The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-11-02
ITS DEFAMERS ANSWERED.

1IS OEFANERS Ans WEHEO.
The defamers of the American Book
Company have been answered. The
company's reply is a plain straightforward
statement of facts concerning the conf
pany's business career from its inception
10 date. There is no attempt to shield
anything; the details of the enterprise
are an open book for the inspection of the
public. Compared with the insinuat1ng
and falsehood-1aden document prepared
by the attorney for rival publishing
houses, the reply of the American Book
Company is dignifed statement that
will appeal to the honesty and better
Judgment of every person who takes the
time to carefully peruse it. Everyone of
the fragrant, insinuating charges is re-
piled to in the same frank and able man.
ner that characterizes the document
throughout. No one can read it without
feeling that the book company is right
and has pursued the proper course in lay
ing the matter before the people of the
state in plain business like manner.
Knowing that the company has made a
voluntary reduction of twenty per cent
IL the price of books furnished the school
patrons of Oregon, it is bound to receive
just and generous treatment at their
hands.
Those at all familiar with the COM
pany's methods during the past two years
appreciate what has been done for the
school patrons of Oregon, and fully un-
derstand from whence the recent personal
attacks emanate, and also what motive
prompts them. So far as the company's
defaners are personally concerned, there
is no need for reply; but to the thous-
ands of good people who are liable to be
nlisled by the sensational newspaper re-
ports, the company's answer is especially
addressed.
Looking at the situation from disin-
terested standpoint, one can plainly see
that this fight was not made by the peo-
pie of the state, nor was it instituted in
handed business methods employed by
| rival publishing houses, who are unwill-
ing to meet an honest rival in open com.
petition for business. This in itself would
not be SO bad, but they have secured
willing allies IN some of Portland's bust
| ness men to force one of the leading
mercantile enterprises out of the state i'll
order that Maynard and Merrill, CHM
& Co, or some of the other p1otters may
! unload their publications onto the public
at their own price.
The American Book Cofnpary's store
in Portland is the largest exclusive book
khousc on tkss Pacific coast It is the gen
eral depository for all school and college
text books furnished in Oregon, Wash
| ington, Idaho, Montana and California.
1t is identified with both the commercial
and educational interests of the state
and is essentially an Oregon industry
1t expends deal of money in conduct
ing its business, in the way of salaries
rent, light, taxes etc. Besides all this
| it has reduced the prices of books from
IS to 80 per cent during the last two
years. With all these facts plainly un
derstood by the school patrons of Oregon
it is unfair to suppose that they will de-
n1and a reversal Of the policy now in
vogue. On the other hand, it is more
reasonable to suppose that change viii
be opposed; first, because it will cause
one of the leading enterprises of Oregon
to seek another field for its business; sec
iondly, because a change will cost the
school patrons, during the month of Octo
ber, 1895, not less than $780, 900; thirdly
because, if a change was had, it would
interfere with the school work, and re
quire several months time for the teach
ers and pupils to accustom themselves tc
the new books, and fourtl1ly, after al
this has been accomplished, the school
patrons would find that they had been
buncoed, because none of the publica
lions which the Portland Committee o1
One Hundred are attempting to have
adopted are superior to those now in use
while many of them are inferior.