, 1899-01-31
SCHOOL BOOKS
COLONEL COUTANT AND JUDGE
HAYFORD EXPRESS THEIR
OPINIONS.
Interview Published by Cheyenne Sun
Leader-Broad View of Children as
Wards of the State-SChoOl Book
Trust and High Prices-Other
States Methods.

oIdltS NhtIlOuS.
Referring to the free school book
bill now before the legislature. SAYS
the Cheyenne Sun-Leader. c. G. Cou-
tant, who was at the Inter Ocean on
Saturday night, said: Il hope the leg
islature will deal diligently with this
subject and give it the consideration
that its importance demands. 1t is so
easy to say that it is the duty OF parents
to educate their children and not leave
the burden with their neighbOrs. This
is a very specitical and narrow view to
take of the subject. The children are
in the broadcast sense the wards of the
state and upon their welfare depends
the future of the commonwealth. Ed
ucatiOn is the barrier that the state
should raise against crime and there
fore education should be free in every
sense of the word. The fathers and
mothers of the children are the tax
payers of the state and are therefore
entitled to every consideration which a
Legislature can give. | feel satisfied
that if the Fifth legislature will pass
the free school book law it will be do
ing a great service t o Wyoming. 1t
has been remarked that the members of
the senate and house, taken as a whole
will, in intellect and ability IT.
measure any other body of men gath
cred as lawmakers in our state. | be-
lieve this is true and yet VIC must judge
of them by their acts. This school
book question is one of the tests by
which the people of the state will meas
nre this legislature
Judge J.. H. Hayford," said Mr..
Coutant, has some very clear views
on this subject. In a letter to me a day
or two ago, he said:
Referring to the bill now before
the Legislature on the subject of Free
School Books, permit me to call your
attention to a few facts.
School books now cost from three
to five times as much as the same class
of books were sold for fifty or sixty
years ago. Notwithstanding the price
of paper, printing and everything per-
tanning to bookmaking, costs about
one-fourth as much as it did fifty
years ago. This tax on the education
of our children is the result of the
school book trust and monopoly, the
most outrageous and oppressive trust
ever instituted in this country. The
legislature ought to devise some way to
free us from this robbery.
"A large share of the states pub
fish their own school books and fur
nish them to schools at actual cost,
which is only one-third what the mon
opolists sell them at. Sometime ago,
when a member of the university trus-
tees | wrote to superintendent of
schools in some of those states to as
certain the cost of books, and ais If
they would furnish them to this state
at cost, as to their own students, and
in every case was informed nat they
would cheerfully do this for Wyoming.
90 As to the question of furnishing
books free it may be properly said that
all the property interests OF the state
are equally interested in the education
of the youth of the state and may with
perfect propriety bear its share of all
the expenses incident thereto. Those
who feed, clothe and raise the children
would bear their full share Of the bur
den, even if the STATE incurs the eX-
| pense of their education.
"I think you may safely conclude
that any school board, superintendent
or anybody else who tries to keep us
under the shadows Of this school book
monopoly is interested in it someway
and getting a rake off somehow
After quoting from Judge Hayford
| Mr.. Coutant continued: Il am will to
trust this session of the legislature
with this great question for | know
there are many broad-minded mem
bers in both houses who will do what
their consciences dictate and the
chances are they will come pretty near
doing right. Wyoming, in many re-
spests has in the years past been
the leader of enlightened sentiment
and it will not stop now, burt go on
advocating and endorsing the better
methods which count so much in the
policy of state government. we Will
all watch with interest the discussions
which will arise in the house n the
senate over this free school book bill.
La Grippe IS again epidemic. Every
----~.ia. Ghould ha taken to avoid