The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-02-24
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| AS SPSahSI. lNc SfEilr uRSl0c3
that the gentleman from North Carroll:
ma is not at liberty, under the rules, IL,
| discuss heprcsidcntial question npon
the proposition now before the House.
and that his remarks were CONSEQUENT:
~ irrelevant. @t.aW ottfia
Mr. Fenable. hope may be al.
lcwcd to proceed in order.
| Mr.. Wilcox. hope the gentleman
will be permitted to proceed with his
remarks, and that tho same latitude sof
debate will be extended. to- others.
Mr.. Clingman. moved that INV
colleague have leave to proceed. in or.
Eer. -.5-1,.,s
The Speaker. Is there objection I'd
the proposition? t1,H.a !s
MIR. Swcctser Objected. / i.gtyrf
he question was then taken on Mr.
Clingman's motion; and it was agreed
Mr.. Venablc, (resuming. )sI pro.
foundiy regret that l should have been
SO unfortunate iii presenting my views.
as that any gentleman, or the Chair,
should have supposed that l was out
OF order. was arguing to show, that
my objection to the proposition to give
this printing to the particular individu!
ais named in the resolution. MIGHT 1;ys
color to the charge that this House were
sustaining press with the view Of piv-
ing 1T weight in the coming presidential
election; that this Congress was making
themselves a party to such an arrange:
ment, and identifying themselves with
aparty struggle by pensioning press,
which would be active in theiS forma.
ton of public opinion. 1t seems to mo
that this was relevant, as an argument
why the printing shonld not be given
to Donelson e. Armstrong. Iassure
the l1ouse, however, that Ihad no pur.
pose to say anything that wasEnot ldi-
rectly relevant to the subject before lis.
But suppose that this proposition-as
is not the case-limited the committee
to bargain witha noteriouslys corrupt
'seslssss'T5zand ! gepl
ly in order to say that the resoi1ifii5ens tj iities'
was wrong, because it limited the COM
mittee to bargain with very unsuita-
bic person. And that was the whole
drift Of remarks. Such n press. fed by
the Government out of the public
Treasury, might succeed in forcing up4
Oh the country one who was not suita.
able tor the object in view. The com.
mittee, in no event, should be limited
by vote Of this House to any partic.
ular individual, inasmuch as it narrow
cd down the field Of selection. and
must result, in the progress of events,
in system of favoritism, which nei.
thcr the principles of justice nor the
good sense of the people would toler.
ate. a~ or
When called to order by the gen.
tlcman from Tennessee, Mr.. PoIK,1
| had yielded the floor to the gentle.
man from pennsylvania, Mr.. Howl
who asked me whether | would vote
for General Cass or Mr.. Douglas?
hope it is not out of order to be re.
spectful to the gentleman, and reply
that drew character for whom
would not vote; fit fits no person, it
damages no one; if it does, it is his
fault, not mine; but decline to make
personal application of my remarks
upon the call he has made. i have
now said what intended to cay rela.
tive to the Presidency, and what I
have said was lcgitimatcly connected
with the subject-matter before the
House. have said it because
think il due to the country, that it's
representatives should not adopt all
Indirect system Of pensioning the
press. No editors of the journals Of
the country should be enabled by
jobs thrown in their way to make "a
fortune out the Treasury for mere
party purposes. appeal to this
House to say whether it is proper that
this job should be appropriated in tho
manner which this resolution proposes,
merely because a majority of this
House have the power to do it. Iftlie
House desires to elect apublic prin-
ter, let it be done, and tho rates and
compensation fixed. But it is certain.
ly wrong to do SO by indirection.
Every man should have his Just
dues. But if it is bad plan to let
out tho public printing to the low
est bidder, do not adopt the other
extreme, OF letting it out to the high
est bidder! If we pass this resolution,
and give the contract to DonelsonS .
& Armstrong, we exclude .competion;
and if they will not do it at what tho
committee consider reasonable
price, you will have no printing done,
or you will have this subject back again
in this House for discussion. The
whole matter will have another
hearing and another decision. ]
trust the time is near for US 20 havea
printing bureau, as part Of our or
ganization, and the printing executed
by our own cn1ployers-when the
whole work shall be done by us, and
tho entire matter be under our own
control-that the time is near when
We shall get rid of this job work--tiiis
bleeding the Treasury in order to oh