The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-29
BOOK TRUST AT WORK
1t Is Not Done Fighting the
Battle Against
Cheaper SchOoIbOoks in Kansas
Busy at Schemes.
The Wellington superintendent OF
Schools Seems to Have Been
Hired as Its Instrument

H. F. NJ Bear. superintendent of the
schools of Wellington, is a candidate
for president of the State Teachers as
sociation, and in the effort to elevate
him to that Office. it is said, is concealed
plan to deliver the association into
the hands of the American Book com
pany
In exchange for the support which
the agencies OF the trust are giving Mr..
Bear, he has promised to arrange the
programme for next years meeting so
as to give the corporations the oppOrtu-
nifty of exposing" and criticising the
new school text book law and the sys-
tenn of books which has been adopted
hereunder.
Mr.. Bear has also promised to ap-
point members of the committee on
resolutions for the meeting of 1898,
which viii prepare a series of decla-
ratiOns which the association will be
expected to adopt and upon which the
political lobbyists may appear before
the Legislature of 1899 and seek the
overthrow of the existing law.
Then again, Mr.. Bear is a Democrat
"a fusiOnist-and he hopes to become
president of the association, and with
the influence so secured, make an effort
to down superintendent Stryker and
secure for himself the nomination, as
a Democrat, for the position on the
next state ticket.
These three plans are not idle gOs-
sip being used against Mr.. Bears can
didacy. He openly admitted, practical
ly volunteering the information, to
man whose support he sought
The ambition of the American Book
company and similar corporations is
to secure the ultimate destruction of
the text book law which has ruth
lessly swept their business Oue of Kan
sas. The company refused TO bid on
the books provided by the new law, and
one of its preSentatives prOphested
dire results from the operation of the
law. The company has the most eX-
tensive headquarters, being maintained
during the association
A significant fact which appears to
the most casual observer, is that many
of the Republican city superintendent
are working hand in hand with the cor
pOratiOn in the plan to elect Mr.. Bear.
Another scheme which the book com
panies are making an effort to combine
on, is the reading circle board. Should
this board be changed, the American
Book company is likely to lose the con-
tracts which are to be made in jan
uary The members of this board are
selected by congressional districts.
Should the board be changed, either J.
w Stout of Shawnee or Charles Nor
man of DOniphan would be compelled
to retire. The plan agreed upon Is
not to make up the board in accordance
with the new congressional district
boundaries, but to retain Mr. Stout
and Mr. Norman. and this, it is claimed,
will assure the company OF q contlnua-
tion of the present profitable contracts.
1t has been charged that Mr.. Norman
CWhO is Cyrus Leland'S son-ln-IaW)
is working under the dictatiOn of Mr..
Leland in this scheme.
The teachers became indignant last
year when it was suggested that some
of them were working for the book
trust. and State superintendent Stan
ley. who has been induced to with
draw as an opponent to Mr.. Bear, who
stands the avOwed representative OF
the trusts, seeking the presidency, and
has promised to abide by the dictation
of the corporation during mis- term of
office became very indignant The
question now is: What will be done
when the association is to be delivered?
The contract by which Mr.. Bear
trades himself to the trust, it is au-
thentically stated. was made in the
COPELAND parlOr Monday night.