The record-union., 1898-04-21

William Mclaughlin, ]. P. McManus,
George C. McMullen, a. Meister, Rev.
Charles L. Mel, A Z. Miller, Frank
Miller, G. T. Milliken, James E. Mills,
l. B. Mohr, L. c. Montfort, Samuel
Morris, George NJ. Mott, George Muir
ray Charles A. Neale, N. Dingley Com
pany, Alex Nelson, NJ. Nelis, L. Neu
bourg, w. c. Newbert, L. G. Nixon,
Paul Oakley, Frank J. O'Brien, John
Ochsner, c.. w. ogden, F. l.. Orcutt,
Charles w. Paine, Ed. E. PanabaAer,
w. F. Peterson, William NJ. Petrie,
Charles A. Phillips, C. NJ Phinney,
Charles E. Phipps, j. E. T. Pike, Joseph
f. Pipher, A. j. POmmer j. H. Pond,
James N. Porter j. A. Read, T. 3.
Reid, A J. Rhoads s. l.. Richards, r.
NJ. Richardson, c. c. Robertson, Ira A.
Robie c. A. Root, H. F. Root, George
P. Royster, F. Ruhstaller, Jr., p. f.
Ruman, Frank D. Ryan, Sacramento
Coffee and Spice Mills, Schad Bros, y.
Schaden, William Schaw, L. Nj.
Schmorer, J. G. Schroth, w c. Schroth,
Tom Scott, Henry Senf, w H. Sher-
burn, w Y. Shower, L. G. Siller, Will
lam NJ Sims, John Shelton, II. J.
Small, F. B. Smith, F. f. Smith, Fl. g.
Smith, S. B. Smith. w M. Smith, Frank
Shook, George B. Stack, NJ D. Stalker,
Lee Stanley, B. U. Steinman, Emil
Steinmann, w. r. Strong, George L.
Suydam, F. F. Tebbets, Charles w
Thompson, A. d. Tilton, James Touhey,
L. TOzer, A. c. Tracy, Felix Tracy, a.
T. Trainor, Fred Trout, Stephen Uren,
H. WachhOrst William G.. Watson, j.
w. Watt, II. Weinrich, H. WeinstOck.
Benjamin Welch, NJ. Wetzel, D. D.
Whitbeck, F. Y. Williams, A. J. Will
son. B. Wilson, l. L. Wintringer, II c.
Wolf, Charles E. Wright, Walter
Wright, H E. Yardley, c. A Yoerk,
F. c. Yoerk, J. D. Young.
ISSUED BY THE CALIFORNIA
STATE SCHOOL BOOK LEAGUE.
Dear Sir: The citizens of Sacramento,
viewing with Indignation and concern
the unrelenting warfare being waged
against the integrity of the State text
book system by the great boOk-pub
fishing trusts of the country, and feel
ing that the time has arrived when
public interest should be awakened to
a sense of the danger now threatening
one Of our most beneffcent institutions,
have formed an organization through
which they hope to reach the ear Of the
people of California, and to warn them
of the effort now on foot to subvert and
supplant a system that has saved so
many thousands of dollars to the people
Of the State. This Indignation is in
tensified by a firm conviction that the
attack on the life of our school-book
system is being encouraged and assist
ed by some whose duty to the public
should not only restrain them from such
action, but also impel them to protect
and defend it.
For many years prior to the estab-
! lishment of the State textbook Sys-
! TEN. California was a rich field for the
! operations of the school book publish
J ers of the East; and year after year,
as the population of the State increased,
the agents of these concerns increased
in like proportion, until nearly every
meeting of a City or County Board of
| Education was harassed with impor-
tunities and arguments for a change
/ of the text books then being used in
the public schools 1t is not going too
| far to say that in very many instances
! it was the popular belief that more
solid and tangible arguments than
those expressed in mere words were
/
change of books was desirable and nee
essary. The changes finally became so
frequent, and the expense to parents
resulting therefrom became so burden
some, that at last the people deter
mined to throw off the domination of
the publishing houses, to establish a
book-publishing plant of their own, and
to thus protect themselves from the
1te-L,
ers that was fast assuming the pro-
portions of a gigantic monopoly
This uprising of the people against ex-
! tortion resulted in the establishment Of
the State series of school text books
now in vogue, through which such an
immense saving to the people has been
accomplished. The establishment of
the system met, however, with the de-
| termined opposition of the combined
publishers, and in every stage of its
development its friends have had to
protect it from their malignant at
tacks, both open and covert Indeed,
the evident determination of the mo-
nOpoly to prevent or break down the
establishment of the State system be-
came SO manifest that the people placed
a provision in the constitution pro-
tecting it from the possibility of direct
destruction at the hands of any future
Legislature that might be brought un
der the influence of the combine or its
agents.
Since that time the efforts of the
plotters have been united in an en-
deavor to discredit and depopularize
the State books, and to cripple and de-
stroy the States ability to publish them
economically, or at a cost to the people
that will continue them in popular ia
vor In order to accomplish this, and
at the same time to conceal from the
public the real aims and designs, the
effort is made to break down the State
Printing Office, to close up its doors,
and to thus render it impossible, as
we have said for the State to continue
the economical publication of her
books In this connection we are sor-
ry to say that every circumstance goes
to show that the present Governor of
California is acting in conjunction and
accord with this monopolistic combina-
| ton in its endeavor to destroy the
school textbook system of the State,
and to refasten upon the people the
onerous exactions of the old system
| from which they have but so lately re-
| leased themselves. In their warfare
upon the State system the combined
publishers and their agents. attorneys
and allies are depending largely upon
the seeming forgetfulness of the peo-
pie as to the exactions and extortions
to which they We're compelled to sub
nit prior to the adoption of the State
series; but it is not to be believed that
the citizens of California will easily