The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-07-26

The C0ve9umeut k'xSn0cG assd Bto0tn1-
WsiiaIg Of sho Dasap.ss.a.tsL
One of the little penny papers Published Ia
Washington has been OF late aitcting very
great sympathy for the dear people OF the
United Statee, on account Of the manner in
which they are being victimized for the benefit
Of the gentleman who does the pnalc prtating
tSf Congress and the binding for the depart
ments. The profeesed csuse of this exhibition
Of sympathy is that an officer Of the govern
ment, in the State Department and the Clerk of
the House of Representatives, have given to
the Public Printer contracts for the binding Of
certain public documents; aid it ID very
broadly intimated that the motive actuatiag
one Of those officers In the matter is salary Of
$4,000 year, paid him as the editor Of the
paper of which this came Public Printer is
proprietor.
As to how far this charge of favoritism is en-
titled to credit, it is not for us to say. We
presume there is nothing in the constitution or
laws of the United States to prevent any officer
of the government from editing or assisting to
edit q newspaper, or engaging in any other
literary or lawful pursuit., provided be does not
allow that to interfere with his public duties or
to cont, oil him in their performance. If it can
be shown that the gentleman in question has
given the contract for binding to the Public
Printer, or to any one else, at higher rates than
those for which the work would have been
performed Is well BY OTHERS it would certainly
raise the presumption that other interests be-
sides those of the public were consulted in the
matter. But the technical ground for fault
finding in this case appears to us to be ex-
tremely frivolous. 1t IL that, whereas the Law
directs such contracts to be given to practical
bookbinders, the Public Printer, although he
branch of the business, does not come within
the defnition of the law. That is species Of
pettif0gging of the meanest description. The
law did not contemplate that the work should
be actually executed by the hands Of the con-
tractor, any more than it requires the printing
to be actually set up by the Public Printer
own hands, but merely that the CONTRACT
should not be given to a person who could
only have it fulfilled by assigning it for a con-
sideration to third party--as has been the
practice too long in Washington In this in
stance the Public Printer is, to all intents and
purposes, practical binder, inasmuch as be
has such work carried on extensively in his es-
Enlistment Unless therefore, there be some
thing else on which to base the charge against
the officers making the contracts, we think that
nothing can be made out of this specification.
It is interesting, however, to study the
sources of all this patriotic Indignation, and
this sympathy with the dear people in the mat.
ter of the public printing Of Conaaex For
many years back the Office of printer 70 each
house has been so immensely profitable as to be
sought for by every one who thought that he
had the rem0test chance of getting it, or Of
even selling the votes that he could control,
for handsome consideration. II has been the
great prize commended for at the opening of each
Congress. The Speakership itself does not give
rise to half the scheming and bargaining and eau
cussing that the election of printer setsin play.
During the Thirty third and Thirty fourth Con-
crosses, the expenditures for the public printing
ran up to enormous fgures-the grand total for
the Thirty third being $3,025, 1891, and for the
Thirty-fourth s2,l3l,61l So great have been
the profits on this werk that the srb-contractor
has been able to pay large per centage to the
party securing the contract, and at the same
time to realize handsomely himself 1t was no
wonder, therefore, that 50 rich prize should
tempt the cupidity Of politicians and editors OF
little country papers Prior TO the commence
ment of the present Congress cliques were &C
cordingly formed in the West aud Southwest
with the object Of obtaining it IL possible; and
as one of the means to that end penny paper
was established in washington-the same that
now utters such doleful outcries about the vii
lany Of the system-
These combinations proved too strong for the
then incumbent Of the Office, even although II
was evident that no matter who WAS elected, the
work would have to be done by him as subcon-
tractor. The Virginia and the Ohio candidates
joined their forces together for their mutual be-
ncft, and in accordance with the understanding
the Ohio man was elected printer to the House.
OF course II was never intended that he should
execute the work. IL had 10 be done by the Pub.
lie Printer of the former Congress, who had the
establishment. the material and all the organ
lem requisite for the purpose; but the bargain
Is generally understood TO have been that the
printer elect and his Virginia rival and cooper
ator received each $50, 600 for their interest. In
other words, they sold the votes Of the members
whose support they had gained for the nice
little aggregate sum Of 100000, diminishing
by that amount the regular profits Of the de faeto
printer. II may be that this sum is under
stated; for the Congressional committee that in