The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-01

power. next May. to force inferior
books into the hands Of the children
of the state, when for the same money
good books would be offered tnern- Inc
book trust seeks this power as a means
of discrediting our law before other
states contemplating a similar law
preventing the highway ROBBERY OF
their school children. This piece OF
open deception on the part or Cover
nor Hoch shows that he does not hes-
itate to insult the intelligence or the
people of the state, in an attempt 10
deceive them, even while seeking their
suffrage. Governor Hoch says ne at
tempted to have the legislature pass
law making the textbook commission
composed Of the heads OF the dinerent
state Institutions. This would nave
been a most excellent law. and when
it failed, what prevented Governor
Hoch from naming these men on the
commission? In spite of the fact that
the governor and the public was given
letters furnishing positive evidence OF
the fact, that Mr.. McCray IS a lobby
ist of this infamous combine, seeking
to injure the public schools of the
state. Governor Hoeh placed IN his
hands the power the trust was seek
ing for him. and says his life is an
open book and above suspicion, even
after he was forced to read the fol-
lowing words OF the trust: We have
always found McCray loyal to our IN
terest' McCray admits that he has
for years handled the Pullman rail-
road passes. I assert the boodlers Of
the book-trust always claimed to be
able to land McCray on the commits
sion, through railroad influence. He
has been there right along, and what
qualifications has he possessed for the
position2 What does he know from
experience in the school room of the
needs Of the school2 Why should Nc
Cray with his lack Of fitness and repu-
tation for grating occupy continual
~ place belonging to one of the
many excellent educators of the state ?
Why was not Doctor Strong Of the
University or President Nichols of the
Agricultural college or the head of
some of our other excellent education
al Institutions placed in this highly
important educational position by Gov.
Hoch? The answer is that this would
have spoiled the majority. The book
trust would stand for Doctor Hill,
Frank Nelson and S. NJ. Nees. so long
as they were powerless against the
majority.
Subsidized Republican papers,
some of which have an exact state
ment of the amount of money the
book trust has paid them. say my ac-
ton is the result of my husbands dis
charge from the employ of the trust.
on March 81, 1902, Mr.. Chas. J.
Barnes of the American Book COM
pany writes as follows:
Mr.. G. G. Burton, Topeka, Kan
Dear Mr.. Burton; Your several IA
vors of March 20 at hand / must con
fess to a surprise that you should have
severed your connection with US with
out giving US the usual notification
but since you have found It advisa bic
to do so, I feel that I must accept
| your resignation on behalf of the COM
pany.'
Twice before Mr.. Burton resigned
1 but on the pledge of the American
! Book company to keep their boodler,
out of his field, and conduct their busi-
ness decently, he withdrew his rssig-
nation. In proof of the latter state,
nent I offer the following quotations,
"On March 20, 1896. Mr. Barne.
writes: Mr.. Wilson will never inter
fere with your work; in fact there vii
! be no occasion for his going to To.
peka unless it might be entirely or
personal matters, and even then il
I need not be oftener than once a year.
"On March 26, 1896, Mr.. Barnes
says: Z am in receipt of your favor Of
the 23rd, and desire to express my sat
isfaction upon your conclusion to con-
tinue in our service.
81 agree fully with the statement OF
/ that great national educator G. Stan
! ley Hail. who says, 7 consider the
/ present modes of introducing text
books as among the most degrading
| influence in the work of the American
| public schools -