The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-01-13

| night to deliver eulogy upon the Press. have
| not come to explain the ten thousand advanta
| ges il has produced in four hundred years Since
| that period, when the only way Of transmitting
thought was by the pen or the stylus, few pieces
of metal and single machine have accomplished Q
! revolution upon the face Of the globe. Now, copies
can be multiplied with by means of few
| types and simple machine press. From con
versation with my very intelligent foreman thii
day. learned to calculate the value OF the Press
We have in our service seven presses, four double
| Napier and three Adams presses. understand
that in the of ten hours they enabled tc
strike off ninety thousand sheets.
II there were no presses-if all these copies were
necessarily multiplied with the pen-it would be
| impossible that any man could copy more than
| two of these forms, making thirty two pages. We
have in our employ nearly one hundred workmen,
and they can make ninety thousand copies in the
course Of ten hours II would take forty five thou
| sand pens, then, TO make many sheets as we can
print of by these presses in the course Of ten
hours. In your hands, then, gentlemen, the as
tonshing power of the Press is to multiply copies
at the of four hundred and fifty for by the
pen. Without the Press this great Republic OF
ours could not be carried 1t would be impossi-
BILE for the people to understand the acts of their
servants here, in order that those servants might
be checked by the will of the sovereign people at
home. II il the Press that sends intelligence to the
remotest part Of the Union, and back from its
extremites to the Representatives here.
Gentlemen, claim for your profession-and
am sorry that am not n practical member OF it
the palm of superiority to any other art. honor
the telegraph because 1t crculates scintllatons OF
thought with the rapidity of lightning. honor
the rapid car and the steamboat. honor the ma
chinery connected with the manufacture OF our
clothing. honor the art of the sculptor, and the
of the painter; but contend that without the art
of printing of these arts could be improved to
the extent which they have reached. The art OF
it is the creator of many, and the improver of all.
thousand honors, them to the noble art which has
called us together this evening.
With these sentiments, beg leave to give you
the toast:
The Genius of Guttenburg and Faustt-To whom,
under gracious Providence, it has been given to
say: "Let there be light, and there was light y
The Committee of Arrangements next proposed:
The Hon. James l.. Orr, of South Carolina, dis
tnguished Representative of the Palmetto State
May the day never come when, in the list of the
United States, the name Of South Carolina shall be
left out.
Mr.. ORR, in response, said:
Mr. President and Gentlemen am sure that
am indebted to the kindness of personal friendship
for this manifestation of your regard, rather than
to any merit Of my own, or to any ability exercised
your profession. But beg TO assure you that
feel lively scnsibiity in your personal and pro-
fessional advancement, and will ever hold myself
in readiness to :" show my faith by my works.
when suitable opportunities offer.
For a brief period in former years was associ-
| ated in an humble way with your craft, as editor
| and proprietor Of a country newspaper that asso-
citation taught me knowledge of the arduous la
bors required of the compositor, and the poor re-
wards he received fJr patient, indcfatigablc indus
try. Nay, more; it taught me that the influence
Of individuals, the intelligence OF communities,
the prosperity of the country-so far as it depends
its Legislative and civil polity-and in fact, the
rapid civilization of human society, depended upon
the compositor and the printing press-uPon the
printing office.
Your profession. then, makes you great bene-
factors OF your race and, whilst you are advanc-
ing others, it is your own you fail 10 secure,
in its prosecution, your intellectual and pecunary
nrn VERY M
muning with the thoughts OF the learned, the Wise,
| and great. Observation and memory are the only
faculties taxed to lay up store houses OF know
ledge, which may be used In subsequent lie IN
whatever sphere you may be required to act Many
OF those who have preceded you in your calling,
have improved these facilities for acquiring know
ledge, and the voice of the humble printer who
commenced his career at the compositor's stand
has been heard in the forum and Senate chamber
faithful servant of his country, and a brilliant or
namcnt to his profession. The association whose
anniversary you this evening celebrate was estab-
lished to protect your pecuniary interests by &C.
curing unity and concert amongst the members OF
your profession. Its long CONFERENCE.-The being
your thirty sixth anniversarys the highest evil
dence that il has not failed in its object and the
bright faces which surround this social board attest
the generous fraternal feeling which pervadcs the
profession in this city. May it be perpetual.
This is not the appropriate occasion for me to
enter into an ex xpositon vndcation of the opn-
ions and principles OF the people OF South Carolina,
whose humble representative in part am. She
vindioate her rights and honor; and son of hers
will carry out her resolves with more alacrity
firmness than the humble individual who now ad-
dresses you. But this is festive board, and will
not violate its proprieties by discussing deeply
exciting political question, which is well calculated
to mar the harmony and good feeling of the occa-
sion.
Some mention has been made of the contract sys,
tenn, having reference, suppose, to the system
adopted by Congress for having the public print
ing executed by the lowest bidder,
There are grave objections to the system and its
wor rkinCs the most prominent OF which, to you, at
least, is the decided antagonism produced betwA~-
the contractor and the compositors The contrac
tor undertakes the work too low and depends unnn
recompensing himself by fixing wages of labor at
the lowest point, and furnishing inferior mstaral
If the contractor makes an advanla geous contract
with the Government whereby he realizes enor-
nous profits, it goes into his pockets and the
type who tolls night and day to execute the
work, is not allowed to share in the muniacent
prices paid by Government
Ithe oplechons 10 the contract system" can
not be renioved-and ] am inclined to the belief
;hat shey oannot1tlle question presents itself, how
Is the printing of Congress to be executed most ad.
yantageously TO the Government and the compost
tor, In contrndisunction to the contractor9 Vari-
Gus plans have boon proposed one is to establish
Government printing office, which, in nv iudp-
ment, would soon be filled by workmcn brought
on by members OF Congress, who too idle or in
competent to procure work at home besideo the
patronage OF Government printing office, in
manufacturers. workmon, SC, would nearly
equal that OF Secretary of State; and in a few
years, in all probability, another Executive depart
ment would be created, styled the Department of
Printing. 1t has been pFoposed 70 elect printer,
and fix his compensation as the work is executed.
The printing then would be the legitimate spos of
the party in power, and the Government would
pay prices most exorbtant for all its work. its
profgacy would be equal to paying no,D the prices
fixed by the joint resolution of 1919 The best plan
for executing the Congressional printing would be
for Congress, through ntelgent committees, after
taking testimony from disnterested witnesses, tc
NIX a liberal price for every description -. work,
Clerk of the Ho"-- - ,,,;on the work in such
quant''i-- - 10 assiSn VIC W. n.,, - 90
...s and to as many offices as necessary TO
insure it's faithful and prompt execution. Inc re-
sponsibility of these officers TO their respective
Houses would be a sufficient guaranty that one or
two offices could not monopolize the work, ana
thereby occasion vcxatous delays in its execution
causing tho public service to suffer in consequence
Of that delay.
There is too much printing TO be promptly exc
cuted by one two Offices and the plan here pro-
posed is the only which will remedy the evil
A - t..c,, cny