Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-10-27
A Difference in the Parties
The Republican Party Promised, but
the POpulist Party Performed.

Republicans Promised School Book Re-
form but Took Trust MOney-Popullsts
Gave the People What They Asked For
and Bafied tho Trusts.
One act OF the Legislature which
has already saved the people OF Kan
sas over 100000, has been commend
ed by the press OF the country gem
orally. In the enactment OF the
school text hook law by the Popu-
list Legislature, Kansas took an
advanced step, and other States are
getting ready to follow the example.
For years the Republican party in
convention assembled has recognized
the demand for law that would
give the people relief from the eXtor-
tions of the Doodle trust, and resolu-
lions declaring for aState uniformity
law and cheaper books were frequent
Iy made q part OF the Republican
platforms. When Governor Morrill,
came into Office in January, 1895,
his message to the Legislature con-
tained u very strong endorsement Of
the State uniformity law, and in the
following strong language urged
that his p arty fulfill its promises to
the people:
The question of State uniformity Of text
= hnnLc lie a. Inn "A NJ on and ghOu1d receive
your serious attention, As II now Is, there is
not even county uniformity. Indeed, In many
four counties the text books change with the
school district lines In some counties there
are from five to ten different kinds OF text
books used in the public schools. family
moving from one district to another Is thereby
needlessly put to great expense. The result
! 10 that in the aggregate the people OF the State
sxpend many thousands Of dollars for which
| they never receive any adequate return, which
would be saved the people If we had uniformity
# text books. This Is all the more important
because this burden falls usually upon those
who are the least able to bear Il. The farm
! tenant who changes his residence from year to
| rear, or the laborer, who, seeking employment,
must move from one city to another, is almost
invariably compelled to buy a new set OF books
Tor his children. This is imposing upon him an
MUST burden, and compelling him to eXpend
lutte large amount of money uselessly be-
cause the books which he is compelled TO dis
pense with are just as valuable, and as useful
Tor the instruction of the children, as the new
ones he is compelled to buy There is no valid
Argument against the system of state uniform-
lty, and there are many arguments for 1t, and
where it has been tried 1t has proven very adj
outrageous,
The day following the publication
Of the message the Topeka Daily
Capital, the recognized Republican
organ OF Kansas, commended Gov
ernor MorrilPs recommendation in
the following editorial:
The great combine on school books lhas be-
come an unnecessary burden to the people.
The prices demanded for school books by the
corporation known as the American Book
Company are altogether out of proportion COM
pared with all other classes of printed matter
and it Ia high time the Legislature needed the
wishes Of the people and offered relief In the
direction suggested by the Governor. The i'm
mense sums of money sent out of Kansas for
text books can largely be saved and kept with
In the State. The Republican party advocates
the protecting of home industries. Let the
school books be prepared in Kansas and also
printed In the State, thus saving the money to
school patrons, giving'uniformty, and furnish
Ing labor to our people. This is a practical
application of the principle OF protection, The
probabilities are, however, that before this
measure of uniformity advocated by the Gov
ernor can he put in the form of law that the
agents OF the American Book Company, which
Is a syndicate representing millions of money
will be able to ridicule the measure out of ex-
lstence. The people, II should be remembered
are in earnest on the question, and, as 1t affects
every patron Of our schools, the measure should
have prompt and serious attention.
/ The predictions OF Major Hudson,
then editor OF the Capital, were re-
markably verified, for before the
next session Of the Legislature was
o week old the American Book Com
pany's agents were in Topeka to
prevent the enactment of a State
uniformity law. A Republican house
stood like stone wall against the
passage OF the law which Governor
Morrill, and the Capital had so earn
estly advocated. The bill was de-
leated, just as Hudson predicted it
would be.
! When the peoples party came in
to possession of both branches of
the Legislature in 1897 a State uni
toTlnity school text book law was
passed and prices fixed which saved
the people nearly 80 per cent. in the
cost OF school books. In spite OF
the efforts OF the trust to keep out
bidders, the commission appointed
bn Governor Leedy adopted a series
Of books that have stood the test
and are recognized as the equal of
any books used in the public sch ools
Of any State in the West. 1t is esti-
mated that the taxpayers of Kansas
have already saved over $300,000 in
the purchase of school books for
che children of the state.
The press of other States has taken
up the question OF cheaper school
books and are pointing to Kansas as
an example worthy OF emulation.
In it's issue of September Is the
Scranton pa Republican, under
the heading, School Book Robbery
"A Remedy" discusses the Kansas
law as follows:
The American School Book Company ran in
to very bad snag in Kanscs. The Peoples
party had control of the State long enough to
put on the statute books law fixing by reas-
Duabe figures the prices that shall be paid for
school books.
comparative table of prices paid for school
books when the state under the usual
political management, and which will now be
paid under the school book law. shows a saving
to the people of more than 50 per cent.
Commenting upon the new law the Kansas
Torch Of Liberty says:
at is estimated that this State contract for
prices school books saved to the parents of
scholars in the State 100000 annually The
saving to one child who studies arithmetic,
history, grammar, geography, civil govern
uent, physical geography aud physiology is
81 70 ON the above books. This contract saves
money in the rich mass home and the Door
mans 1t saves for the POpulist, the Demo-
cIat, the Prohibitonist aud the Republican