The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-02-19

4
escapes the penitentiary he will have
very little time TO attend to his ordi
nary public duties if the unanswered
cnarges IN the newspapers are true
land what makes it worse. Massey ia
accused or being mixed up with the
very same book concern that is operat-
ing in North Carolina and getting the
lions share of public school patronage.
For further information refer YOU to
the Norfolk Pilot of December 23d,
1894. Massey is openly charged with
! OrlOery and one j. w. Womack. q man
who IS wanted upon charges of bribery
IN the State of Washington is the man
named as having corrupted him. The
unsavory odor of WOmack's reputa
ton won at such pains In the State of
washington, did not deter Massey from
dealing with hum. The associates of
Womack IN Washington were, Ed
wards, another agent of the book trust.
and Eams, a detective; and the man
they offered the bribe to was named T.
| II Leach. The time was in 1890 and
the bride was S., 600. l need hardly
add that there is State adoption in the
STATE OF Washington as well as Vlr
glnla; and IN fact the book trust could
hardly have offered so large a bribe
unless there had been territory like
whole State, large enough to invite
their exploits
In our sister State to the South of us,
South Carolina, there is State adoption
In modified form and the usual scan.
| dals In such cases against the peace and
dignity OF the State. In 1893 it was
| openly charged In the public prints,
and never denied, am informed, that
May field, State superintendent of Pub
Tic Instruction, was corrupted by the
book trust and It's allies The charges,
among other things, were that he had
ms expenses paid at Philadelphia and
Chicago by the trust just before the
adoption Of books Tor the State of South
Carolina. 1t Is hardly necessary to
add that he adopted about 80 per cent
OF the books Of the trust which had
treated him so well and of the Univer
slSy Publishing Company which shares
with IL, some OF the spOlls of that State
as well as OF North Carolina. These
two companies hu In pairs, If it be
lawful TO call them two.
The attempted bribery In 1891 of Mr..
Dyer, member of the West Virginia
General Assembly, pending a school
Adoption bill, IT the legislature of that
State, is notorious. George A. Howard,
an agent OF the trust shipped fifty dol
lars INTO Dyer's vest pocket. The de
tails of this scandal also appear in the
Virginia papers.
There have been some scandals I'm
North Carolina which shall have &C
casiOn to mention during my argu
ment; and this committee will note
with care that thescan0al never started
IN North Carolina unGIl the book mo
nopoly began TO operate In 1879
WhnVanWIovs
there Is some fire, and there have been
public and notorious scandals IN almost
ever! STRJenoW having State adoption
The book trust, like other trusts and
monopOlles, If open charges in the pub
llc prints are TO be believed, have used
bribery and corruption both directly
and indirectly; indirectly, by inordI-
nate campaign contributions, to be
used often times IN the interest of
special candidates. and the use of
money In pollClcal conventions in the
interest of candidates favorable to
their interests A book agent in North
Carolina, representative of the Unl-
versity Publishing Company, offered a
prominent party official five hundred
dollars as campaign fund. Doubtless
that book agent expected to receive a
benefit. He would fain have mort
gagged, at least one prominent party
official TO his interest Many a Candi
daUe has received q benefit In this way
and thereby get a NOR gage on his
lhnermost soul. Book monopoly agents
have been known TO betray campaign
secrets and TO procure campaign lnfOr
nation which put mortgage on the
main wheel of party machinery in a
whole State. A news paper IN North
Carolina which accepted the purIoined
mailing list of it's adversary, another
news paper, might perhaps have
scOrned TO have accepted stolen goods
IN any other form. In the midst of
high political excitement such purloin
lng was mDllmented as q shreWd DO
lIGIcal trick. Even the alleged or con
fessed betrayal of GIdeon's Band may
have been used as mortgage on party
obligations, and individual benefit SO
cured thereby. Granted for the sake
of argument aid 1 do not grant it for
any other sake, that party zeal or
DatriotIc pride In an adopted State and
not a benfiU expected or received were
the sole cause of such betrayal,
still the intelligent and honorable legs
latOr will not be carried OF his feet by
mere party obligation for campaign |
thunder; especially as a sufficient re
ward mas already been received TO set |
dangerous premium on such con
duct.
Before mentioning particularly any
scandal connected with the book mo |
nopOly IN North Carolina and IN order |
that what shall say In that connec-
TIon may be better understood, wish |
60 cite some secGlons OF the present |
school law which viii show, when ex
planned, the history Of the centraliza
tlon of the educational interest of |
North Carolina, the consolIdation of