Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-01-31

The Cost of Government Advertising.
In our issue of the oath instant we publish
ed an article setting forth briefly and concisely
the cost of government advertising and print
ing The data were obtained from official
documents, and from the Union and Ieteth-
gsncer Five days transpired and neither Of
the three papers to which the advertising pat
ronage had been dispensed In this city, at
tempted TO disproye the statement. Yesterday,
the Editor of the Stay," in an article of near
iy two columns length, made most violent
personal assault upon the senior Editor OF this
paper, who neither wrote the article, nor did he
know anything about the facts therein stated
TO the personalities, billingsgatc abuse, mali
cious inuendoes, and slanderous imputations
we have no response to make. With the de-
NAL Of the facts as originally published in our
issue Of the cath instant, we have only to do,
and with these facts, as a matter Of public I'M
terest, and as an item Of public expenditure,
we shall deal
In our issue Of the oath instant we said:
"The whole amount of money expended during
the past year for advertising $246, 200 10, OF
which S20,7S9 81 was paid to the Intclligencer,
S2l.6lO 20 was paid to the Star, and 81, 500 65
was paid TO the Union. These amounts indie
pendent of the amount paid each for advertising
proposals for naval supplies, proposals for live oak,
proposals for supplies to docks and yards, propo-
sails for naval clothing and small stores, which
amounted in the aggregate to 3d. Ss2 -, Of which
amount we suppose that each Of these three pa
pers received onethird ($4,680 9l.) The aggre-
gate amount received by these three papers for
publishing government advertisements is $77, 1888
50; or, to take another view, the government OF
the United States pays three papers in the city CT
Washington more than $40, 900 each, annually, for
inserting the same advertisements.
twill be observed that we have not used
the name of any individual, but simply sta
ted the amount paid by the government to
each of the three papers mentioned, for adver-
Using. To this the Star replies as follows:
G" The Stars editor and proprietor) has respect
fully to offer him 1.-THE Organ cash in hand, $4,000
if he will guarantee to pay him the difference be-
tween what he really received from the govern
ment on account of advertising in the course Of
that year, and his estimate of $4,000 as that
amount Nay the Stars editor and proprietor will
deal even more literally with him. We will give
our talented, truthful, and ingenious neighbor
$4,000 If he viii engage land give satisfactory Sc
curity for the fulment Of his obligatory to make
nall between his aggregate estimate Of $26 900, as
the sum received by the Star for government adj
yertisements in the year 1855, and the amount &C
tually received for such advertisements inserted IL
the Star in pursuance of the law above referred
to, between the first of July, 1854 and the first o.
July, 1855, the Blue Book being made up to that
time
The only legitimate deduction from this offer
to us Of " cash down on the nail" is, that the
! amount received by the Stars editor and
proprietor" from the government for adverti-
sing between the first of July, 1854, and the
first of July 1855" was $4,000 less than our
estimate $4,000 oo) For he offers to give
us S12, 900 if we will agree to pay to him the
difference between our estimate and the actual
amount the " Stars editor and proprietor" re-
ceived from the government between the dates
mentioned. The conclusion is clear that he
seeks to convey the impression that the amount
received by the Stars editor and proprietor
did not exceed 5000 90, and was probably
much less.
We said in our issue Of the Oath instant that
the whole amount of money expended for adj
yertising was $246 200 90, of which $40, 189 81
was paid to the IntelJigencer, $21 ,7o9 80 to
the Union, and $21, 6lo 30 to the Star. We
did not say to the Stars editor and proprio-
tor" for we knew that the proprietorship Of
that paper had been changed. The "edtor
and proprietor" denies that he received that
amount, or any amount near it Our charge
is that the Star paper received that amount
Now for the proof
We find in the Blue Book, the following