Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1895-06-06
is CALLED A TRUST.

va, mas the 1OllOWlnH sIfapHlc AZ
count of the manner in which the
book trust manages things IN that
state:
A trust NAV be defined as an un-
just and illegal organization effected
for the purpose OF crushing out COM
petition and of eNacting from con-
sumers in the absence of competition
exorbitant and unconscionable prices.
A corporation is said to be without a
soul, but trust is an aggregation of
corporations which are held together
by an invisible hand.
The little finger of the trust is
thicker than the loins OF the ordinary
corporation, and where the corpora
ton chastise the people with whips
the trusts chastise them with seor-
pions.
Like the tobacco trust and the sugar
trust. the American book trust owes
its legal life to the laws OF New Jer-
sew.
1t was incorporated Jan. 9, 1890,
and its principal place of blu siness is
given in its certificate of organization
as Jersey City. The total amount of
its capital stock is $4,000. Outward
ly it seemed small and harmless af-
fair, but under this modest organiza-
ton is hidden one of the greatest and
most corrupt monopolies ever known
in this country.
Its leading spirit was the great
Cincinnati publishing house of Van
Antwerp, Bragg & Co., and its first
legal organization included the school
book department of d. Appleton q
Co., A. S. Barnes & Co., and Ivison,
Brakeman & Co., of New York After
wards the trust purchased the bust
ness of the common school books of
Harper Bros, of New York, and d.
ID, Merrill & CO., of St. Louis. For
the last three or four years the Amer
lean Book Company, or the trust has
controlled the house of B. H. Butler
& Co.. of Philadelphia, made up of the
houses of Cowperthwaite and f. H.
Butler. 1t also owns the house of
Sheldon & Co., made up of the houses
of Taintor Bros. & Co., and Sheldon
& Co. The trust uses these latter
houses as stalking horses to delude
the public into the idea that there is
still competition.
WAYS THAT WERE DARK.
The methods of the American book
trust do not vary greatly from those
of other great trusts, such as the
sugar trust or the tobacco trust.
They consist of political intrigues,
caiolery, manipulation of boards of
education and bribery of public SER
wants. Perhaps no great corporation,
not even the sugar trust, has pursued
its ends with the frontless, brazen
and cynical impudence OF the book
trust. Before we begin to deal with
its conquest of Virginia a meager re-
view OF some of its experiences in
bribery may not be out of place.
l. After its absorption of Virginia,
which took place soon after its OF
ganization, it sent the same man who
had 50 successfully manipulated this
State out to the new State of Wash
ington. certain j w. Womack. In
June. 1890, the State Board of Educa-
ton adopted text books for the State
of Wisconsin. The book trust re-
ceived % per cent of the awards.
The trust agents were on the ground
>.
through G. Eames, a detective of
Portland, offered T. II. Leach, of Van
couver, a member of the board, a
check for $4,000 to move recon sid
Grafton SO far as the readers and
arithmetics were concerned. Leach
moved to reconsider and the matter
was left open. He received the check
and then exposed the plot.
The board then promptly reaffirmed
its former action and passed resolu-
tons condemning the American Book
Company. Six years afterward Gov
ernor Terry instructed the prosecut-
ing attorney of Olympia to proceed
against r. l.. Edwards and j. w
Womack. They were indicted, but IN
the meantime had fled and are still
fugitives from the justice of the State
of Washington. The episode is
further interesting in view of the fact
that during the summer of 1891 State
superintendent John Z. Massey, with
his wife, j. w. Womack and r. l.
Edwards travelled together to Toronto,
Canada. They went together and
they returned together and at this
oiAAc ~ was " HdoVSA VI pupllS HoOo-
riety that both Womack and Edwards
We're under Indictment for an attempt
to debauch an educational officer of
the State of Washington. an indict-
ment they dare not face Massey
served them well after this iunket,
as we will see.
ATTEMPTS AT BRIBERY.
2. On June 6, 1890, the Mlssis-
sippi State Democratic convention
passed the following resolution:
.'WheredS,, it is known that the
powerful trust known as the American
Book Company has been formed for
the manifest purpose Of monopolizing
the school-book business of the Unit
ed States, a trust that is more hurtful
and parniciouS tbon Tho hacrC;,,c r.