The record-union., 1891-02-11
THE TRIUMPH OF THE STATE
SCHOOL BOOK SYSTEM.

The men who are engaged in fighting
the State system of textbooks, and in op-
posing appropriations to complete the
series when the revolving fund viii take
care of the issuance of all books without
any aid whatever from the State), insist
that they do SO from motives purely un-
selfish, and that their interest in State
welfare alone prompts them.
1t is too transparent, gentlemen.
Philanthropy of that order is so rare and
so valuable that no one would think of
looking for it among your class. You are
opposing the State system in the interest
comes necessary that fact could probably
be proved. But, really. that is not an
issue-the question simply is, will the
Legislature refuse sustenance necessary
to the system until it can maintain it
self?
OF course all this State aid was fore
take six years to put the system ON the
proper basis. When, therefore, hired
newspapers of San Francisco and paid
lobbyists in Sacramento exclaim that the
system is costing too much; that it is
failure; that there has been mismanage-
ment in the State Printing Office; that
the books do not please all the teachers,
and SO on, through a chapter of COM
plants, they arc doing precisely what
was anticipated by those who laid the
lines for the State system.
If there has been mismanagement in
the printing of the books, it can in no
wise affect the system upon which the State
entered so recently. The careful inquirer
will not be deceived by the book-ring
agents and publishers hirelings by the
specious argument that because book
publishers have reduced their prices to
nearly level with those of the State for
textbooks, therefore there is no longer
any need to produce our own books. If
the State textbooks cost to-day twice
what books of equal value could be pur-
chased for from the syndicate firms, if the
State lost money by the operation of the
system to the extent of fifty thousand
dollars year, still the peoples interests
would be more promoted, and true
economy would be better conserved by
adhesion to the system, in preference to
the old plan with its agents manipulating
school boards, bribing officials, cor
rupting legislatures and contending in
about all the departments of government.
1t would be far preferable condition to
the constant changing of textbooks, the
absence of uniformity in the series in
the counties, and the wrangling of rival
publishers over the merits and demerits
of their respective publications.
But the fact is, that after all that the
hired advocates of the publishers syndi-
cate can advance, after the best possible
array they can make of their charges and
proofs, the people have been saved since
January l, 1887, $lS2, 600 upon the cost of
books used by their children in the
schools, in comparison to prices formerly
paid. This saving stands to the credit
of the State school-book system, to that of
no other agency. 1t is enough to say for
the system that in its incompleteness and
infancy it has achieved two great tri-
umphs; it has eliminated the book-agent
from the school system, and it has saved
the people nearly 100000 of actual out
lay. A scheme that has done so much
good in so short time ought to be MAIN
tanned and given full and thorough
trial and this it has not yet had.