The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-09-28
CORVALLIS, OREGON, SEP. %, 1894.
UNFAIR AND MISLEADING.

company, WAaClF appeared III last oull-
days Oregonian, shows uninistakable
evidence of partiality and unfairness. To
an unbiased person it would seem that
rival book publishers had dictated the
windy document, and that the defendant,
the American Book Company, had been
convicted without hearing, for nowhere
in the report has it been permitted to
speak in its own behalf This committee
is self constituted organization that for
some months has posed before the public
as a friend of economy and good govern
ment. Yet, at this time, following upon
two years of panic and business depres
sion, these misnamed friends of retrench-
ment and reform make scathing de-
nunciation of the American Book Com
pany, which of its own volition caused
reduction of ten per cent in the price of
school books during the past year, and
now the committee clarnors loudly for
change in books whereby the school pa
irons of Oregon will be put to an unnec-
essary outlay of at least a quarter of
million of dollars There does not seem
to be semblance of an excuse for the
TRADE of abuse that breaks out against the
so-cal1ed trust, which, besides containing
elements of hatred and dislike, is preg-
nant with misleading statements.
Tile report indicates that the company
secures its business through corruption
and fraud, and attempts to smirch the
character of Mr.. Edwards, the company's
Portland manager, by means of a we'll
calculated scheme to connect him with
attempting to bribe L. H. Leach, mem-
Der of the Washington board of educa-
ton. The report fails to state, however,
that Mr.. Leach appeared before the COM
nittee and absolutely denied the state
ment.
It handles Harrington's speller in
a most vigorous manner, just because it
is old. The book has been in use since
1880, and is only one of several spoilers
published by the American Book Compa-
ny. This book is in use in Oregon only
in the schools Of Portland, and was selec-
ted by the Instructors of that city; and it
is altogether improbable that so capable
corps of teachers, as Portland is known
to have, would select such a poor book
as this Committee of One Hundred would
have it appear to be. Outside of the
metropolis, Watsons speller is used ex-
clusively in the schools of the state, and
gives general satisfaction. The company
o1c to of1 xrrt,i iot, ha
nished about as cheaply as the two al
ready mentioned, if the people want
them. In the selection of text books it
is the public that say which book is best
suited to the needs of the schools Of Ore
gon, and not the American Book Compa-
ny, as many are inclined to believe. .
This lengthy statement also says that
the private schools Of Oregon are using
only 20 or rs per cent of the American
Book Company's publications, which of
itself is untrue. An investigation of the
subject discloses the fact that not less
than 80 per cent of the publications used
at the Agricultural College are furnished
by the American Book Company.
The report states, "The American Book
Company has many excellent books,
chiefly confined to the academic and
higher grades. 1t is very weak in the
lower grades and mathematics" Any
one familiar with the circumstances at
all, knows this statement to be incorrect
CHM & Co.'S publications, especially
those on mathematics, are used to far
greater extent in advanced grades of Col
1eges and academies, than in primary
work. By reversing the above statement,
it would come more nearly stating the
truth.
Nowhere in this voluminous report is
the attorney for CHM & Co., or the other
various rival publishing concerns referred
to. The president of this subcommittee,
Th omas N. Strong, is an attorney. Be-
ing such, is it not reasonable to suppose
that he is the paid attorney of rival pub
fishing houses, and that his report, to
say the least, might be biased in their ia
vor? If this be the case, and the GA
zErTE believes it is, the Committee of
One Hundred is in petty business. For
ways that are dark" they are certainly en-
titled to take first place.
If the books used in the schools of this
state during the past six years "fairly
brist1e with mistakes and inaccuracies"
why in the name of common sense has it
taken until now to discover the fact? If
the school superintendent and board of
education have been bought like sheep,
and the people hoodwinked, as the hon
orab1e Committee of One Hundred would
insinuate, why has it taken so long to
find the matter out? A more fragrant in
suit was never given the residents of
state, than the insinuation that our school
system is a veritable school machine, run
and operated in the interest of the Amer
ican Book Company. 1t is very fair to
presume that the school superitendents
and others connected with the educa-
tional interests of Oregon are quite as en-
1ightened, fully as capable, and just as
free from corruption as such persons are
in other states IF there is so little vir-
tue left among the educators of Oregon,