The Arkansas advocate., 1833-10-23

less, than the price specified in the propos- als offered by me to the General Assembly on the 9th Oct, 1881, to which beg leave I to refer you.
 Respectfully, your ob't. serv't. ,s5l ; ;
 VIM. E. WOODRUFEes
 Dr. ". ". Elliott, Chairman Joint Committee. appointed to receive propusals tor Public Printing.
 It will be seen by this, that Woodrufss bid was ambiguous. leaving the opportunity of making 1t refer either to the scrip or cosh price of 1881, as should best suit the emer- gency. Had ours been higher than his, he would have held to the scrip price. As it was lower, he was obliged to take the cash price. Is it honorable in the honora- ole members of the Legislature to counte- nance duplicity? The bids of Woodruff heretofore, and when he had no opposition, have been explicit and m detaa. Why not this year! He must have intended tito be understood as five per cent. less than the scrip price of 1881, for there has never been, neither Is there now, dollar off eash in the Treasury.
 The reader can see for himself the diff ference between the scrip price of our bid this year, and that of Woodruff as also be- tween the cash prices. Upon this point we need make no comment. Woodruff says, expressly, that his reduction of five per cent. on the cash price of 1881, was made on the supposition that he would re- ceiye cash for his work. As the cash of 1881, and the scrip price of our bid this year, are the same-and as we were to dis count TWENTY PER CENT. on this price, in case Of payment being made in cash, and Woodruff only .fue, it follows that our bid was FIFTEEN PER CENT. LOWER THAN HIS. And yet, when the vote was taken, we lost it by three votes. So much for legislative honor and consistency!
 Neither was Dr. Elliott the only man who mistook the bent of his genius, and at- temptedto shine Ill mannuvre. When our bid was placed before the House of Rep- resentatiyes, and 1t was seen to be the low est, a certain Dr. Roberts, who M1s-repre- sents Conway, introduced a resolution to go into the election of printer, and to pay the person elected, such compensation as the Legislature in their wisdom should see proper. This failing, and fearing for the result, resolutions were introduced, asking bail in the exorbitant sum of 5000. Now the printing does not amount at the utmost, to more than 5000. Nothing but illimta- ble stupidity, or blinded revenge, could have thought of asking such an exorbitant bail for so small an amount. Wha. :. bli;,,iIiian;; idea to result from the brain of fraction of the congregated wisdom of the Seyier fac- ton.
 Failing Ill every attempt to defeat our election, under the mask of honor, they threw that decent covering aside-scattered thelr faith and conscience If they had any, to the four winds of heaven, and openly voted contrary to their solemn pledge, to their bounden duty, and their piighted faith.
 MT. Hudspeth, of Lawrence county, re- ported tacice in our favor, as Chairman of the House of Representatives, that our bid was the loaoer of the two, and then, i,s tue .face of his ospn report, gave his vote against us-having been, between the hand ing i'll of his report and the taking of the the vote, either seduced by the rhetoric of the party in power, or frightened from his