New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-10
TEE PRINTING Jon.


We are glad to see that one reform at least 10
likely to be pinned TO the back of the Post Office
Appropriation BILL We observe that the Senate has
adopted the amendment ordering the printing Of shs
Post Office blanks to be lot out 10 the highest bidder.
Hitherto the printing has been given out By ths
head of the Post Office Department at his pleasure.
and it has always been JOB Of fayoritism, furnish
ing fat profits 1t has long been regarded one OF
the most lucrative sources Of partisan revenue, and
has been used accordingly. To take tho matter
out of this couuping routine, and put it 90
busipess.Ike foundation, is an act Of commemorate
virtue We hope to be able to chronicle moro such
this session of Congress. If Ye can do anything to
diminish the muddy swash Of venality which sur
rounds tho Federal Government, and in which Il
floats like scow in filthy basin, it ought to be
source of genuine satisfaction to every friend Of
honest government.
The whole printing business of both branches OF
Congress 10 conducted On established principles of
public plumber doing real good to nobody, ADD real
harm to an indefinite number of individuals, and,
what s thousand times worse doing infinite harm
to good csuse, and sill because Of the vicious.
method upon which the work Is done. 1t ought al
to be fair piece work, LET out to the lowest respoa
sible bidder The present trading in the public fands
for partisan purposes is simply infamous, by whom
soeyer it be done. The doing Of it BY one slds
prompts TO tie doing OF it by the other; and tho
abuse Increases at every alienation Of political
power. 1t is an obesity that grows BY exercise.
The evil effects do not stop with the parties
engaged merely. Ii they did, it would be crcuu-
stance of comparatively trivial consequence. But
the yensl virus taints the blood aud poisons the
whole current of affairs. If its only effect was to
create class of land sharks, smacking their long
jaws around the public Treasury, grabbing ct good
bait and bad alike, from q ravenous habit created
by their vocation, it would be bad enough. But
when Congress creates Printer on the existing
system, it is itself implicated, and to large extent
contaminated 1t is so, inevitably, from the nature
Of the case.
Now, there is no way 10 avoid the thing Itself,
but to destroy the originating cause of it. Look
at the printing jobbery Of the last Congress, smell
ing TO heaven at this hour Of its own rettsnness.
Yet the agents and engineers Of its sapendOas cor
ruptions are believed 10 be the most influential Of
Ill men in tie Halls of Congress to-day. Is not
this potent fact 2 Again. look at the disposition
of the House printing at this session 1t tskes
two csucuses and six or eight ballotings 6, get o
Republican candidate for Printer, and at last o
minority candidate ia got up by great struggles to
the pitch of majority Of one-many members, ike
Mr.. Adams of Massachusetts, for example, and
Tiers who could be Damed, refusing to vote any
wsy. Now, We ask all men if this kind Of contest
can 20 on in any party without sowing seeds Of both
personal and political animosity The most
disgusting, and the most dangerous qusrrols,
in all parties, arise from the selfish
pecunisry interests of men-questions of Office, Of
at1Onsge, of plumber, of money; and we lay il
own an indisputable truth, that just in proper
ton party is destitute Of power aud patronage,
is it pure and harmonious. And it may be safely
assumed as alike true and transcendently important,
that if there were no such thing as public patron
age, sound principles and sound policy would pre-
vail uniformly in our public affairs. 1t is only
because We cannot get clear Of it that diseased
and leprous state is brought upon the country Bot
if We cannot get rid Of the curse entirely We can
at any rate abste it, We can lop of some of the
limbs; we can dry up some of its sources; and this
printing business Of Congress is one of them.
Themoral ofthewhOle storyis that we not only want
reform in the matter of printing Post Office blanks.
but in the printing of Congress throughout II
should oil be brought down to purely business prnci
ples, and let out by open contract TO the lowest
respon sble bidder and it is to be hoped that fair
and full trial of this plan will be agreed upon BY 81
sides at this Congress-