Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-03-02
Salts AND REPRESENTING BROS.
AN OPEN LETTER.
The Register has been requested to

! publish the following:
Harrisville. w. Va, Feb. q, 1898.
MIR. c. B. Hart, My Dear, Innocent
Young Friend:-I have read with much
amusement your humorous article III
your book company advertising sheet
erstwhile Familiarity known as the
Wheeling Intelligencer. of the Zoth
inst. You appear to consider II nor
rible crime to attempt to secure cheap
err school books for the people.
Esteemed fraud mean friend
permit me to call your superb intel
lect's attention to the fact that you
are terribly misunderstood. Your I'M
familiarity with the ways OF the world
is about to get you into difficulty
Tender idiot-excuse me, intellect
do YOU not know that the American
Book Company is horrible, gigantic
octopus? Why, it is accused OF Duy-
ing Virginia and Oregon officials by
Wholesale and OF trying to Duy west
Virginia Legislatures. l nave neaIu
people say such a vile thing OF you
poor. little, UnsophisUcated, specCa-
cled. innocent that you are, tnat part
of YOU which was not in the employ
ment OF the Virginia debt syndicate,
was engaged in doing the bidding oil
the American Book Company Ior con
sideration after. mt. -- had peeH
seen" and 1 weep great scaiding tear
that one so pure should be so assalieq'
as [ insist il cannot be true.
Your humor in your precious emu
sion of the 26th is so profound thaJ j
fear YOU have pain down below your
heart. The way the pestIerous III
GRITTY" in the Legislature got away WIN
the majority to the tune OF twenty -ilEe
10 one. on the school book question:
turns you inside out in a way 10 eiec-
trify the State. What a splendid COM
pliment YOU pay TO the Intelligence OF
the Republican Legislature IN TINS gro
tesoue donning of the cap and Dells.
Nv the way. did not the aforesaid Leg
isIature at one time call you common
liar. instead of a preYaricator! Pe"-
hans that effected your phanJasy or
came across the spirit Of your dreams.
Pretty child, as you remark, Delegate
Norris indeed had book bill ready
to dump on the House Of Delegates at
the the start. Why, shorn lamb? Be
cause he knew the methods or lne
American Book Company, puollsher
Of McGufy's "hOOdoOs," contributor TO
Democratic campaign funds, purchaser
of corrupt newspapers, would-be-
manipulator of Legislatures, dispen-
ser of cash. theatre tickets, cham
Dacne. whisky. tobacco, and other still
cboicer articles in the interest of pure
hooks TO American children, and want
ed 10 be good ready for it. OF course,
darling Cinderella, you would never
hear of these vile methods, ana your
precious newspaper is as gulleiess as d
new born association of thugs.
Yes. Burdette Morris is awIuliy hurI
because he failed to get on a schooi
hook board. He meant devllmenJ 10
all corrupt book concerns and, oil
course a failure to get a chance 10
work for nothing, as he had TO DO lor
fortv-five days, in the interests or Jhe
noor tore him all up. Still he IS not
as badly wounded as you are, by 'he
massage of a bill that will save the peo-
nIo of the State a half million dollars
and Give them better bOOks-and even
exchange if the publishers OF ihe UooAS
most largely used IN the oIa1e IT,
fuse to contract.
beautiful spectacles, you seem 10
dislike Speaker Edwards, and Dele
GATE Smith. OF Ohio county. We'll
thew are honest men, and therefore are
onnosed TO the American Book COM
many. To whom or what are you op-
FINALLY O thou Kings Jester, thou
reachest this sublime height OF RADIANT
fun: .,,,+roct
IF the publishers will not CONTRACT
tho very situation has been produced
which the few schemers sought 10
bring about while pretending 10 be en-
Gagged in a noble effort TO get at lhu y.
lower price the books now IN use 10
this project some agile minds deHoteu
themselves during the whole OF lHe
session. Their course through the LOT
tive davs created scandal, and the
Martial attainment of their object IS
likely to result in confusion and dlssat-
iefaction through the State. AS the
matter develops the people Will UNDER
stand it better"
What was it the House Of Delegates
called YOU? You know the course oi
these members created no scandal. All
the scandal there was, was among the
AGENTS. of the American Book Company
and fhe Legislature came out OF 1t I'M
scathed. A vote of seventy to three on
the hook bill shows the Legislature
stood by the people and was not open
70 bribery. And what, again, IS the
situation produced? If a corrupt con-
corn will not contract, an honest one
will and will give the people better
hooks and for every old one IN the
state will trade a new one without
charge. For this honest men did IN
deed scheme, and in spite OF eXJraor-
dinarilv adverse influences won ire
mendous victory over trusts trick
sters. lobbyists and corrupted neWspa-
pers. o bi.,o-,,
and poetry. emperor of all the arts,
snotless dispenser Of glittering streams
from the fountain OF truth, protector
Of innocent children, thou gentle hut
tering Birdie. hail and farewell.
Yours affectionately,
p. w. NORRIS.
Annendix.-As the matter develops,
the neople will understand it better.
BELLAIRE.