The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1893-06-16
TslAT Beosx TRUST.
spccch of tl.c Hon. EAenry
(scOrge on the school
Beck Qncssiou.
some Uat shot tor u mig Hook Trust
aud some Figures that do not LIE.
[ 70 the rAiucah News.l

TO the Psiacah News.l
FRANKFoRr. June o.-The sen.
ate has passed . bill purposiug
competition III school books. The
bill is now in the hands of a cou.
ference committee. Senator
Breckenridge offered n resolution
20 instruct the senatc's portion
of the committee 10 stand by the
action OF the senate.
On the resolution Senator
George, of Graves county. made
speech advocating its passage.
In the course of his remarks he
said: There are over 200, 00W
seven hnudred thousand school
children in this State. There
will he enrolled in the schools
over (600,ooU six hundred thous.
aud, 1t will require (at a low esti.
mate on an average Sl.j0 worth
Vf books for each pupil per an.
NUN. That will make $1,000 900
nine hundred thousand dollars
that the state will ply for school
books this year, at the present
prices. The people of the state
/ of Indiana buy their books more
than 80 per cent. cheaper than
Kentucky does. and hold in my
hand aud have on my desk sam
pies Of both kinds of books, and
/ | challange any man to examine
them aud say the books used in
Kentucky are better matter, bet.
ter print. better paper or that
they are better bound. The diff.
ference in the price of these books
is $500 900. | mean to say. that
for what Kentucky is paying
$500 eco, che could, if the bill
which has passed this senate he.
comes law, buy for 5000 600
six hundred thousand. This is
too great an amount for senators
10 irine with. This difference
would aggregate enough, in less
than two years, to pay for the
change of the constitution and
the expense OF the long session
of the legislature following.
The American Book company.
which is now furnishing school
books to Kentucky, is one of the
most powerful trusts that has
ever been formed in the land.
Its agents have attempted TO
bride legislators and school
boards. In number of states
conrts have indicted them; legis.
laturcs have censured them, and
a portion of the press has denoHn.
ced them. hut for all that they
WELD an influence second TO no
organization in this country.
Whenever an effort is made in the
interest of cheap books an ennis.
sary of this soulless trust is on
the ground. Doubtless one is
under the sound of my voice now.
He is here constantly and has
been since this legislature has
been in session. They will not
attempt to bribe Kentuckian,
I tb,rauslsfS afeurhsH,s. 1H lie afsa:
meDt is now that the school board
have recommended a certain
kind of books for four years aud
that it will not be honorable for
the legislature to intercede by an
/ act aud save TO the state 300, 600
n year-and the argument seems
to catch good many. The bill
we have passed does not exclude
the American Book company
from the state, but simply pro.
yides that more books shall be
put on the list so we can have
competition and if the American
company does business, it must
do it rs cheap as others. Is this
not fair both to the company and
TO the people whom we are serv.
ingf
There have been no measures
before this general assembly ex.
cept those relating to the life and
liberty, of so much importance
as this, in fact in dollars and cents
1t is equal to all Of them combined.
| do think would not be true
to my trust and the people who
sent me if | did not make this
charge against that trust and this
plea for the people"