The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1898-10-28
A Difference in the Parties
The Republican Party Promised. but
the Popultst Party Performed

The Republican Party Promised. but
the Populist Party Performed
Republicans Promised School Book Re-
form but Took Trust Money-Populists
Gave the People What They Asked For
and Banled the Trusts.
One act of the. Legislature which
has already saved the people of Kan
sas over $500, 900, has been commend
ed by the press of the country gen.
orally. In the enactment of the
school text book 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 State uniformity
law and cheaper books were frequent
ly made a part OF the Republican
platforms. When Governor Morrill,
came into office in January, 1895,
his message to the Legislature con-
tanned a very strong endorsement OF
the State uniformity law, and in the
following strong language urged
that his party fulfill it's promises to
i the people:
The question of State uniformity of text
your serious attention AS it now is, there is
: DOT even county uniformity Indeed, in many
Of our counties the text books change with the
school district lines. In some counties there
from FIVE to ten different kinds of text
books used in the public schools. A family
moving from one district to another is thereby
/ needlessly put to great expense. The result
Is that in the aggregate the people of the State
thev never 1 receive anV adeouate return. WHICH
would be saved the people if we had uniformity
| Of text books. This is all the more important
Who aTe the S ,east es able to Sear IL FHe fa1m
| tenant, who changes his residence from year to
must move from one city to another is almost
| invariably compelled to buy new set of books
tor his children. This is imposing upon him an
| quite large amount of money uselessly, be-
| cause the books which he Ia compelled to dis
Tor the instruction of the children, as the new
| Dnes he Is compelled to buy. There Is NO valid
argument against the system of state uniform:
where 1t has been tried it has proven very ad-
| outrageous,
The day following the publication
Of the message the Topeka Daily
Capital, the recognized Republican
organ of Kansas, commended Gov
ernOr MOrrill's recommendation I'm
the following EDITORIAL:
The great combine on school books lhas be-
come an unnecessary burden to the people.
AoV 1dodf
corporation known the American Book
Company are altogether out of proportion COM
and 1t is high time the Legislature needed the
wishes of the people and offered relief in the
direction suggested by the Governor; The i'm i'm
text books can largely be saved and kept with
In the State. The Republican party advocates
school books be prepared in Kansas and also
printed In the State, thus saving the money to
ing labor to our ' people This Is u PRACTICAL
application of the principle of protection. The
probabilities are. however, that before this
measure of uniformity advocated by the Gov
| ernor can he pnt in the form of law that the
agents of the American Book Company. which
will be able to ridicule the measure out of ex-
lstence. The people, it should be remembered.
IN of 9n ,rs the ond
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
a week old the American Book Com
pany's agents were in Topeka to
prevent the enactment of State
uniformity law. A Republican house
stood like a stone wall against the
passage OF the law which Governor
Morrill, and the Capital had SO earn
estly advocated. The bill was de-
T.
would be.
to possession of both branches of
the Legislature in 1897 q State uni
tOrmity school text book law was
passed and prices fixed which saved
the people nearly so 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 g. 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. It is esti-
mated that the taxpayers of Kansas
have already saved over $500, 900 in
the purchase of school books for
the 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 15 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 a very bad snag in Kansas. The Peoples
party had control of the State long enough to
put on the statute books a law fixing by reas-
enable figures the prices that shall be paid for
school books.
A comparative table of prices paid for school
books when the state was under the usual
political management. and which will now be
paid under the school book law. shows saving
to the people of more than so per cent.
Commenting upon the new law, the Kansas
Torch of Liberty says:
ssIt is estimated that this State contract for
prices on school books saved to the parents of
scholars in the State $4,000 annually The
child MI Ia lefic