
and practcing extortion indefinitely upon the
| people of the state, law or no law. 1t remains
to be seen whether this trust-which, so far as
| Indiana is concerned, means Van Antwerp,
Bragg and Co., Ito whom. in the division of
territory" among the trust firms, this state was
assigned lis stronger than the law.
The circular above set forth is simply It's
sue of absurd fasehoods. The school book
| law contained emergency clause, and took
| effect from and after its passage. Van Ant
werp, Bragg & Co., of course, know this per
fectly we'll.
1--WE also learn that this law has not been
| signed by the governor" OF course not. The
governor is not built that way. But he did
| not dare to veto the BILL and it, therefore, as
| provided by the constitution, became law
without his signature.
"By the terms of the law the state board has
| thirty days to meet, twenty-one days TO adver-
| tise and six months time in which to receive
| proposals." The law does not give the state
| board thirty days to meet. 1t provides that
| the board shall meet Immediately upon the
taking effect of the law. However, Supt. La
| Toilette has taken six weeks, instead of thirty
DAYS in which TO call the board together for the
! purpose of preparing an advertisement.
! Twenty-one days advertising is required, and
/ six months may be taken in which to receive
proposals. But if the board of education acts
| in good faith, and wants to facilitate matters
and give the people relief from the exactions
of the book ring this year, it will not take more
! than thirty days-or sixty at the most-for this
purpose.
Even should the board proceed so far as to
make O contract there is no probability that
the books would be distributed and used, be-
! cause the method proposed for the distribution
is impracticable, and the law will become of
itself imperative" That reads like an
Indianapolis Journal editorial. Ii is utterly
untrue. The plan of distribution provided by