Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-09-25
Portland Taxpayers Show Up Its
RascaIity.
BRIBERY ITS STRONGEST ADVOCATE
Its Rotten Methods land Poor
Books Exposed.

The committee Of one huBdIe I'd %
Portland held . meeting Saturday
afternoon, when the committee on th'
school book trust made its report. Tbs
following matter Of history pertaining
to this Infamous combination 10 giyeL
from this report, which was publ sh' o
in the Sunday Oregonian:
"The curious combination known a.
the American Book Company YVES IL
corporated January 8, 1880, and its
principal place Of business is given in
its certificate Of organization rs JeTsel
City, county Of Hudson. The total
amount Of its capital stock lie 5000, and
the amount with which it commenced
business 10 fixed at $500. In form, II
was a small and harmless affair.
"As matter OF fact, under this very
modest organization was hidden one oi
the greatest monopoIies ever known in
this country. Its center was the pub
fishing house Of Van Antwerp, Bragg
& Co., Of Cincinnati, and thus its first
legal organization included the school
book departments Of ID. Appleton &
Co, A. b. Barnes & Co., Harpsr q
Brothers and Ivison, Blake Il Co., Of
New York. Although this combina-
ton had practically been In existence
for over 10 years prior to It's legal in
corporation, the fact that the great
publishing house Of Harper & Bros.
was still outside held 1t in check,
Every pressure possible was brought TO
bear upon Harper & Bros. and, shortly
before the Incorporation referred TO, 1t
also suceumbed, and tbs organization
felt itself powerful enough to put itself
ia legal form and TO attempt hecontrol
Of the market, and every effort YVES
made to finally crush competing houses
ald destroy all legitimate competition.
This effort, as 1t was carried on, makes
a dark chapter In the history OF the
organization, but with 1t this committee
has not very largely concerned Itcel,.
Its inquiries were more largely directed
to the relations Of the American Book
Company with the public.
'other stafes.--In other states this
company, no far as we can learn, has,
10 its effort to obtain q complete
monopoly, resOrted TO the most fragrant
bribery and corruption Of public
officials; and accounts Of this have been
published IN the Chicago Inter Ocean
OF April IS, 1893, and from time to time
in many other prominent papers, where
full particulars are given. On February
II, 1891, one Of its agents, while the
schooI-book question was before the
house Of delegates OF West Virginia,
attempted TO bribe one Of the delegates,
but being caught in the act, was pub
licly reprimanded before the bar OF the
house and compelled to take back his
money.
I'm the state Of Washington.-J. w.
Womack and J. l.. Edwards. agents Of
the combination, were with NJ. @. Sui
lIvan and @. o. Eames, on August 1,
1890, indicted for attempting to bribe
one l.. III. Leach, a member Of the state
board ef education. The bribe Ia this
case paid 10 Mr.. Leach being 5000,
wnS equal TO the entire nominal capital
stock OF the company, and check for
this amount was actually given 10 Mr..
Leach. The late M. O. Sullivan, the
detective, was employed by the com
pany, and was 10 be also paid, and a
sight draft on the company Itself,
signed by X. l.. Edwards. ita agent,
appeared ia the transaction. The Ia.
indictment was afterward smOtheEed
and dismissed without trial, bat thls
committee has examined into the mat
ter carefully, and cannot avoid the con.
elnsion that this was q deliberate at
tempt ~ bribery. In California, as az
paarsd by tho published afildavils OF an
agent 0f Iyison, Brakeman, Taylor a
Co, the same combustion, except
Appleton a Co and Harpsrs. who at
that tine did not belong 20 Il, furnished
10 IL aRepls, 20 DO paid 70 members Of
lhe Ran Franolsoo board u eduoaiion,
Ihe lamp aom ~ ~ ,e6e.ps.
i'fheee ere oniy ep60hc Instances,
,uf the history " flhIs cp,npeny's opeF-
'ilone Ia MleGlseipp|, Missouri, 0hi0,
{ew Jersey and ofhfI elalt1 give "
hs lmplesslop ghal 4, iSs.bede als