Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-06-15


 symptoms fquerulousness but then' you know, the weather Is so warm and the du- ties of an editor are so perplexlng that these little ebullitious of ill-temper will oc- cur. He mildly takes us to task tor pro- posing to bet with so respectable ana ami- able gentleman as himself. Really, he misunderstood us A bet or wager IS some thing upon an uncertainty. we proposed to give or take upon certainty. As the veracious, scrupulously honest Herald had asserted certain things existed, we propos- ed to pay them handsomely for the discov- ery. Indeed, truth is so excellent an artl- cle that we wanted it encouraged. It was not bet but reward of merit. And they decline to receive the reward, which plece of self-denial is worthy of attention and Tn consistency with their precious characters Albeit we published statements ot all amounts paid for public printing for years past and to whom paid, and gave the lg- ures as officially shown, this seems to have escaned the otherwise vigilant eyes of our amiable and serene cotemporary. When we have leisure, we will have the proper officers to prepare an official statement.- As to the game of faro, we have seen 1t, and if this is like that game we are sorry to see the Herald dealing. As to the game of bluff, we are poor players and have no lik. ing for it. But we are generous, phi lanthropic and warm hearted. So when that devoted guardian of the public interest made, by the help of the Gazette, wonder ful discovery we proposed to reward them, by present of forty or fifty thousand dol lars and they refuse to take it. What Q | noble set! Were we disposed to be severe, we might say that upon the rope of their own statements they are now gibbeted and exposed to public infamy, but mindful of the courtesy of our confrere, we carefully avoid all offensive language. But we beg | not to be misunderstood. We do not pro- pose to bet, but simply offer a reward to inertia gift to veracity-a bounty to hon. esty and fair dealing.
 The Des Arc Citizen in some specula- tions on the European war, thinks the up shot will be that Italy will be given to France and Hungary to Russia.
 The North West Appeal believes that the railroad to Springfield, Mo-, will be continued through that portion of Arkan- sas, and says:
 1.-The completion of that road is looked to with a great deal of interest by northwest Arkansas, | from the fact, that should it come to Springfield and no farther, it will be of ncalcuabie advantages although we do not intend to let it stop there. We shall devise some means for its completion and ex tension through this part of the State to Ft. Smith or some other point on the Arkansas river. North west Arkansas has the finest pinery ill the world, and every hill is full of lead, copper and stoneCoal besides it has superior in the culture of fruits of all kinds. The grape is raised to perfection, and finer water and water facilities are not under the | sum-
 From the Pine Bluff Independent we learn that its peripatetic editor, MT. Doug lass, is again absent. The following from that paper concerning the Jennie Whipple is just what we wanted to say, and by copy ing and indorsing it we are saved the trou- ble of trying to write as neat compliment:
 ''The last trip of that star little boat, Jennie Whipple, is the quickest on record, from Memphis to this place. The Jennie is nice boat. Captain | Ad. Storms commanding and J. A. Gray in the | nd atio f,r | late tayOrs."
 The Batesvillc Democratic Sentinel puts ome hard questions to its neghbor, the answers to which we shall look for with some curiosity.
 The aforesaid neighbor, being the Inde- pendent Balance, says that it tried the pub lie printing rope and it is rotten. Like enough, for it was of opposition manufac- ture. The Balance says that 1t did not charge that we received S20, GOO year but that we said that we did not make more than $500 year. We said no such thing
 We said, which is true, that the public printing cost about $SS,000 year and that, estimating the profits at ten per cent, it would amount to eight hundred dollars We then gave other estimates and stated that some of the work paid better and no particular estimate of profit thereon could be made. Nor did we say that we had worked for nothing and found ourselves.- But what we said or intended to say was this: That the enormous sums said to have been received were "all in my eye" and that the profits from the public printing would not sustain or keep up an office that had no other means of support. The Bal ance says it could make two thousand out of five thousand dollars worth of work done. It might, but we cannot. The truth about this public printing humbug is simply this: The prices are fixed by law and we can do no more printing than is order ed. Really, 1t amounts to seven or eight thousand dollars a year, in which there is a profit as there Is on all work or labor done Of course we are glad to get the work to do and the more of it, the better for us.- Now if the amount of work done was ten times as great as it really is, it would make no difference so it was fairly done and le- gally charged for. If the rates fixed by law are too high, they should be lowered. And if this is the case, why did not the warm friend and ally of the Gazette have it done last winter? If any work was charged for which was not done, or paid for which was not propAly certified, we are liable on our bond. None of these things are charged because none but fool as we'll as a corrupt man would make an assertion that the records contradict. No two or three persons could agree upon their estimates of the profits of the different kinds of work done, but the whole amount paid could be ascertained to cent, and knowing this we made the proposition we did. It was not a bet nor in the nature of wager. | h