Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1906-10-11
TO ROB KANSAS PEOPLE.
DEMOCRATIC PLOT TO RAISE THE
PRICE OF TEXT BOOKS.
Who Pays the RIlI?-ReaI Reasons Why
Mrs. Ella 8. Burton 10 Fight
Ing Governor Hoch.

MTbs tia o. GAENSU - NV
Ing Governor Hoch.
If the Democratic State COMMITTEES
is not paying the expenses OF MIS-
Ella s. Burton, who is travelling over
the state abusing Governor Hoch,
Prof. A. B. Carney, Democratic candi-
date for state superintendent OF
public instruction, D. o. McCray and
other members of the text book COM
mission, who Is?
1t is current gossip in Kansas that
one branch Of the book trust with
headquarters at Boston and Chicago
Is behind this Democratic onslaught
on the schools of Kansas. Governor
Hoch and the text book commission,
and that it has found in the Kansas
City Star, Mrs. Burton, Colonel Harris
ard the Democratic committee, willing
advocates. Certainly some interest"
is paying the bill. because the parties
named have never been charged with
working overtime on behalf Of the
poor school children of Kansas" 1t is
no longer a secret that the book trust
firm referred to has announced its In
tention of coming to Kansas this win
ter to lobby through an amendment to
the present law raising the maximum
prices about 40 per cent so that they
will be in harmony with Missouri
prices. This same firm helped to kill
state uniformity in Missouri in order
that it could go back to high prices,
and the Kansas City Star refused to
expose its campaign for plumber. In
fact one of the managers has an
nourced that such fight will be made
in Kansas. The charge by Democratic
leaders and the Kansas City Star
that the present books are Cheap
trash is but the paving of the way
for an onslaught for high prices be-
fore the legislature.
with such advocates as Colonel Har-
ris. Mrs. Burton, w. H. Ryan and the
Kansas City Star, it really does look
like formidable movement. These
modern "reformers' 'rstood together in
1887 when the legislature struggled
10 enact the present law which saves
the people of Kansas one hundred
thousand dollars annually. Colonel
Harris was then a member of the
state senate, and in committee Of the
whole fought to exclude cities of the
first class from its operation. Then
when the roll was called on the final
Passage of the state uniformity bill he
found it convenient to be absent and
rot voting" During this fight in the
legislature the Kansas City Star was
absolutely silent. The people appealed
for reduction in the price of school
books for their children, but that pa
per turned a deaf ear and offered no
help in throttling the book trust.
With Mrs. Burton, it was on the side
If the trust. And when the bill was
passed and signed by the Governor,
the Kansas City Star published an ed
itorial sheer at the law and the peo-
PIE of Kansas, declaring that the peo-
pie and this law were very much alike
in their uniformity" A little later
when the first text book commission
met to put the new law into effect it.
faced injunction proceedings brought
by the book trust, through that other
modern "reformer," David 0vermyer,
its attorney.
The text book campaign planned by
this reform" junta is deep laid. The
plot was carefully thought out. Mrs.
Burton had been connected with one
branch of the book trust, and her Sc
prcts and purloined letters would be
valuable. Colonel Harris record in the
state senate was right" and the
Kansas City Star could be depended
upon as in 1897 when 1t refused to
help pry loose the book trust in Kan
sas. That amalgamation of interests
was a nucleus that any book trust
would welcome in a raid upon the leg
stature for higher prices and "busi-
hess" So, the word went forth from
Democratic headquarters at Topeka
and in the Kansas City Star office to
charge Governor Hoch and his text
book commission with connivance
with the book trust. It mattered not
if Prof Carney, the Democratic can
diGate for state superintendent of
public instruction should be victim
victims were necessary in the plot
aid Curney must take his medicine.
Back of this text book commission
issue plot is some guiding hand,
some power, some interest" that is
paying the bills. 1t is so unlike the
Kansas City Star to work itself into a
latler for "the poor school children
Of Kansas" unless there is something
in sigh at the other end of the line
CG'oncl Harris stood for the interests
Of the book trust in 1897, and it is not
lIobaEle that his long residence in
Chicago and the trust influences that
surround him there would tend to
change his attitude now. And, then,
there is Mrs. Burton who is travelling
over the state making Democratic
speeches in the name of Education,
and in the interest" of the dear
children" She says she would scorn to
take nasty, tainted, Democratic mon
ey from Bill Ryan in fighting for the
noble cause of Education, but neither
Mrs. Burton, the Kansas City Star or
Colonel Harris have denied that they
are In league with a branch of the
book trust that has organized to
come back to Kansas and claim its
own"
Somebody is paying the bills. Who
is Il?