Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-05-20
Portland Man Admits Voting
for American Book Co.
Books.
And He Voted fer Almost None
Other.
Says They Were Already in Use and
Times Were Very Hard.

Prof. Ackerman, of Portland, bas
made defense. We print IL below;
County Superintendent Lyman has
made brave fight against the schoo'
book trust and brought his opponent
from under cover.
Ackerman is an ideal man for STATE
superintendent OF schools for the big
publishing syndicates. He is tex
book man. He is not man Of ideas
He was roasted at Salem state
teachers association for opposing
teaching of morals in the schools.
MR.. AcKERMAN's DEFENCE
is printed below, paragraph by para
graph and COMMENT or correction 10
brackets:
PORTLAND. May lS.-(To the Edi-
tor)-ln The Oregonian OF May 3,
there appeared a communication
signed by II. S. Lyman, Populisi
candidate for superintendent of pub
lie instruction. After enumeratlnp
Yarioushmproyemen in the admins
tration OF the Office which he proposes
to initiate, If elected, Mr.. Lyman
takes up the school, book question
lie states his position to be one OF
opposition TO the present contract and
proceeds To say that the domination
which procured this contract NOW
asks the voters OF Oregon for an en
hallnt-nny ~ hiRh
viii give extension for another period
of six years, 10 continue until 1907"
[Mr. Lyman is not the "Popullst
candidate He is the Peoples
Democratic Silver Republican" cand-
idate.
Since l am Mr.. Lyman's only for
mldable opponent, this innuendo
must refer to me. Any doubt about
tbe matter will be removed by reading
a circular signed by Mr.. Lyman, In
which IL is openly stated that l am
the American Book Company's candi-
date for the office of superintendent
OF public instruction.
IFS it not fact that leading and
well-known American Book Co., men
were at the Republican state conveD-
tion TO secure your nomination Is
1t not fact that the American Book
90. was opposed TO the denomination
of State Supt. Irwin, because he was
not as completely at their service as
they desired VIII you pledge your
self uot TO appoint American Book
Co., men for the board of nine state
examiners
deny that there exists any agree
ment or understanding between my.
self and any III u or corporation re-
spectin6 the manner in which shall,
il elected, discharge the duties of the
Office for which l am candidate, |
deny that my vote on the adoption OF
text-b books ia 1894 was influenced by
any other consideration than the in-
teresls Of my constituency, the school
patrons and school children OF Multi
nOmah county. Aud assert that my
vote at that time will bear comparison
with nhe vote OF H. s. Lyman, who
was then superintendent OF Clatsop
county. THIS comparison | shall
presently make. Mr.. Lyman In his
lstt,rs aud circulars compares the
present prices of books IN Oregon with
the lower prices In other states, fixed
under different conditions or by con
tracts OF more recent date and seeks
by innuedo TO lay portion Of the
blame for this difference upon me, yet
IL will he seen that II Mr.. Lyman
could have had his way In 1894 we
should now be payllg more for school
books than we pay up'ier the "infam-
Ous" contract he so dearly loves TO de =
nOunce.
fThe difference between Lyman and
Ackerman is plain. The former
brayely denOunces the American Book
Co aud Ackerman does not.
Every person who had TO vote upon
the adoption OF the textbooks 10 1894
known that, though a multiplicity OF
books Was offered, there were practic-
ally only two tickets" In the field.
To vote for books net on one OF these
lists was like voting for the pro-
hibItIon candidate for president.
That Mr. Lyman fully understood
this feature OF the situation, is shown
by bis vote. On one side was the list
OF the American Book Company; on
the other was list made up from
the publications Of the syndicate
headed by the great publishing house,
0inn 4 o., and comprising, besides
that hrm, Maynard, Merrill & Co.,
The Werner %, John E. Potter 4
Co.. y, Q. Heath a Co., aud Lowell &
90.