Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1849-09-28
GOV. DEWEY-THE WISCONSIN DEM
OCRAT.

| who would make one or two more such defen-
ces for him as Brown made in the matter of his
signing that printing bill, his fate is sealed we
would not under such circumstances, give cop
per for his chance. Brown assumes a great
wrong to have been committed, and then builds up
such flimsy, unsatisfactory foundation for the
wrong, that it falls back upon the Governor of me-
cessity. The law in itself, Brown intmates, was
not so bad, but the objections which exist, have
grown out of its perversion by the rascality of a
senator, result which the Governor could lot
possibly foresee, and therefore he is blameess
The truth is, the law has been in no wise perver-
ted, nor have any results grown out of it, not
clearly inferrible from the face of it, and which
the Governor nor any other man could have had
any difficulty in foreseelng. If Brown means
that the bill was perverted by our getting the
work under it, We say that whilst the bill it.
self did not prevent such result, Gov. Dewey
was appealed to TO veto it because of that possi-
biity, so that he could not have been ignorant of
it; to which appeal he answered like man, that
he knew nothing about us, or any other individ-
uol in the matter, his business was with the bill
on its merits. Taking Browns position then,
that a grievous wrong has been committed it can
exist no where except in the legitimate charac-
ter of the BILL and as its character is distinct ON
the face of it, his defence of the Governor must
of necessity do him more harm than good For
ty-six members of the Legislature, a large ma
ority OF the members present voted for the bill in
question. Not one of the whole number, we
venture the opinion, had any idea that the bill
was unconstitutional, and the truth of the matter
is, Gov. Dewey signed it under the same impress
sion that these men voted for it, because he be-
iieVed 1t not unconstitutional; and if such should
appear not TO be the case, nothing more can be
laid to his charge than that with large majority
OF both houses, he committed an error of opinion
The Wisconsin Argus has iterated and reiterated
the assertion that the bill is unquestionably un-
constitutional, and so plain is it that every one
who voted for it with the Governor who signed
it, knew it was unconstitutional and kne,o they
were violating the constitution. This is simply
ridiculous, because no sufficienI possible motive
can be shown for this extraordinary dereliction
from duty. tits true the Argus pretcnds to ac-
count for it from the existence of an excitement
against that sheet occasiOned by certain articles
in its columns, but if that is sufficient to account
for lis passage through the house, its passage
through the Senate before the Objectionable arti-
Giles appeared and where no excitement existed
remains to be accounted for. It pretends that
some sale or bargain or something of the kind
TOOK place, in which we gave or promised some
thing, (no person could ever guess what and
received this in return. This is more ridiculous
than the other when we consider that all parties
voted for 1t, and that not the slightest circum-
stance has since transpired to prove the existence
OF any understanding of any character, with any
person or party. There is but one conclusion
to which candid, disintercsted men can come in
the premises, and that is, that whatever NAV be
the real nature of the bill in question, the men
who passedit did it because they thought it right
and polite and the same conclusion must he ar
rived at in relation to Gov. Dewey's connection
with it. And should it finally appear that they
were wrong in their opinion, little uampassion-
ed reflection will convince any person that it was
not so difficult an error to fall into as the Wis
consin Argus would have people believe. tits
true the constitution requires that all PRINTING
required for the use of the state shall be let by
contract to the lowest bidder, but we Doubt
whether either the letter or spirit of the consitu
ton demands that the state shall print an alma
mac by contract in case it became necessary TO-
the state to have an almanac nor in case it be-
1t became necessary for the state to repenish the
library that it would be compelled to print by con-
tract all books required for that purpose. instead
OF purchasing them. If without any authority
or direction on the subject we had gone to the
Secrctary's office and copied the laws and print
ed them, probably no one would have disputed
the night OF The state to have bought four thou
sand or eight thousand Of US had it seen fit and
yet where is the differenee9 The law saws sim
Py,it we will print the book in specified man.
ner and deliver it at the capital within specified
time, the state would purchase certain number
OF copies at a certain price. There may be MANY
state papers which it will be more for the inter-
est OF individuals to print than the state. and of
which nevertheless, the state will require comics
May not the state give or sell the copv and ppr-
chase the books The same clause of the con-
stItuton which requires the speedy publication
OF the statutes requires also the publication of the
decisions of the Supreme court. The copv of
these decisions was given to Judge Chandler, and
the state agrees to buy a certain number of books
required for its use and yet not a press in the
state has questioned the validity of the law or had
word OF censure forany OF the parties connec-
ted with it, although it rests precisely on the ba
Sis OF the statute printing law. Every newspaper
publisher in the state has presented bills to the
Legislature and collected from the state heir orn
price, for newspapers furnished The Argus
and Express and Democrat at Madison. have all
had bills of several hundred dollars allowed at
both sessions of the State Legislature for papers
furnished. Now was this printing required for
the use of the state? Ifitwas not. what right had
the Legislature to make the state pay for it and if
ii was, what right had they to get il excant bv