Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-11-17
They Cannot be satisfied.

M
They Cannot be Satisfied.
The Court of Claims, few days since, had
before 1t the case of A. o. p Nicholson,
the proprietor Of the Washington Union, the
administration organ. This is claim for extra
compensation, amounting to several thousands
of dollars Mr.. Nicholson is at present the
public printer; and, as the proprietor Of the
official organ, the Union, is selected by the
heads Of the departments as one Of the papers
in this city to which is given the government
advertising, amounting probably to twenty
thousand dollars annually.
Acustom has grown up in Congress Of voting
to its employees, at the expiration Of each ses-
sion, bonus denominated extra compensa-
ton" Under this resolution, the present pub
lie printer claims . Compensation. !" We are
not aware that such claim was ever present
cd by any Of his predecessors. The claim was
rejected by the Secretary Of the Treasury, for
reasons which, we presume, were satisfactory
to the administration. And now he appeals to
the Court Of Claims.
We take il that the public printer has no
more right to this extra compensation than the
Speaker, who has not set up such a claim. AS
well might those who supply Congress with
stationery and fuel, claim extra compensation
Though the printer is elected, yet the existing
law specifies the prices which hc shall charge
for work done. The arrangements made be-
tween the respective Houses and the public
printer is Of the nsture Of a contract, because
the price is named, and 50 are stationery and
fuel furnished by contract. The difference
being that in regard to the printing the indi-
vidual is elected; with regard to stationery and
fuel, proposals are invited. In both cases,
price is specified, either by law or by con-
tract. But the Union is not satisfied with the
enormous amount Of government patronage
which has been bestowed upon it by the last
Congress and the present administration, and
now claims an "extra compensation" under
the resolution giving an extra" to the sub
ordinates Of the House Of Representatives.
And when, after the claim has been rejected
by the proper accounting officer Of the govern
ment, as not founded either in law or equity,
the Union comes forward and sues for the
amount, thus admitting, or rather contending
that an officer of the administration, of which
it is the organ, has unjustly rejected its claim
The Union has, time and again, lavished
upon the administration and its subordinates
the most fulsome adulation for their integrity
and rigid economy in managing the finances of
the government; and yet it institutes proceed
ings in the Court Of Claims to obtain an
amount Of money which those very officers
have rejected. We have almost been led to
believe, from reading some of the Unions
eulogies upon the Secretary Of the Treasury
and his assistant, who is well known as the
gatherer Of the "black mail" tax, that 80
rigidly economical and scrupulously frugal were
these high functionaries that even TIME was
required to pay toll TO the exchequer; yet the
Union sues for that which they have decided it
had no legal claim to. The Union reminds US
of hungry compositor, who searches among
the "takes" for the " fat," and even though
he gets all the fat is eager for all that re-
mains; and, no matter what amount Of fayors
bis foreman may bestow upon him, he cannot
be satiated, and will even complain that his
partron has robbed him of that which was by
right his. Well, pap is dietetic which acts
peculiarly upon the human race. Some viii,
after being well fed upon it, growl and snarl;
some grow sycophantic; some crouch before
their master, and beg for more; some "crook
the pregnant hinges Of the knee, that thrift
may follow fawning;" some as is the case with
the Union, grow bold, and, even though their
master is by them held up as paragon Of pu-
rity, Justices and right in all things and to all
men, they institute legal proceedings to prove
him to be the reverse. Democracy, thou art a
jewell
More Foreigners In Government Employ.
We have, on several previous occasions, pub
lished the number of foreigners in certain de-
nnrtmenta of the government We give below