The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-02-09
The SCHOOL BOOK FIGHT
ARGUMENT BEFORE THE EDUCATIONAL
COMMITTEE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
The Attorneys Who Favor Retaining the Present
Law Give Their Reasons Judge Winston
Argues for State Adoption.

lnlttee yesterday WIS IdtlleF HNclS. MI
Charles NJ. Busbee and Mr.. Edward W.
Pou addressed the committee i'll behalf
of the University Publishing Company,
opposing any changes in the present
school books, and Mr.. Fabius II. Busbee
appeared for the American Book Com
pany while Judge r. w. Winston and
Mr.. Il. 7. Gray were present, represent
ing the Il. +. johnson Publishing Com
pany. The Senate committee, by invita-
ton sat with the House Committee.
Mr.. Pou opened the argument He
took the position that it was unwise TO
change the present school books, in the
absence Of strong reasons. lie SAID that
it now appeared that this was hight
against the books now in use; that
j this was the real controversy. He said
that the action of the committee should
he governed by three principles: LIST. The
literary merit of the books offered by
both sides: 2nd. The price of the books.
and Bird. Their authorship. He contend
cd that the books now i'll use had been
approved by every Democratic admins
tratOn from Vance down to Carr; that
in 1895 the opponents of these books
had procured the passage of an act re-
ferring the whole matter to the coun-
ties; that with practical unanimity the
counties had decided against any change;
that the aggregate, price of the series of
readers and histories offered by the
University Publishing Company, is $3.50,
while the same series of books offered by
the 3. +. Johnson Company, cost S4.21.
He replied vigorously to the charge that
Johnson's books We're the cheapest, and
I, - ,,{ AZ l,n1 1ol a
to deceive the committee. He further
contended that, the authorship of all the
books was Southern; that they con
tanned more matter relating to the
South than those of the b. +. Johnson
Company, and they were published by a
Southern concern. He called attention
to the fact that out of the go stock
holders in the University Publishing
Company, 240 were Southern people. in
Guiding number of North Carolina
people. He took the ground that the
proposition Of the b. II. Johnson Com
pany, to exchange books was costly and
impracticable; that no concern in the
world was financially able to execute
such an order, and even if executed the
children would be supplied with inferior
books, at greater cost hereafter. He
1
effort on the part of the b. +. john
son Company, to parade the Confederate
Uniform as an advertisement He called
attention to the fact that the compiler
of one of their books had made CRATE
full acknowledgements to the New York
Independent" which recently contained
slanderous articles against the people of
North Carolina.
II, Ill nv ~ "a
Fl. Busbee, who took the position that
itlwould be dangerous to go into a whole
sale change of school books at this time.
Mr.. Busbee contended that his company
had been misrepresented and declared
that he hardly knew how to make an
argument in the face Of so many mis-
statements. He repudiated the idea that
the books now in use We're in the hands
of any trust or combine. and quoted
statistics to show that a garbed state
ment had been put before the COMMITTEES.
He said there was no complaint among
the people about school books now in
use. and that nobody was demanding a
change, except the Il. #. Johnson Com
pany, whose books were in every way
inferior and more costly than those now
in use He said that if the State would
they would be sold at p per cent. less
than the list prices-the same discount
given to book sellers.
Mr.. Charles NJ. Busbee followed in a
speech of ten minutes, along the lines
indicated by the two former speakers.
His speech was strong and to the point,
but he was not given time to make
long argument. He made an able pre-
sentaton of the question from his stand
point
Judge X. w. Winston closed the dis
cussion in a speech of half an hour in
favoring the bill. IF any man." he
said ''had told you that it would destroy
the Democratic party to repeal a fusion
law. you would have thought he was
foolish" He argued that State adoption
of school books was the best and cheap
est method of dealing with the school
book question: that it was always cheap
or to buy anything by wholesale than
by retail: he referred to the proposition
of the b. f. Johnson Company to re-
place all old books in the hands of chill
dren with new books without cost, il
as many as four series of their books
were adopted.
At the conclusion of Judge Winston's
speech. the committee took ;he matter
under advsement. The representatives
of the American Book Company, and
the University Publishing Company,
contended that no change should be made
in school books certainly until after the
Democrats resumed control of the State.
Speaking of the school book question
last night, Judge Winston said:
'At meeting of the Committee cal
Education this afternoon kilograms
were read from Governor Mount, of
Indiana. stating that 100000 was
saved to the children of Indiana byI
State adoption; Governor Culbertson. If
Texas. wired that 40 per cent. Mt least
would be saved to the children Of Texas:
Governor Leedy of Kansas. wired tlat
State adoption had greatly reduced
prices in Kansas. Superintendent Me-
hane reports that saving of from J0I
to 60 per cent. would be made to the
children of North Carolina by Sfatel
adoption in this State.
1T was conceded by those favoring
county adoption that "if the State would
buy the text books direct, a saving of
from - to 80 per cent. would be made