Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-05-27
Rallies the People to Stand
for the Right.
Proves His Record as a Candidate
in the Interest Of the Com
mon Schools.

To the Editor.
With pleasure l notice IN your is
sue OF the 18th, that the question Of
school books is touched upon by Pro
fessor J. ii. Ackerman; and is also
noticed editOrially. This is an in
dicst on that whatever be the result
OF the election definite understand
log will be created OF the part II the
voters that will not let the matter OF
school books be at rest until settled
so as to place Oregon in as favorable a
situation as that Of the neighbOring
states.
l ,assume that the Oregonian in
throwing open its columns thus far
recognizes its duty as public umpire
and realizes that its own reputation
for fairness Is also on trial before the
people; and will not therefore pre-
Judge the case by premature editorial
comments and will wait with patience
until all the evidence is submitted.
While perhaps partisan, the Oregon
ian is aware that only the attitude Of
an unbiased judge will bring adYant-
age TO It's candidate. Allow me then
first to notice the admissions in this
article Of Mr.. Ackerman's. He re
marks that recent legislation or the
course Of trade has made it possible
for other states To make better bar
gains since 1894. 10 this he admits
that other states have made better
bargains than Oregon, and thus ad
mits the first part Of my contention,
which was that we were at a dlsad-
vantage IN comparison with the
neiehboring states. In making no
effort TO correct my published state
ment in this respect he tacitly admits
that our disadvantage is as great as
that estimated by myself.
That am not alone in saying that
Oregon is paying much more for books
than she should is shown by quotation
from the report Of the committee Of
one hundred published in the Ore
gonlan Of September %, 1894, as fol-
lows: "Practically the American
Book Company furnishes all the
public school books for the' state OF
Oregon. a selection 50 unanimous
and unwarranted that 10 itself 1t
suggests occult Influences and given
10 this corporation profit as we es-
innate IL over thirty thousand dollars
a year"
Such sum expended by our peo-
pie is matter Of serious consider
alton. Since 1894 this sum has GER
tainly not been reduced and the vir-
tual monopoly has continued. 1t is
not however entirely Ithe fact, as as
serted by Mr.. Ackerman, that better
bargains have been made with the
other states since 1894; as in Idaho, II
/ mistake not, the contract giving the
state much more favorable prices than
I re on was made in 1895.
The second portion Of my conten-
teItiOl that the vote OF Mr.. Acker-
man upon school books in 1894 indl-
cafes that he will, IL elected. organ
ize this Office In manner acceptable
b the American Book Company is in
no wise impaired by the assertion
aod statistics given In his article Of
May 18th. lie remarks: "The truth
is that neither OF US could vote upon
any prices except much as were of
fered In 1894" Since this was the
case what do his comparisons aud fig.
ures proye' BY his figures be at
tempts 10 show that the books voted
for by myself cost slightly more
than those voted for by himself. But
the matter OF prices, as 'he asserts,
was not up for decision. That had
already been decided by The board OF
education.
H. mas never been asserted by my
self that in this vote any one showed
his preference as 10 prices. IL was
asserted. however, that preference
was shown Ia the vote OF Mr.. AckeI-
erman for the books OF certain com.
pany. BY Others more competent TO
Judge this preference Cf Mr.. Acker-
mans was noticed at the time.
After commenting upon the cir
cumstance, that Mr.. Ackerman
though appointed principal OF the
Harrison street street school still re-
tained the 0ffice OF county school su-
perintendent, TO which he had but
lately been elected, the report cited
above concludes: IF, however, our
surmlse that the American Book
Company isin control OF our school
machine is correct, Mr.. Ackerman's Is
actions are very intelllgible. The
county superintendent is one OF the
ofiieers charged with the selection OF
public school books for the state for
The ensuing six years. Had Mr.. Ack-