Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-12-10
THE BATTLE OF THE BOOKS.
A Big Row Among the Schoolbook
Publishing Houses.

the Books They Have Been Using
in Spite of the Silly Efforts Of Re
cent Legislatures-S chcpl Mas
tiers Using Rand, Mol ally &
Co.'s Biographies and Harvey's
Granmars, Will Be Brought Into
Court by Those Holding the Con-
tracts for Those Books.
Special to the Register.
Charleston, W. Va. December y
The irrepressible conflict between the
school book companies is about to
break out afresh in this State, and the
right of teachers and school trustees to
use text books in the schools which
have not been contracted for by the
State superintendent or other legal au-
thority will be tested in the courts
The matter when adjudicated by the
Supreme Court will not end there, but
will be taken up by the people and Will
no doubt become an issue in the next
or future campaigns.
Among the books adopted by the
Legislature in 1895 was Mitchelps Geog-
raphy, published by E. H. Butler & Co.,
of Philadelphia, and Notwithstanding
the fact that a contract was made be-
tween the State superintendent or
schools and the company, by which the
company was to furnish Mitchells
Biographies to the school children OF
the State at the price stipulated IN the
act of the Legislature, the book is not
in general use, but the biographies
published by the Rand, McNally Co.,
of Chicago, is being used instead.
To make test case in court, Hon. J.
Russell Trotter, State Superintendent
of Schools, has addressed communica-
ton to Prof Seth Thomas, principal OF
the school at Mason City, directing him
to discontinue the use Of the Rand-Mc-
Nally Biographies.
HarVey's Grammar is another book
that is in general use in the State, and
which is claimed to be in use contrary
to law. Harvey's Grammar seems to
have a strong hold in this State, it be-
ing preferred to any other grammar by
probably nine-tenths of the school pop
ulation. 1t was this book that was most
vigorously fought for at the session of
the Legislature of 1895. Its friends
succeeded in securing it's retention as
a text book, but the price stipulated to
be paid for it was SO small that the
publishers, the American Book Com
pany, refused to enter into contract
m f,1rp icb I'm
Language Lessons were contracted for
and these books mos. 1 and y were in
tended to take the place of Harvey's
Grammar. But the people preferred
Harvey's Grammar and continued the
use of the book in the schools, buying
them at the price stipulated in the for
mer contract. 1t is said that thousands
of dollars have been expended in the
purchase of Harvey's Grammar in this
State during the present year.
Naturally D. G. Heath & Co., the
publishers of the Hyde books, object
to the use of an unauthorized book in
the schools to the exclusion of their
own for which they are under contract
to furnish to the schools of the State
at stipulated price. Their agent,
Prof. A. L. Wade, has made formal
demand upon the State Superintendent
to direct the school teachers to discon-
tinue the use of Harvey's Grammar and
to use the authorized book Hyde's Lam
guage Lessons instead. Prof. Wade,
having made affidavit that Geo. H. Allie
mong, teacher of the Wisner school,
in Morgan county, was using the Har-
vey Grammar, the State Superintendent
has addressed a letter to Mr.. Allemong
70 +lA <Nf4
to use Hydes Language Lessons in
stead. Whether Mr. Allemong complied
with the order of the State Superintend-
ent or not, matters but very little, since
it is intended to make this a test case
by taking it into the courts. If Mr.
Allemong obeys the order Of the State
superintendent, the American Book
Company, acting for and in behalf of
the people, will institute legal proceed
ings to compel the teacher to use
Harveys Grammar in his school. II,
upon the other hand, Mr.. Allemong
should refuse to obey the order of the
State Superintendent D. c. Heath & Co.
will institute legal proceedings to COM
pei his compliance. If. when the mat
ter gets into court, it should be decided
in this case that the use of Harvey's
Grammar shall be discontinued, D. C.
Heath & Co. will apply for an injunc-
ton against every school teacher in
the State using Harvey's Grammar, to
compel him to discontinue the use of
that book, and as there are several thou
sand teachers in the State using none
but Harvey's Grammar the Injunction
judges will likely to have plenty to do
in their line.
The battle of books will soon be on
in good shape, and there will likely be
plenty of fur flying before the fight is
over.
The truth is, the people want Har-
vey's Grammar and no other. They will
not be forced to use any other. The
Republican Legislature of 1895. in its
wisdom, undertook to shut out Har-
vey's Grammar by making the price on
1t so low that the company could not
afford to contract for it. The members
of the Legislature who sought to drive
Harvey's Grammar out of the schools
were severely criticised at the time, and
have been denounced from time TO
time since. The effort now to drive the
book out by legal proceedings will no
doubt fan the flames till the question
gets into politics.
The Legislatures of 1895 and 1897
made mess of the school book laws.
and it is now being generally realized.