Sampson's Samples

Flem David Sampson, Governor of Kentucky since Jan. 1, 1928 assumed among other duties that of seeing that Kentucky school children got new schoolbooks. He and the State textbook commission were soon flooded by 25 schoolbook publishers with sample copies. Partly because he is the only Republican high official in his administration, partly because his opponents were ignorant of publishing practice, Governor Sampson was indicted last month for receiving "gifts." Seven members of the textbook commission and all the sample-sending publishers were also indicted, it being known that the commissioners had sold the sample books they received for sums of $150 to $850.

Last week Judge Ben G. Williams of Frankfort instructed the Franklin County Grand Jury to bring in a Not Guilty verdict on Governor Sampson. Not only had the Governor not sold his textbooks for personal profit (he gave them to his secretary and she sold them). But, said Judge Williams: "Those publishing companies sent the textbooks as samples and they were not accepted as gifts. The resolution [for putting new books into Kentucky schools] required that such samples be sent."

The State's attorney appealed the case, to learn what he should do about the suits against the textbook commissioners and the 25 publishers. Meanwhile Mr. Sampson's prosecutors and the publishers reflected on the commercial aspects of the spread of culture.