Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-05-11

sedsOH Oh Ueuneeidy oNcHlnS ueAt, INC Wedtuer
permitting. -
The ADVERTISING OF THE GOVERNMENT
On Wednesday last, Mr.. Harris, of H., made
an effort to strike blow at the Star, in the
House hall, in the shape of an amendment he
proposed to the civil and legislative appropri-
alton bill
he law under which the advertising of the
departments is now done is as follows:
THAT In all cases where proposals for any con-
tract or contracts to be made by any Of the Execu-
tive Departments or Bureaus, and In all cases
where notices of any description issuing from
the same are now required by law to be adver-
tiSed tue same shall be advertised in two news
papers I'm the city Of Washington having the lar
gest permanent subscription and, at the dscre-
ton Of the Executive, in any third paper thu.
may be published in that city .''-l2.h sec Narul
Apps Act OF 1915.
as follows:
Sec -. And be IL further enacted, That the
twelfth section of the act of March 3, ISIS,
making appropriations for the naval service for
the year ending 3oth June, 1867 shall not lie so
construed as TO include those papers which have
The largest aggregate number of subscribers for
week, but II shall be construed to include those
only having the largest list of permanent bona
hde subscribers; and such publications as are
required to be made weekly shall be required to
psrs respectively
That is to say, Mr.. Harris, of Illinois. pro-
posed to direct the heads Of tho Departments,
by law, to change their construction of the
twelfth section of the naval appropriation act
of March 3, 1915.
As construed by every Democratic and Wing
Administration of the Government, from tho
date of its enactment to this hour, the largest
aggregate issue-per week or per annum-of
all the editions of a newspaper, served to bona
hde paying subscribers, has been regarded as
" the largest permanent subscription" Mr..
Harris proposes, in effect, that the law shall be
no longer so construed; but that the largest
list of individual permanent subscribers, rather
than the largest aggregate number of copies of
the paper printed and furnished in the week or
year to dona tile paying subscribers, shall be
the Criterion hereafter. Under the law rs inter
preted ever since its enactment years before
the Star existed, the advertisements Of tho
Government have been awarded to it 1.-THE Stun
in each succeeding contest as on the testimony
of the foreman Of its press room and its book
keeper, it shows far larger aggregate subscIip
tion-number of copies issued within the year
to bon0 fde subscribers-thsn any other news
paper printed in " Washington. So much for the
facts involved
We are not surprised that Mr.. Harris, of
Illinois, should seek thus to vent his spleen
against the Stars share in the noble work of
bringing about the settlement of the Kansas
imbroglio as twas settled. 1t speaks trumpet
tongued in explanation Of the fact he and those
nominal Democrats who voted with him to the
bitter end against the Democracy on the Kan
sas question, admit that it (the STAR made
good fight, indeed, in behalf Of the good Cause
Whom we undertook the, to US, really painful
task of exposing the selfshness and hypocrisy
of the course of those who in the end proved
themselves the bitterest enemies of the Demo-
cratic party in Congress, We were we'll aware
that, in return, they would leave no stone un-
turned to cripple the Stars efficiency. We
had duty to perform in behalf Of the Demo
cratic party cause in this matter, and VIC per-
United no considerations of lf-interest to in
fuence us to abate word or line Of what we
thought 1t bchooyed us to write and publish.
We are sincerely grateful to the Democracy
Of Congress for their high appreciation of the
value of the Stars services in that contest Of
Democratic party, so freely expressed to us in
person by scores of Democratic members Of
both Houses; and we are also grateful to Mr.
Harris, Of Illinois, for this practical acknoyl-
edgment on bis part that the Star is a very
ugly and troublesome customer to those in
public life, who, claiming to be Democrats, are
found struggling shoulder to shoulder with the
Abolition party, to PROSTATE the Democracy
MARES NEST EXpLODED-In the course
Of the past week an evening cotemporary c.
Sayed to make mares nest out of the report
OF the Willetts Point House Investigating
Committee, that Mr.. Robert W Latham of
New York, formerly of this city ON being sum-
moned to testify, failed to make his appearance
In obedience to the order.
Having duly inquired into the facts Of the
case We arc satisfied that the whole affair is a
humbug, the result Of the spite and spleen of
Mr.. Iiaskin of New York, who is already well
known, at least to all the Huuse, for being
perhaps the greatest, and yet the most inef-
fectiye sDarler in Congress.
1t seems that just as Mr. Latham was about
+" go to the cars to set out on journey to the
ance to himself, he was asked TO attend at the
committee room the next morning. Instead
OF doing so, he took occasion to write to the
committee explaining the necessities of his ur-
gent business, and setting forth that he knew
nothing whatsoever of the matter with refer
enee to which he was asked TO testify. He also
added that he would return TO Washington
within eight or ten days when he wOuId wi IN
pleasure, obey the summons Of the committee,
who, he supposed, could go on examining other
witnesses in the meanwhile.
The truth is, Mr.. Latham simply made q
mistake in imagining that Mr. Haskin il a
reasonable gentleman, bent ON getting at tho
truth OF the matter he has been commissioned
by the House TO investigate, rather than on
splitting any body and every body identified with
the Democratic party, now that he has under
taken TO do all sorts Of Jobs for the most vim