The Opelousas courier., 1901-11-16
The Exchange of Books.

oHaV Hde eilStOSS60 our attention
and the attention of the thousands
OF school children throughout the
parish for several weeks. Zone
would suppose that cot.eern
Yhlch sets itself up as public
{!dkcator, and whose editor (be-
sldes) is the President of the
School Board, having had am
pie ta1e to ot2fully acquaint itself
with thesfacts of the case, would
have done so before attempting to
enlighten an intelligent commun-
ity Oh the subject. One would
also have supposed that. after
having familiarized itself with the
facts, and having found that "the
law and the evidence were all in
favor OF the people and against
the book agents, a paper that con-
stantly flaunts the motto "Here
shall the press the peoples rights
maintain would have unhesitat-
ingly rendered a verdict in favor
of the people. But the official
organ of the Police Jury, of the
Board of Aldermen and of the
School Board, as this public has
long since discovered, is s'not
built that way It has done
neither Of these two things.
For instance it says the book
agents must pay ''cash in ad-
vance" for the books and then
pay the ''freight and drayage" on
same, when the contrary is the
fact, for the contract with these
plainly says that the books
will be sold them son monthly
account, at a discount of 10 per
cent" and that whenever books
to the amount of $50 OF more are
ordered at one time no charge
will be made for freight, case or
carriage. But even were these
misstatementsa and others in the
Clarion true, that would not in
the least Justify the agent Gone of
them resigned two or three weeks
ago) in persisting in the violation
of his contract; particularly after
he had been especially instructed
by The State agent, on the 22d Of
October, to allow cash discount
for old books offered him. in ex-
change.
The. Clarion further says that
the requirements of the contract
which the agents signed and ac-
of their own free will=and
accord were unfair, even absurd;
that the plan of exchange arbi-
trarily formulated by these agents
"a plan differing essentially from
the one plainly set forth in the
contract, and under which the
people were deprived Of certain
rights sand privileges secured to
them blythe State Board Of Edu-
cation In its contract with the
publishersWa both fair and
just; and that for the friction and
inconvenience resulting from the
arrogant and persistent attempt
to enforce their arbitrary regula-
tions the agents are not altogether
to blame! In fact, its verdict is
against the people and
against those who were endeavor-
ing to secure to The people their
simple rights! Buttby those who
know the Clarion nothing better
was expeetedfof it.
Tt might be worth while to
pause here a moment and briefly
this singular, this re-
situation. Here. was
man flagrantly violating solemn
contract and contemptuously ig-
noring our friendly counsel and
reasonable protests. The atten-
ton of the Hansells, who made
The contract with him, and of The
Governor, who takes a deep in
jerest in this matter, was drawn
70 these protests. The one or
aers him to comply with his con-
tract; the other writes: sI insist
that the exchanges be made as
per contraet.'s And yet for two
weeks or more, the amazing spec
sacle is presented Of this subordi-
nate agent arrogantly trampling
under foot the rights of our en-
ire community,. disdainfully ig-
1oring the orders of his superiors
is we'll as the emphatic insistenee
of the governor, to say nothing Of
our protests. He in effect cody
,aid to the people ! don't care
what the contract says; and |
lon't care what the Governor and
he Hanseils say. You shall not
nave a book unless you pay cash
n full for it. Stand and deliyer!"
[t was a regular hold-up. And
he wonder is that this community
out up with it for q single day!
All this time the Clarion was
silent. But now it has spoken and
some strange things no, longer
ook SO strange.
Finally, on Nov. 8, learning
hat the local agent still persisted
d his arbitrary course, that he
had no more books of certain
y;nglc and that la nlainnd has had