The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-06-22
QUERIES CONCERNING GOV. DEWEY

QUERIES CONCERNING GOV. DEWEY
The editor of the Wisconsin .7rgus {. Demo
era'. after attempting t, write down our six
queries concerning Gov. DEwtYs Free Soilism
to the utmost point of insignificance, by such
phrases as 'badiy fooled "owl-lke gravity"
"graven image" &c, goes on to admit the af-
frma'ivc Of every important query we suggest
ed
LIST He admits that Mr. SHoLEs was the first
democratic editor in Wisconsin who holted the
democratic nomination.. of ls43, and that he
has ever since been leading member Of the
"free soil party.
I'd. He admits, that within six months after
this desertion, Gov Dewey approved bill Civ
ing Sh'les certain job Of printing.
Sd. lie does not deny that it was tho largest
job of printing he State ever disposed of, nor
that Sholes received $4,000 for it.
9TH lie does not deny that it was in violation
of an existing contract with press which sup
ported the democratic nominations of iS4S.
ter he approved the bill, and while the job was
in the hands of Sholes, Dewey received the free
soil nomination for Governor
Now, in view of the facts as tacitl, or e4-
pressly admitted by the Argus and Democrat,
we arc willing to submit the question TO any
candid man, whether they do not justify the
doubt we expressed in regard to Gov. Dewey
entire freedom from the CONTAMINATION of Free
5 ,ilism, and whether he is entitled to the un-
bounded confidence he claims as party man,
and especially as the friend of Gen Gasp And
we wish to ask Mr. Brown if he did not, at the
time, dsnounce the transaction, in his own CO.
lumns, as an outrage against party obligations
and party usages?
One word in regard to the points which our
n ighbor denies.
lst. He denies hat Gov. Dewey had any
thing to do with framing the bill giving Shules
the printing If the Revised Statutes.
Whether he drew up the bill, or any part of
it, our information does not enable us to decide;
but we assured that 1t can be proven, should
it be deemed worth the trouble, that the bill was
submitted to Gov. Dewey, and received his ap-
probation, before it was introduced into the Le-
gisllture. Does our neighbor wish to make an
issue upon this point?
ID. He denies that Sh les, or the Free Sol,
party generally, supported Dewey for Govern
Whit the editor would call support, or an in
dieation of it, know not; but it is quite with.
in the recollection of the present generation, that
MIR. Sholes had "For Governor, Nelson Dew
ey," at the head of his columns, pending that
election. Whether the Free Soil party, gener-
ally, supported Dewey, or not, may not be SO
easily determined.
Our neighbor will neither admit nor deny.
that Gov. Dewey acted in violation of the con-
stituti If the State, but modestly defrrs it till
It shall have been decided judicial.y. Fortu-
nattly, we have copy of the constitution Of
Wisconsin, and we will quote the 25th section
Of the 4,h Article.
"The Legislature shall provide by law, that all
stationery required for the use OF the State, and
all printing authorized and required by them to
be cone for their use, or for the State, shall be
lit, by contract, to the lowest bidder; but the
legislature m.y establish ma ximum price. No
member of the legislature, or other State officer,
shall BE- interested, either directly or indirectly,
in any such contract"
Now, 10 go n, further than this record, and
remembering that Sholes was a member of the
Legislature at the time the bill passed, and when
he received the job, h wv much sagacity would
il require to determine whether Gov. Dewey
did or did not violate the constitution he had
sworn to support, when he approved the bill?
The editor Of tn, Argus e. Democrat asserts,
with an air Of easy triumph, that the bill "giving
Sholes the printing of the Revised Statutes
fixed the minimum price of The work, leaving it
with the Gov. t. allow more; as if
awaiting themselves Of what the con tuition per-
naited them to do in one respect, excused lbem
from eompii'nee with its positioe injunetions in
another respect! Whether they established a
maximum, or minimum pr &C, or neither, is a
matt, of indifference to the nstitutianality of
the act. The questions pertinent to this point,
~ ~" 'iie oSe o 'tii q require, or IN any
way contemplate the letting of this contract TO
h lowest bidder? Were any bids called for or
-eceiEad? Cur neighbor himself answ these
questions in the negative. Ee calls it ethe bill
,tr1ns Shoics the printing Of the Revised Sta
utcs,' and says gave the Governor discretion
Try power as to the price. Now, with such |
Constitutional provision, as We have quoted, sta
ing him in the face, what right had Gov. Dew.
y to give his .apctiop to a bill, giving this work
o Mr.. Sholes, any other individual, or Civ.
ne himself any discretion in regard to the price,
{ MIR. Brown can stand square up to the issue
nd dispose of these queries fairly and satsfac.
orily, he may save both himself and Governor
Dewey from a dilemma. 1t is miserable shift
0 say that the question has never been adjudi
ated, and ,her, f re no one can tell whether the
ct was constitutional or not; for that would
eem to suppose that judgment creates the
,c's upon which it is rendered.
Finally, our contemporary asserts that "Gov.
)ewey has at all times, and under all cireum
tances, firmly adhered 10 the usages of the de-
'ocratic party" From the constitution of WIS
onsin, and the admissions Of MIR. Brown, we
,ould think that, If rewarding the most notori-
US party traitors with the best patronage the
arty has to bestow, and at any sacrifice of law
ad honor, and the rights of others, be one of
lie usages Of the democratic party, Governor
ewey must have done The clean thing, for
nee, at least; else, how came be 10 receive the
rec Soil nomination for Governor, Can you 6
IL us that? 1t seems unaccount1ble to men at !
II distance from the scene of action, that Q de-
ocratic Governor, adhering strictly TO party
ages, as 10: have been wont to understand i,
en-, should have received nomination for re- 9
ection fso'n bitterly opposing party, withou, I
me reason. Mr.. Brown would have US be. !;
we that his agency in bestowing patronage !,
ION their leading organ, ,cas not the reas m
hat then was liz What o:her gooo thing did
ov. Dewey do for them. Will our kind neigh
r tell us, and explain the mystery?
We should have acknowledged some time
Ice the "a yor of an invitation IN ,tond q nil; |