Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-07-14
tCommunlcatedJ
THE SCHOOL BOOK GRAFT.

| Durlng one OF Governor Monta
gue's lucid intervals of speech a
ueathsviIle he gave clear definition
of the word 'graft" as applied t,
the political jobbry Of the times. Ii
horticulture, he said, grating wal
causing to grow on plant or vim,
something that did not naturall,
grow or belong there. And that ii
the work were skillfully done the
eDgrafted scion would in time domi
nate the entire plant. So, he sale
In politics the jobber would finC
some means of attaching an extra
neous growth to the public Iurst
whereby he might be enabled 10 reap
IA crop of shekels that belonged else.
where. These are not the Governor
words but the substance thereof.
lie mentioned Senator Mitchell
and Others to illustrate his point, aud
having "hitched his wagon to d
(SenatorIaD star" he couldn't st,
any body or any Thug less than a
Senator or his Senaiollal seat. EiSt
he might have seen something OF a
graft right under his nose. IL he
had not been SO diligently engaged
IN cunning for Senator Martin, be
might have found time to pay little
attention to the interest of the people
1t seems to be that he has paid Just
as little attention as he possI bly
could to the public welfare, consider
ing the important position he holds.
Lieutenant-Governor Willard in
his remarks upon the school book
question, mentioned the high prices
the people of this State had to pay,
much higher than some other states
pay for the same books. For in
stance, he said, in the city of Bristol,
which lies on the line between Vir-
ginia and Tennessee, if person
went into book store and called for
Maury's Geography he would be
asked where he lived, and if he said
Tennessee, he would be given book
with folder, especially descriptive
of Tennessee inclosed therein, and
charged eighty-four cents. If he said
Virginia, he would receive the same
book, except that it had a folder
descriptive of Virginia instead of
Tennessee, and would be charged one
dollar and twelve cents. making a
difference of twenty Weight cents that
the Virginia school boy is compelled
to pay more than the boy from Ten
dessee.
1t is obvious that the publishers
are making fair profit upon every
geography sold at eighty-four cents.
or they would not contract for the
same at that price. 1t is also equally
plain that as both books are practi-
cally alike that somebody is getting
an inordinate profit out Of that extra
twenty-eight cents.
This is plain case of graft" 1t
is an extraneous growth that some
body has engrafted upon the public
welfare. 1t is a parasite that is suck
ing the life-blood of every man in
the State who has a child using that
particular book.
Who gets that twenty-eight cents?
Let il be admitted that the pub
fishers are proiited TO that extent.
What then?
What shall be said of the board of
officials who permitted the agents of
book concerns to bam boCzle them to
such an extent? OF what avail are
the high attainments of such people
if they are to be hood dwiuked by every
Sam Slick that comes along? OF
course the money does not come out
Of their pockets, but nearly every
man in the State feels it, and feels
it keenly.
Every few years the school books
are changed, and the people are COM
PEELED to buy new ones at extrava-
CANT prices. Why? Alb! that is the
question, for those who know, to an
swer.
1t does seem that the Board of Ed
ucation ought to be imbued with
enough sound business judgment to
enable it to make contract for
books at reasonable price.
There are times when common
sense is q far more valuable posses
sion than all the learning of the
books.
If, as before stated, the Governor
could have spared the time from his
political pursuits and ambitions he
might have been enabled through his
perspicacity to detect the grating
process, and have saved 70 the peo-
pie of the State that twenty. eight
cents per book.
It may be somewhat unreasonable
to expect Governors, etc, to pay at
tention to such little things, but it is
natural.
People will wonder how much
"graft" there is in the whole list of
books used, If one book carries twen-
ty-eight cents. Who knowsy
If this is IA sample of the clean,
economical administration Of the
SINS" the sooner they are "outs,'
the better it will be for the people.
If Claude Swanson had been elect
ed four years ago, does any one be
lieve that, knowing the value of a
dollar as he has learned it by hard
knocks, he would have permitted
such "graft" to be worked on him
and his associates? Not a bit of ii.
1t is said that it is never too late
to learn, and as the people are learn
ing in the school of experience, they
will do well to select a man to the
gubernatorial chair who has had ex-
perience from a poverty stricken
childhood up to successful career,
and knows what it is to be poor.
Without any disparagement of Will
lard it is submitted that man, who
has actual experience like Swanson,
better knows the needs of the people,
and especially poor people, than one
who never knew the want of dollar.
GEO. III. SMITH.