The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-05
SHE REPLIES TO HOCH.
Mrs. Burton Defends Her Position on
Book Question.

IF Governor Hoch win name to me
the prominent educators who recon-
mended the appointment Of D. o. Nc
Cray to the text book commission,
will produce from the correspondence
of the American Book company letters
showing that they are persons who are
friendly to the book trust and working
all the time in its interests, said Mrs.
Ella S. Burton today as a part Of
reply to the interviews given by Gov
ernor Hoch and others yesterday
which were brought out by Mrs. Bur
tons severe arraignment of Governor
Hoch in her address at Vinewood on
Labor day in which she charged that
Governor Hoch had turned over the
text book commission of the state 10
the book trust through the appoint
ment Of d. o. McCray to the commits
sion.
Speaking further on the matter, Mrs.
Burton said:
IN TUESDAYS State journal Cover
nor Hoch says he suggested to the last
legislature a bill making the heads OF
the state educational institutions mem
bers Of the state school book commits
sion. Yes, recall a bill of that nature,
but 1t did not meet the approval OF the
school book trust and II failed to pass.
After this measure was abandoned
HOch had an opportunity 10 appoint
CSA--
mission, and so appointed one OF them,
but the book trust did not want the
commission SO constituted. A powerful
railroad attorney interviewed the gov
eronr. McCray was appointed, but IN
yesterdays State Journal Hoch says;
Without consulting anybody, and IN
following my own best judgment, as 1
have done in the matter Of all my ap-
poirtments, l named comnissloh
which I consider comprises as high
class of men as there is on earth
heartily agree that the commission
comprises several Of the best men and
most able educators in the state, but
there are Others.
"Hoch's memory, like his judgment,
IS bad
I'm another paper yesterday Hoch
says: I have not read Mrs. Burton
speech She came to me several times
and protested against the appointment
of Mr.. McCray. She made the same
charges against him then. 1 inVesti-
gated the matter. I talked to edu-
Gators who had watched his course on
the commission regarding him and
asked their advice. They told me
that McCray's services on the com
mission had been satisfactory and
honest And after all this investigat-
ing and watching McCray and talking
to educators, Hoch appointed the text
book commission, including McCray,
as he states in the State Journal,
without consulting anybody.
Governor 11OCn seems well SatlSLGQ
with McCray's appointment and goes
into print to defend him. L. NJ. Dill
man. managing director of the Amer
lean Book company, is more than
pleased. He says. So far as we know
McCray of Topeka has always shown a
friendliness for us, and disposition to
give US fair treatment where our in
terests have been under consideration
We'll may the book trust consider
McCray equal to several ordinary
members of the commission, when he
himself expresses confidence in his
ability to reach such a man as
George r. Peck in case the managers
and legislative manipulators of the
book trust should fail in their attempt
to get next to him.
Great is Tammany," etc.
Mrs. Burton also had a reply today
for ex-Attorney General A. A GODDARD.
She said: Mr. GODDARD publishes a de-
NAL Of my charges against him, and in
reply I viii say that the chief fixer of
the book trust said. GODDARD is dead
easy. We are ready for legal opinions.
You rendered an opinion, or advised the
American Book company privately, or
both that said company would not be
required to pay the charter fee but the
supreme court reversed you and required
the American Book company to pay a
charter fee to the state of Kansas of
more than s, 300 Two of the three opin-
ions referred to in your denial result
ed In benefits solely to the American
Book company, in the adoption of
physiologies not provided for in the
state uniformity law, and readers which
the publishers had condemned as a
promiscuous lot and which the Kansas
supreme court had excluded from use
in Reno county more than twenty years
ago
friendly to the school book trust, but
[ remember your negotiations with the
American Book company in 1898 when
you were seeking employment by that
corporation to obstruct the enforcement
of the state uniformity law
Mrs. Burton also took occasion today
to give Frank Nelson, ex-superintend-
ent of public instruction and a member
of the text book commission, a clean
bill OF health regards his dealings
with the book rust. She said in regard
! to Mr. Nelson:
Time waits for no one. but it does
some times pay to wait for time. This
I have been doing since the legislature
| of 1901 when the book trust made its
last grand stand against the text book
law for the opoprtune time to come,
when I might pay tribute to the sub
/ lime integrity, noble spirit self-sacriffc-
ing manhood of ex-State Superintendent
! Hon. Frank Nelson
From my prison on the inside of the
/ book trust in 1901 I heard the wailing
and raving Of their accursed boodlers
over their utter inability to corruptly
handle this true type Of the highest
form Of American manhood. Those
/ vipers are shrewd. They looked him
over and instantly reported that no di-
rect advance could be made upon his
integrity. He must be fooled through
the corrupt handling Of his friends,
whom he regarded honest. This plan
/ they followed to its limit About nine
! o'clock one night I saw the last man in
whom they had any hope walk into
| their den to get instructions before ap-
preaching Mr.. Nelson the next day.
| They claimed to have corrupted and
| lined up the forces, until as they ex-
/ pressed it. this one man Nelson stood
! between them and the overthrow of the
! text book law Here I long for power
| vrhiot oops+ ha soals1ed IN v,o,-t~,rz ~,