The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-03-05

dent will retain no man in Office under himself,
| whom the People have indicated, or shall indi-
cate, as unworthy of such trust, and none whom
| he shall have cause to believe are, either with
or without the knowledge of the People, re-
creant to those official relations which they
would otherwise be left to enjoy undisturbed.
MIR. DAVIS-PUBLlC PRINTING.
| 1t may be seen from the proceedings of the
House of Representatives that that body has
| been involved in an entangled debate the
hackneyed theme Of the public printing and
| public patronage by the pertinacious ingenuity
of Mr.. Davis of Kentucky. The subject enlists
all the talent and all the energies of that digni-
fed and erudte statesman. Of the purity of
the motives by which he is actuated all express
| no doubt; but we do not perceive that he has
adopted the right plan for attaining his objects
nor the clearest manner TO prove that his prac-
| tice is consonant with his professions.
| He says 6 he had three objects in view in Of
| fering his amendment. The first was econo-
! my" That this end will be obtained by the
method suggested by him and Mr.. Fillmore we
have much reason to doubt, while we are certain
that its inevitable result must be oppression Of
the industrious poor and the encouragement of
wealthy monopolists. But, as any remarks we
may have to make on this subject apply more
immediately to the amendment proposed by the
latter gentleman, we shall waive for the present
our observations upon it..
The second of the motives stated by MI. Da-
Wis is "to give publicity to the information
printed in the newspapers" For this purpose,
he wishes the laws to be published in the papers
having the greatest number Of subscribers. Now,
he received the information that the list of sub
scrbers is no criterion whatever OF the extent Of
the circulation and his professed object would be
better attained through those papers which have
no subscribers at ALL AT this time, in all the
large cities, this is unquestionably the case.
The penny papers not only circulate more wide
" than the large sheets, but the information
they difuse is disseminated among the whole
mass of the people, and yet these presses have
scarcely any subscribers.
We need waste no words in proof of fact
so well known, as it is not with the penny
press or any other press we have now to do,
but with the conduct of Mr.. Davis. He was
opposed to the modification of his amendment
proposed by Mr.. McKeon for the sapent reason,
that the extent of circulation could be ascer-
tanned only from the subscription list The reason
assigned is not worth comment. 1t is too
hmsy to hide the true motives, which prompted
the movement.
Mr.. Davis again "wants to wrest from the
Departments some Of the spoils which they now
annually distribute among their followers"
Here is again Jealous exhibition of hostility
to corruption, but it is shown only in relation to
the Departments. What pity tbs that Mr.Davis
does not feel any of this holy horror with respect
to Congressional corruption. Does the Executive
evince greater degree of corruption in giving
its patronage. to those presses, which advocate
its principles, than the majority in Congress
selecting a printer merely on account of his po
litcal views? Did Mr.. Davis vote for the
Globe at the last election for the printing Of
the House? We believe not. Would press
perfectly neutral, hive obtained his support
He will scarcely hazard the assertion that it
would Let him show his zeal against this spe-
cies of corruption in Congress, and we might be
induced to believe that his motives are such as
become patriot and a statesman instead OF be-
ing-as we think they now areas belonging
only to malevoent partisan and reckless
demagogue.
Will the plan Of Mr.. Davis take the patron
age of the Government from the partisan press
Certainly not. Its result can be but to give a
portion of it to those papers which are opposed
to the Administration, but it will be still the par
tisan press of one side or the other which will
receive the support. Mr. Davis himself does
not wish it to go to the neutral papers, or he
would have adopted the suggestion of MIR. Nc
Keon-the penny press being generally neutral
in politics. To take away the patronage Of the
Departments g from their followers" is the aim
of Mr. Davs-not to divorce it from The parti
| san press.
We have devoted more space to this move OF
| Mr.. Davis than we intended, or than we believe
| his insgnfcance deserves. But it is proper to
| draw attention occasionally to the true aspect
of the acts committed by some who, too weak
for the conception of great measures, are IN
fected with proneness to mischief proportion
ate to their mbecility and are so obscure, that
the motives of their conduct are apt to escape
observation