The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1852-02-05
saturday Evening, Jan. 81. 1852
TnE PunLlc PnlNrINe-aTNe Con,li

printing question haas assumed shape
aud form in Columbus which should de-
mand the consideration Of the penple
The Convention which framed the new
Constitution adopted a clause reqIiring
the printing Ia be given to the Invest
bidder. Ii is not now proper Ia discuss
tho propliety Of the provision. II lsin
the Constitution aud will save annually a
large amount OF time aud money which
has been devoted To quauellng about
who should getthe printing. II was the
duty Of the men. who took an oath To
support this Constitution. To carry out its
provisions. Have our Legislators done
thisl
Soon after the orgaslzation Of the
House, a resolution was passed auihoriz
Ing the Clerk to get what printing was
necessary done at prices not exceeding
those which should be paid when the
contract was made under the provision Of
the Constitution This was fair, and We
suppose the majority voted for it under
proper appreciation Of tho oath which
they had just taken. But in day Or
two, under the influence Of the patty lash,
this resolution WAS rescinded aud the
Clerk, who is brother aud tool of the
editor Of The Statesman. was instructed
TO get the printing done at prices which
Mr.. Medary should deem fair. Nov
what did this Clerk dol
He makes a contract with his brnIheI;
a very large number Of extra documents
are ordered to be printed, about $4,000
copies Of the report Of the State Board %
Agriculture are contracted for, and L.,
crown this unconstitutional movement
IeveD the Journals OF the House are com
menced. In other words, at least two
thirds tue heavy printing ofthis body ar
contracted for at such prices as we're a
greed upon by the editor of the States
man aud his brother the Clerk Of th
House. Does this louk as if The Consli
tuition was r the hands Of its friendsl
1t is well known that Medary cndeav
, Ored 10 have the Convention rescind tn,
provision at the time, but was uusuc
cesslul. 1t was then reported that 70
the presnt winter at least. Efforts wouIt
be made tn render the clause nugatoty
We noticed it at the time, but could no
believe that the maturity would violat
= their oath Of office To vote money int
Medary's pockets. How far the repol
. was currect the above facts will show.
. We notice with pleasure. howe e
! that portion of the majority has repr
dated for the present the action of tn
g Clerk and unless the party lash
gain renders them subscrvient To Me
g dary's wishes, part ofthis contract wi
he repuliated. 1t was not mere hnn
n ish of rhetoric when a member of III
II LocufOco Convention declared that III
Q party cared nothing for Constitution
= when they stood in the way of its wish,
'. for the present instance, view it as y
p may, is nothing else than violation
h. the new Constitution for the mere pu
a pose of putting a few thousand dOlla
= of the peoples money into the pockt
III of Mr.. Medary. Long ere this, Ia
y might have been passed by the majori
giving effect To the prnvisiun relating
=. the public printing. and it is certainly
:, matter ofregret that those men who we
ID right in the first instance, should alb
J. themselves afterwards. through fear
tho Stdtesmaa'S influence, to become pa
r. ties to violation OF the New Cunslit
'e lion. We only have to hope that the a
Is ton Of Wednesday last wiIlbe adhered
aud should Mr.. MeIary. as is promise
" claim damages, he can have the pleasu
D. Of collecting them from his brother "
'S alone is responsible for any prinii
~ which he may have ordered beyond /
8 Instructions given him by the Hou:
whose servant he is. ......
IN We have nothing to do with the priva
r. griefs of the press at the Capital; bat
4" may as we'll here notice tha at Mr. Media
-. made overures u the propIietors of /
.- Journal Office, that the printing might
N divided between them, 1t was suppos,
al that if tn ese two offices refused to bid
II gainst eacI, other. there could be no ol
7, er competitors. As the owners oft
two establishments have but little fai
in each other, il was not possible to ma
80 any terms, and as a matter of course I
u. subject dropped. Medary, we snppos
he thought he could manage to get the pri'
IN ing of both Houses a: his own pric'
aud he appears to have been thus far ST
:, cessiul.
Printers should have fair compen'
ton for all printing which public offic,
n may have to dn-nothing mole-nothi
= less. A well dipesied law. recurring