Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-10-19
THEY TALKED; POPULlSTS
ACTED.
Republicans Promised School Book
Reform But Took Trust Money.
FOpuiistS did what the Peo-
pie Asked

One act of the Legislature which has
alrtady saved the people of Kansas
over $500 600. las been commended
by tie press of the country generally.
In the enactment of the school text
book law by Populist Legislature,
Kansas took an advanced step, and
other States are getting ready to fol-
| low the example. For ,ears the Rs
publican party in convention assem-
bled has recogniz ID the demand for a
law that would give the people relief
from the extOrtiOns of Ibe hook trust,
and resolutions declaring for State
uniformity law and cheaper books
we're frequently mssie !. part of Repub-
lican platforms. When Governor Nor
III came into ,fli e iii ] January, 1895,
his message TO the Legislature con-
tanned Il very strong injosement of the
State uniformity law, and in the fol-
lowing strong language URGED that his
party fulfill IFS promises TO the people:
The question # State uniformity of
text books is an important one, and
should receive your serious attention.
AS it now IS, there is not even county
uniformity. Indeed, in many of our
counties the teXt books caanee with
he school district lines. In some
counties there are from FIVE to Ten off
ferent kinds of text books used in the
public schools. A family moving fr"m
one district to another is thereby need
less)y put to great expense. The
result is that in the aggregate the peo-
pie of the state expend many thOus-
ands of dollars for which they Ut yer
receive any adequate return, which
would be saved the people if we lad a
uniformity of text books. This is all
the more important because this bur-
den falls usually upon those who are
least able to bear 1t. The farm tenant
who changes his residence from year
to year, or the labOrer who, seeking em-
plOyment, must move from one city to
another, is almost. invariably compelled
to buy new set of books for his chill
dren. This is imposing upon him an
unjust burden, and compelling him to
expend quite a large amount of money
uselessly, because the books which he
is compelled to dispense with are jnsi
as valuable, and as useful for the in
struction of children, as the new ones
which he is compelled to buy. There
is no valid argument against the sys
tenn of State uniformity, and there are
many arguments for it, and where il
has been tried it has proven very ad
, vantageous.
The day following the publication
of the messag, the Topeka Daily Capi.
tai, the recognized Republican organ
of Kansas, commended Governor Nor
rili's recommendation in the following
editorial:
The great combine on school books
has become an unnecessary burden t,
the people. The prices demanded fol
school books by the corporation known
as the American Book Company are
altogether out of proportion compared
with all other classes of printed mat
ter, and it is high time the Legislature
needed the wishes of the people anG
,, offered relief in the direction suggest
ed by the Governor. the immens,
sums of money now sent out by Kan
sas for text books can largely be saved
and Kept within the state. The Re
; publican party advocates the protect
ing Of home industries Let tn,
school books be prepared In Kansas
and also printed in the state, thu
saving money to school patrons, giv:nl
unifcrmitv, and furnishing labor t,
= 'ur,p pc pie This is pratt cal aptlica
'ion Of the principle of protection
: The probabilities are, however, tha
before this measure OF unifol nifty ad
vocaied 10y the Governor caD be pu
into the forzn of law that the agent
g of the American Book Company
which is a syndicate representing mil
liens of money, will be able To ridicnl
d the measure out of existence. Th
r people. it should be remembered, ar
g in earn,st on the question, and, IS
. affects every patron of oui schools, Tn
;, M sure should have prompt and SER
Gus attention.
The predictions of Maj,r Hudson
; hen editor of the G ,pital, were n
markably verified, for before the nss
session Of the L.gi> Itnrc was wee
1t old The American Book Company
agents were in Topeka tn prevent tn
y enac.nle of STATE. uniformity Law
y 4 Republican house stood like a ston
e va against the passage # the lay
which Governor Morrill, and the Cap
- tai had so earnestly advocated. Tn
bin was defeated, just as Hudson pre-
r. dicted it would be.
> When the Peoples party came int
Q possession of both branches of tn
l. Legisl .ture in 1897 State uniformit
l. school text book Law passed ard price
Ie fixed which saved the people nearl
It 80 / er cent in the cost of school book.
1l In spite of the eff ,rt, of the trust t
S keep out bidders, the commission al
r pointed 10y Governor Leedy adopted
le series of books that have stood ii
f. test and are recognized as the equal {
d any books used in the public schoo
er of any State in the West. 1t is est
C. mated that the taxpayers of Kans'
/. have alre eady saved over $500, ,0O0
n the purchase of school books for u