Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-06-01

and had we exercised our nWn ind
vidual prefereuce we would have vote
TO replace thuse with Others moi
suitable. But the people had ~ "a
for them and we decided To be goN
erned by the Wishes of the schoC
patrons OF our respective counties.
I Prof. Ackermau sent circular let
ter to has school district officers sei
ting forth the different features OF th
question and asked to be advised
The answer was unanimous in favO
of re- adopting the list Of books al
ready In the schools and he was earn.
esUly requested to cast his vote to &C
cept the proposal Of the American
Book company. rt lllilf
The people OF Marion county Die
not give me time to issue a circulal
letter. THE JOURNAL always active
and industrious in questions of public
Importance had been 'red hot" il
encouraging ard creating sentiment
against change OF schUUl books. It's
readers were advised aud urged tc
send in their protests. So well did
IL succeed that every budy from De
troit to G lampDeg aud from SCOTS
Mills to Ankeuy demanded that the
list Of books then hrjhg ruI Irished by
the AmerIcia Book Company be re-
tained.
Nearly every society, grange and
labor and business organization in
the county pass ID resolutions against
change aud copies we're sent NE.
The Salem Co o.mit "a Of ole Murdered
registered a pr 81.
Your Mr. Z. IIoirr also made me a
pers nal visit and asked that
east my vote in favor of the series -
books then ir usn. Tie America
Book Company had Il host OF skillft
solicitors and agents, but not one OF
them made more eloquent or earnest
plea for their publications than did
your Mr.. Hofer on that occasion.
This same feeling was general
throughout the state and resulted in
the American Book Company being
awarded the contract for six years.
Mr.. Lyman and few other county
superinterdents ignored the petitions
Of the people and voted in favor of
other publishers. [This is a mistake.
Mr.. Lyman's vote was endorsed by
his reelection in a Republican
county.l EDITOR JoUhNAL. f.. "'-
/ think the American Book Com
pany regards me as being unfriendly
10 their business methods and many
)f their publications and l do not
wish to offer anything In their defense
Dr. behalf, nor do l wish to critic!se
Mr.. Lyman 10 his hostile attitude to-
wards that company. He is in all
actuated by proper and
honest motives, but the fact remains
that the people OF this state are and
will be overwhelmingly opposed to
change of the series of books that will
be prop sed In 1900 the date when our
present contract expires,
Mr., Lyman announces that he is an
enemy OF the American Book Company
and he is pledged to exert himself To
the utmost If elected to assist some
other publisher In securing the con-
tract and put new list of books iE
the hands Of the school children Of
UnlS SJaUe.
Mr.. Editor, do you favor a change
of school books?
Mr.. Ackerman may not be un.
fri emily to our present publishers but
[ know he is under no obligations
whatever to them nor any other
book firm and when the proposition
comes up in 1900 and he Is superin-
tendent of public instruction he will
De guided entirely by the needs and
demands of the taxpayers and school
patrons Of the state just as he was in
1894.
While favor the election OF j. IL.
Ackerman / have not written this
etter in partisan spirit,
Yours Truly,
j. S. GRAHAM.
uo,,,'s rrh;s