The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-05-20
AT THE STATE HOUSE.
Star Chamber Provision of the
Textbook Law
A Foolish One and Still More
Astonishing,
As it Was Framed by a Populist Leg
islature Supposed to Provide the
Greatest Publicity for Every
thing Pertaining to the
People.

W AAA4C the WlS0OLu OF the leSlSldlu
was Incorporated in the text book law,
which will secure to the people of Kan
sas a reduction in the price of books,
there is one provision in that measure
which is as senseless as it is useless.
1t is as follows:
No person. except members of this
committee, shall be present at or cog
infant of any proceedings of this COM
mission, during any time that it is in
session, and no member of this com
mission shall, during any meetings of
this commission, give any information
to any person or persons concerning
any business transacted. or in the course
of transaction at any session of this
commission, until after all the business
of the session is concluded. Al the
close Of each session of this commits
sion. the proceedings thereof shall De
published in pamphlet form for general
distribution among the people of this
state"
State Superintendent William Stry-
ker, who is ex-Officio chairman of the
commission, opposed this provision OF
the law during its consideration by the
legislature. He urged the members of
the committee which formulated the
bill TO omit it. and suggested that in
a transaction of such Importance as the
letting of contracts for school DOCKS,
the people. who were most deeply m
terested. should be given an opportun-
ity to see and hear what their repre-
sentatiVes on the commission We're do
ing.
This forenoon the members of the
commission sat around the office of the
state SUPERINTENDENT listening to the
discussion Of the merits of the different
readers which are submitted for the
consideration of the board. No attempt
was made to hold q formal session OF
the commission, but the representatives
of the book companies were given an
opportunity to do their lobbying openly
in the state house and in the OfTce OF
- S71DarfntEndRnT prior to the
formal meeting. which is secret. THESE
informal sessions viii be held every day
prior TO the regular session
In urging the adoption OF the pro-
vision of the law cited above, the ed
vocational committees of the house ana
senate argued thai such restrlctlon
would tend to decrease the posslplhly
of lobbyists reaching the members and
exercising undue influence in securing
adoption Of their books.
The law provides that after the COM
mission has adjourned, completing It's
work. the proceedings shall be pup
lfshed in pamphlet form and disJrlb-
uted throughout the state Ihen'
should any objections arise. 1t VIII De
too late TO correct the eNlA Wh4ch mas
been done. If any
SUPERINTENDENT Stryker said today:
TT looks a little like the legislature
was going a long distance to place SaIe-
Guards around men. who, in my opin-
ion. need nothing of the kind TO gulde
them in a faithful and CONSCIENTIOUS
discharge of their duties
In the event the commission should
become involved in a wrangle, dispute
or lnparIfamentary proceeding. Wou1Q
the official record which it is proposed
to publish contain the details OF such
incidents? % asked the reporter
well I do not know about that
nrasume it would. It should certainly
contain everything necessary 10 com
plete the record
..Did YOU ever hear of an organlzatloh
of anv kind which would deliberately
publish uncomplinlentary thtnss aI oout
It's own membership Do you peIeVe
that such action has ever IaheA Plel01
in the publication Of records?
LAS to that I cannot say, definitely
hut 1 will confess that do not DeheNe
that your theory IS incorrect. pe-
lts1-e - continued Mr.. Stryker, that the
01>nvisfOn of the law to which you reIer
e unnecessary It is not fair at all but
1 presume that all we can oo y 70 ~
serve. carefully, its intents ana pur-
Mcdonald. superintendent of the
OSspe city schools, the last member
srr97ir+ad on the commission, but not
confirmed by the senate is opposed 10
the provision of the law which depr1Ves
the people from knowing exactly W44l
is going on at those meetings ne
thinks il an injustice but does not be
lieve the trainers of the bill contempla-
ted questioning the honor ana lltegIiLy
rf the men who comprise the cou1r1ls-
sion I believe the bill Will secure a re
duction in the price of school DOCKS 70
the people of this state ana IL Is Ger
tainlv very meritorious in that respect
hut am not in full accord with the Sc
crecy' provision
M Neece of Independence said: T
have no fault 10 ind with the act 90
not believe that the provision of the law
referred to was in any sense an at
tempt or effort on the part OF the IeSlS-
Iatrlre to fr1pugn the hOnOr or question
the integrity OF the neLlDeis u 1liS
commission -,
Republican members OF the commission
said: while the members OF TINS com
mission must of necessity abide by the
provisions of the law it is my candid
opinion that the secrecy demanded IN
the proceedings of the commission Dy
the law under which we are working Is
unnecessary: it is a manifest injustice
to the people who have as mucn rlght
to know what is going on as the mem
bers of the commission. rms law IS
framed. supposedly,in the interests of the
people but the prOviso to which mem
bers object makes this star-chamber
proceeding
where the interests of all the people are
conferred nothing should be thrown in
the way of a perfect and thorough IN
derstan Cing of what is going on Sup
pose after the meeting is over it should
be discovered that some great error had
been committed in the work of the
commission Would it be charged TO
the laW2 Not at all. The members
would bear the responsibility"
s I Hale of Lacrosse said: There
is no question in my mind but that the
proceedings of the commission should
be conducted publicly The law makes
if otherwise however and we must of
course abide by it. Yet. I believe that
If Is a very serious mistake 10 prevent
the people from hearing what is going
on at the meetings Of the commission
RECORD OF LATE LAMENTED.
2 n --r1 % -