The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1860-02-08
The State Printing.

Mr.. Gray, Of BieEyills, has introduced in the
House, a resolution instructing the Standing Com
mittee on Printing, to report bill providing that
the public printing shall be let out to the lowest
bidder. We are not advised whether the honora-
Bile member favored the House with any explana-
ton oryndication Of the policy which his motion,
if successful, would involve We regret this alb
sence Of examination on his part, as we should be
glad to have laid before the public, at least, the
ostensible grounds of tie policy which Mr.. Gray
desires to inaugurate in this matter. He ought,
certainly, to be able to show good reasons for the
adoption of the course which he advocates, nyoly-
ing, as it Does a departure from the system which
has heretofore obtained in the State.
There is, however nothing at all original in Mr..
Gray's proposition, for it has been tried over and
over again, in other States, and, on one occasion,
at least by Congress, only to be abandoned in al
most every instance, after brief, though very un-
satisfactory experiments. Years ago, some gentle.
men became dissatisfied, for various reasons or
causes, with the plan Of eecting Printers to Cor
gress, and through their eloquent persnasions, that
body, or at least the House Of Representatives. de-
parted from the ordinary usages of electing Prin-
ter, and adopted the contract system. 1t was not
long before its evils developed themselves, and it
was found that there no dininution in the cost
of Congressional printing SO that the old method
Of electins r:atsrwas again resorted to, andhas
not hppn since 'denarted from
Under the law now in force, it is entirely within
the power Of the General Assembly to regulate e1-
penses attending the public printing, and go, upon
the score Of economy, there really exists no reason
for the adoption Mr.. Gray proposition Neither
he nor anybody else will pretend to say, that the
Printer is not as worthy Of his hire as the Repre-
sentatives in the General Assembly, or any other
public funcnonaries. The carpenter, the mason,
the brcklsyer, and every other mechanic, expects,
and has right to expect, a profit upon the en-
ployment Of his labor and capital, with which
neither can dispense, for the mere honor of doing
his work for the State, instead Of private citizen.
The compensation for the work done by the State
Printer is altogether fixed by the General Assembly
as is also the amount and nature of the work for
he cannot claim pay fora single line or page which
is not ordered by the existing laws or special di.
rections In private transactions between publish.
ers and compositors the latter can always command
their own prices, and if job be not profitable, II
will be rejected but as between the State and it,
Printer, the latter has no such privilege, for HI
must execute all work which he is ordered to do
; whether it be profitable or otherwise, being a
every step entirely under the control OF his EN-
. pioyer, not only as to the amount OF work done
but as to the price which is to be paid for it.,
is not therefore, the Printer who can be guilty
extravaganza in this respect, but rather the Gen
eral Assembly, which frequently orders worl
without stopping to ascertain either its amount o
cost, and which, judging from past experience, vii
be disposed to cast the censure for its own incon
, siderate action, and the expense which itinyolve
| upon the shoulders Of another party, who reall
Ind no control in the matter.
A good rule prevails in this matter at Washing
ton City. All bills and reports of committees, ar
of course printed, but unless the Committees o
Printing recommend it after obtaining estimates
Il the actual cost, no more copies Of any documer
it are ordered to be printed than viii suffice for til
use Of the members, and the preservation OF I'll
: records Of the proceedings The Legislature
this State has repeatedly ordered printing to
!. done without knowing what it would cost, ar
members have afterwards most ungencrously ar
uninsty attacked the State Printers for the resul
ID OF such extravaganza This evil cannot be cure
o by the remedy which Mr.. Gray proposes, for Il
~ proper mode is for the General Assembly ITSELF
"a pay more attention to it, and not order anythil
lie to be done without first finding out what will
the expense A proper and habitual discharge
its duties and responsibilities in this respect, W
soon bring the printing account down to a We
reasonable amount. We do not perceive any go'
policy in Mr.. Gray's movement, which would col
mend it as an abstract proposition, to the adopti
II Of the Legislature and we trust that the Dem
f. cratic majority in that body, will not adopt
without q demonstration of the substantial al
permanent favorable results which would folio
/ AS temporary measure, with view to its eaet
upon the present State Printer, we certainly
:. not conceive that it commends itself 70 the fay
:" Of the majority Of the General Assembly
Courier, ssth ult,
z