The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-02-06
WAR OF SCHOOL BOOKS
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Continued from Page One.
of education adopted text books for the
state of Washington. Tho book trust re-
ceived % per cent. of the awards. The
trust agents were on the ground. j. w.
Womack and II. L. Edwards, through c.
Eames, a detective of Portland, offered L.
IL. Leach of Vancouver, q member of the
board, a check for 5000 to move a recon-
sideration so far as the readers and arith-
nneties were concerned. Leach moved to
reconsider and the matter was left open.
He received the check and exposed the
plot. Tho board reafIirmed its former
action and passed resolutions condemn
ing tho American Book company. SIX
days afterward Governor Terry instructed
the prosecuting attorney of Olympia to
proceed against II. L. Edwards and j. w.
Womack. and they were accordingly in
dicted. The case has never been brought
TO trial. 1t has come up two or three
times, but successful demurrers have
been interposed. Captain Edwards says
he had nothing to do with the offering of
the check TO Leach, that it was simply
decoy check designed TO entrap Leach,
that there was no money in the bank to
pay it and that there was no intention of
paying 1t. The captain says that Leach,
in the presence of the recent investigating
committee IN Portland, admitted that he
Captain Edwards) had nothing whatever
to do with the check transaction.
THE OREGON TROUBLE.
The trust has just scored a great vic
tory in Washington, securing a good long
contract. No other publishing house had
a single one of its books adopted. The
Portland law and order committee of 100
hanan A cnh-Nnnan1if-
I tee. appointed for the purpose, made a
long report to the committee of the whole,
which was a scathing arraignment of the
trust. After abiding to the.Washington
bribery, the committee says:
In California, as appeared by the published
affidavit Of an agent of Ivison. Brakeman, Tay-
Tor & Co., the same combination except Apple
ton g. Co and the Harpers furnished to its
agents. to be paid to members of the San Fran
cisco board OF education, the lump sum of
Sl1,959.9s. These are only specific instances, but
the history of this company's operations in
Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, New Jersey ana
other states gives us the impression that Its
methods are corrupt, and leads this committee
to the almost irresistible conclusion that this Is
a well-defined policy of the company itself in
the select on OF some of its agents and instru-
men,a ities. When the fact is considered that
brides are carefully offered, and successful
bribery is always secret, and that for one at
demoralizlng and corrupting nature of this
company in its dealings with public agents and
officers must be universally conceded.
Practically the American Book company fur
nishes all the public school books for the state
OF oregon, a selection so unanimous and unwar-
ranted that in itself it suggests occult influence
and gives to this corporation profit, as we es-
innate 1t, OF over $4,000 year.
The trust and its agents have also had
trouble in Virginia, Illinois, Mississippi,
Missouri and other states, charges of
bribery or attempted bribery being of
quite common occurrence. Captain Ed
wards says all these accusations can be
traced to the jealousy and spite of disap-
pointed and malignant rivals. He claims
that the reason why the American Book
company is so repeatedly and uniformly
successful is because among the books
published by the various firms composing
that company are to be found the best
publications on the subjects treated in
the country; and that further, in the mat
ter of prices the trust can meet and defy
all competition. He asks for the passage
of the Joy bill on the ground that il names
superior books and specifies prices which,
taking the item of freight into account,
are as low as those given any state in the
union.
Just the same, the other publishing
houses are making it hot for the captain
here in Helena.
If Senator Smead's bill passes, the fight
will be transferred from the legislative as
sembly to the state board of education.
1t may pass the senate, but the chances
of it's passage by the house are regarded
as pretty slim unless it is amended by
striking out the provision giving the board
of education the power to make school,
book contracts.