Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1907-03-22

Editor of the Statesman Democrat
Dear Sir
As you have kindly granted me q
small space in the columns Of yosr In
teresting paper. L will give aisummary
account Of nay experience, as member
of the Book Board of Berkeley county,
which was Published in three articles
by the Evening World, that the read
srs Of your paper. who have not read
my articles in the World, may not be
mislsad, by Mr.. wilkinson's reply,
and form wrong conclusions in regard
to the trouble between Mr.. Wilkinson
and myself
On the 9th day of February the Book
Board met in the directors room OF the
Citizens National Bank, for the pur-
pose Of rejecting and adopting books
to be used in the schools of the county
for the next five years. We readopted
Rays Arithmetic, Algebra and Gsom-
etry. We adopted Blaisdells First
Steps with American and British Au-
thors, all published by the American
Book Co., and we changed from APP
plston's to Tarr's Physical Geography.
When we voted for the adoption OF
readers, Messrs. Tabler, Miller, Lemen
and voted for the readoption of Cyr's
readers, and Messrs, Pitzer, Payne,
Rinksr and Walker voted fer the dep-
ton ofsthe Progressive readers, pub
lishsd by the American Book Co. We
voted several times but neither book
received a sufficient number of votes to
adopt it, and without adopting the
readers and spoilers, we adjourned to
meet Saturday, Feb. 16-
A. 1 was on my way to attend this
second meeting of the board l came to
where Mr.. A. J. Wilkinson, the agent
Of the American Book Co., was stand
ing on the sidewalk, and he made these
offers, He said, 81 will give set OF
readers to every person that loses by
the change, if you make a change in
readers. considered this offer imprac-
ticaI, al 1 believed all would lose if
they should be compelled to give up
the books which they now have for a
few cents and buy others.
Mr.. Wilkinson then said, II will
give $3.50. if yeu will vote for the adop-
tion of the Progressive readers" l
started to 70 and he said, 81 will
make 1t three hundred dollars, if you
will vote for the Progressive readers
today" made no reply, but, at once,
hurried on to where the Book Board
was in session, and reported to the
board what Mr.. Wilkinson had offered
to give.
Now, l wish it to be distinctly UNI
derstood that Mr.. Wilkinson did not
say that he would give $3.50 or $500
worth of books. There was not.a word
mentioned or intimated that he would
make the last two offers God by Civ
ing book to that amount. He offered
to give dollars, not books. About an
hour before we adjourned for dinner, a
member Of the board who is a personal
enemy of mine, had occasion to leave
the room, and when | went out at
noon, Mr.. Wilkinson said, 81 have
been informed that you misrepresented
me in there, that you said L had offer
ed to give the money directly to you"
I said to him, / stated your offers to
the board just as you stated them to
me. We talked over the matter little
and he was disposed to try to bluff, as
his attempt to bride, as understood
it, had failed.
He asked permission to appear be-
fore the board after dinner, to make
an explanation and no one objected
He stated the proposition when ne
had made to me in regard to giving
hooks. and said that he had made the
same offer to Mr.. Tabler.
l then asked him to explain to the
board what he meant by the $3.50 and
$500 propositions which ne had made
to me that day, but he has not ex
planned it yet, neither did he deny, in
his statements to the board nor in hii
reply to my first article, which Is the
only one he has written, that he had
made the offers to me. He tried to en-
terrain the board by referring to acts
of bribery, which he said had been per
petrated W book agents and certain
| MANNERS of the book board of this
county, in other years, instead OF e1
plaining what l considered had been
attem pied that day. Mr.. Wilkinson il
his reply stated that he did not sbjec
to what I had said. If he had restet
his case here it would have been bette
for him, instead Of casting reflections
by insinuating that he knew some
thing about my ofhcial acts, ane
/