The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-07-22

nized the Indiana plan as the only
one to defeat such a powerful Or
ganization as the school-book syn
dictate, and Indiana as laying the foun-
dation for a reform in all parts of the coun-
try. Our house was really the only indie
pendent one in the. country, and II we
failed the probabilities favored the con-
tinuance of the sway of the ring, and real
ly its being strengthened in all parts of
the country. To meet the bond question
we arranged with security company TO
give it, but found that that would not be
satisfactory. Even st. Louis real estate
bond could not be made to come up to the
requirements. The only thing left, then.
which We did by organizing the Indiana
stock Of ssooSoo. The incorpOrators
named were Joseephus Collett, Viii,
liam Heilman. d.. j. Mackey and
Fleming, r. C. Bell, James Murdoch and
Edward Hawkins. Through these gentle
men the bond of 100000 was furnished,
with Indiana realty as the basis. The
Standard WILL of course, do all the work,
and our company is practically the one
awarded the contract. The organization
of an Indiana company, however, was the
only possible way that we could get around
the old syndicate, and even In that way, as
avoid being blocked. The company was
not organized until about five minutes be-
fore our bid was opened and the bond filed.
The syndicate had couple of lawyers
present, taking notes of everything that
was going on, and also number OF agents.
l did not even dare TO appear under
my own name. but registered at the hotel
and was introduced as IL. Il. Williams. 1t
was useless precautlon, however, as,
although no one knew me, and every care
had been taken to prevent my being known
in connection with the Standard, 1t was
but a few minutes until / found myself adj
dressed In my own name by people who
could have had no possible opportunity TO
through at all. The contract this year
will, L think, amount to about Sl,000,00O.
The Indiana gentlemen interested in the
company are among the wealthiest and
most influential in the State. and equally
divided as to politics. Every effort will be
made to keep school-bOok matters entirely
free from politics.
1t is then stated that Mr.. Becktold has
received communications from Ohio, Hi
nOis. New York. Kansas, Nebraska, Wis
States, asking about his scheme. 1t is pro-
posed to try, the Indiana plan IN all of
them. We have entered the campai gn
to 90 through with it," continued Mr..
BecktOld. Indiana has only provided the
600 school schildren. and off these the
school-book syndicate has been making at
the very least calculation 100000 q year
net They say we cannot make anything
on our contract at the prices fixed, but
think l can show them that even at our
prices we can make $4,000 net, a very
good profit, considering everything. BY
the time our five-year contract with Indi
ana expires, l think we will have contracts
with several other States: We recognize
the fact that we can only effect results
through the State Legislatures. We can
not undertake to fight the schoOl-book
monopoly en- regular grounds OF competi-
ton, and no one else can, but we can make
proposition to other States, similar to the
one in Indiana, and do not think there is
any doubt as to the early passage of laws
accepting them and throwing the public
schOol-bOok supply open to bidding, with
a fixed maximum price. We will use all
our efforts to have these laws passed. and
from the letters we have received from
people interested. and from people of whom
we have never heard, cannot see how bills
to this end can fail of passage. The school
book syndicate will fight every foot of the
way as it did in Indiana, and there Is moth
ing it will not do to accomplish its purpose,
but its power is much more limited since
the Indiana defeat than it was"