The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-01-08
THE PUBLIC PRINTING.

Insiders, &c, &c.
Browns HOTEL, WASHINGTON, Jan. l, 1858.
JAMES GORDON BENNETT, ESQ.,,
EDITOR OF New YORK HERALD
SRI am a citizen of Mississippi, only Temporal
rily residing in this city whittier have come for the
patriotic purpose of picking up some plumber, either
from Congress or from Mr.. James Buchanan am
not particular which. have been rather unsuccess-
full so far, though did think, at first might have
got into the printing jeb-not that know anything
about printing, but you of course understand when
q fellow undertakes Uncle Sans work it isn't neces
sary he should know how to do it, "On the con-
trary" Mr.. Cutie said at Burtons theatre in New
York, where was couple of years ago, its quite
the revarse." But there were chaps ahead of me in
that job who knew little as did about the work;
and as they seedy clothes had as few bits in
their pockets and profuse of promises, why,
Of course did not succeed. They had the inside
track for they had for their hackers several small
potatoe members of Congress who were to be pulled
mp in their local papers, pay for their services
To tell the truth, when ] left Mississippi
my ideas were rather modest l thought if
or Due cierk S Gov Governor of Territory
(provded it was not Kansas) a comfortable place
~ a messenger in one of the departments, that
would be all hunk. But coming along in the cars
from Fredericksburg, Virginia, (and in parenthis,
whatever comfort there may be in your Northern
railroads. our roads possess but advantage-they
test a mans courage and patience) happened in
the vicinity of several loud talking persons. AT
first ] suffered from the tone OF their volcB-they
were Bucks Cabinet out on an excursion for the
benefit of their health or, at all events, prominent
members of Congress or Justices of the Peace They
laid down the law and the gospel upon every ina
ginabe subject from the Presidents foreign policy
70 dissertation on the relative merits of poker and
however showing their superiority
IN the latter One of the party was great on the To-
reign branches and he pitched into some fellow by
Nha m Qf
dIst ass he ever knew. Presently the conversation
changed. and little fat boy with loud voice began
talking about some job" and how much money was
to be made out of it, They all seemed greatly int
rested. when We get to Washington" said the
diplomatist we must fix thing without moments
delay. Half million doars-think of itv' The idea
seemed 70 ooverpowering; human nature required
some artificial aid TO recupeate its exhausted energies
and thereupon out came a bottle, and they liquored
all round. 1.-The devl' thought to myself, 81 am
mistaken in these folks They amt cabinet officers
senators, and now look at them more closely tney
are not respectable enough looking to be Justices of
the Peace. i have IL. They're going TO rob the
treasury for where else is there half million dol
larslr second look convinced me they must he
burglars; | thought ! detected villanous express
sion, and involuntarily buttoned my breaches
pockets and opened my ears; found that my suspi-
cions TO their intention of getting into the trea.
sury were correct, but learned with admiration,
confess that they had hit upon a scheme by which
this could be DONE and they would run no risk of
the penitentiary in consequence. This job was the
printing for Congress, and to secure you required
neither brains, money or knowledge OF the business
Brass and promises in the future to divide the plum
der was all that requisite, and these materials
the party sitting opposite me in the car felt conf
dent they possessed in abundance. Now, SIR, when
il comes to question OF brass dom allow that
any man south or north of Mason and Dixons line is
my superior, and II naturally occurred TO me TO look
into the matter myself when i arrived in Wash
ington, and see if | could not get a slice of
the half million Job. But as ] said at the-commence-
foil hv Mr. Rpnnptt L Afterwards
covered those chaps could give me to one, where
the stakes were brass and lying, and distance me at
that The confession is humiliatng-but, unhappily
for me, it's true
Banks. editor Of one Of the papers in the vii.
lage we had just left was 1t appears OF the party IN
the car, conversing about the job" lie had been
North some time before looking aftef members OF
Congress and trying to secure their votes for himself
AZ a candidate for Printer Of the House OF Repre-
sentatives. Judged from the way in which he spoke
that he had not been emnently successful, a. our
Senator, General Davis, say when he Is making one
given a dinner To the New York delegation at some
restaurant-and, as I understood IT, they all went
for az the diplomat expressed II, :" Northern man
win always dine for nothing when ne gets cnance
The difficulty in the way seemed TO be that the old
printer, Wendell. was likely TO get a good many
votes IL was however arranged To break him down
cir I've would not agree 10 divde) on the score OF his
being black republican. whether nc u OF mol, you
know better than do.
Upon arriving in Washington. made sll the en-
quires could. and found that whilst nomnally there
were but three candidates in the hed. IN reality
there were dozens, for the three represented the
most picturesque set OF half starved, broken down
political hacks small country newspapers and small
Try members Of Congress that you can imagine
I've seen Tnenagerie, but 1t was mt circumstance
10 the collection which was scramblinR, gougng, lying
and sneaking 10 get hold OF the Job. Banks had the
Virginia delegation all right. Pryor, OF the Rich
mond South was in with him. and the combined Ell
forts Of the two editors to quarter themselves on the
q IN n al
worked like beavers, or rather like men who owed
their washerwoman, and honestly desired to earn
money 10 pay on the debt.
Steedman Is from Ohio and | am glad he
eecded for the Lord knows he looks as Il he needed
il. Mclean, Sautmyer, Walker and Robinson, N the
Cincinnati Enquirer, trotted him out. My trend
Forney has, IL u said finger In the pie, and
Churchill editor of paper In Tennessee. aud an ex-
member Of Congress- II also up TO his elbows In IT, TO
ray nothing Of half dozen other newspaper men.
OF course those members who were most active IN
securing the job will be most frequently noticed as
they should be, and the country will be aston
ished weekly TO leam that in Mr.. -, their repre-
sentative, they have statesman in the egg, who.
when Matched, will not be second to Jefferson, Jack
son, or even Pierce.
You have already very improperly told in the He
RAID how Banks sold out his friends 10 Steedman,
and how in consequence Steedman was elected and
Wendell was defeated cant exactly see what bu-
siness Il Is 20 YOU though don't pretend TO be able
10 account for the inquistiveness OF Northern men
generally However, | am glad you have not told
that this saHe Wendell IL still doing the printing
don't blame Banks and Steedman for this. IA the
fellow in the play says, It's their poverty and not
their will consents.f They did MOI go in 10 do the
printing better than II had been done or cheaper.
Certainly not. They merely desired as dd' 70 gei
che Job, to make money for themselves. IL u SAID
they have taken care Of some of the correspondent
Of papers here hope yours are not IN the ist Tor
you have done what you could to break the matter
up. Still, there ought to he honor among thieves
and I do complain that when they are
dividing up the plumber among their poyertyetrcsen
crowd, including a regiment of consumptiye news,
Pspers = VINO am poor az any daeI, snV ,av
more; that they only get the House printing, and
thst Wendell, who does the work, is mean enough
20 require some pay for H. am in hopes, however,
that may yet get slice and in the meantime, toe
Gods sake stop pitching into the matter aud ad.
vocating the establishment OF printng bureau.
This would put an end TO all my hopes. and force
me tn arcpnf a mission 10 l,rnpaa anne nthpr