The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-01-30
The school Book Question.

The Journal is greatly wrought up over
the book trust 1t calls all opposition to
it ''the democratic idea" Gov HovEY's
message is mainly, therefore, ''the demo-
cratic idea" in that honest and timely
recommendation TO the legislature, calling
attention to the enormities of this oppres-
sive book trust. We do not believe him
to be ''as corrupt already as possible"
along with the democratic majority, which
seems to be, and ought to be, opposed to
the terrible book monopoly, whose agents
"are known privately" only by The SEN
TINEL.
The Journal must take it's choice now
between defending or opposing the book
trust, fairly and squarely before the out
ragged people of this state. Opposition to
it, on the part OF THE SENTINEL, and on
the part of the governor, and by ''the
democratic majority already as corrupt as
possible" does not prove the opposition
to be political or partisan.
There is no 'ring" in the opposition,
either, as alleged by the Journal; nor any
''would-be-monopolists," unless you can
class the republican governor in his mes
sage as part of the ring" along with the
honest men who are looking after the
peoples interest as against that of the
book trust.
What ring" is meant? Is the state to
be called "a ring for the oppression of
the people because its legislature proposes
a measure by which the state shall man
age the affairs of its public schools? Is
the governor to be called a ring" leader
of monopoly because he recommends
such a measure to the legislature? If the
state is powerless to speak out plainly in
the matter of school-book supplies, then
let us give a six-year contract to APPLE
TON or VAN ANTWERP, BRAGG * Co.
20 supply the school-houses with desks
and benches ana stoves. Let us have
bill framed by a Journal correspondent
or an attorney" of some book-house
and use our influence to pass it, which
bill shall empower trustees to adopt a
certain kind of stoves for six years; and
provide in the bill that, when such kind
of stove is once adopted, it shall remain
in uniform use TO the exclusion OF every
other kind OF stove This is the law, or
an exact example of it, so far as it relates
to school-books. And yet, the Journal
fails to see any room here for ring or
compact, or trust or a monopoly. The
state has no right to stand by any such
stove and cry out that the state law on
school stoves leaves no room for monopo-
lies TO plumber the state or school
treasury"
As THE SENTINEL has already stated, the
school law in every state has largely been
framed by school-book lobbyists in every
thing relating to the supply of books.
They did it under the guise of assisting to
render uniform and cheaper school
books" They freely gave their time and
labor ''to help state superintendents and
all managers of schools to the knowledge Of
how to systematic the grand work of pub
lie education" and in thus "helping"
they helped themselves and their firms to
an easier and broader way of wealth, until
to-day there is not a more powerful mo-
nopoly of money and brains on this CONT
nent In Tennessee and Virginia and
Kentucky and other states that had poor
public school system. or none at all after
the war, it NAV be said to their credit
that some of our large book firms did
much good in helping the law into prac-
teal working in hundreds of counties and
thousands of school districts, but always
with an eye to ''the main chance" in the
near future. The near future came, and
found the schools framed within an iron