White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1862-07-31
RECORD OF A LEECH:
Or, q Few Modest Sacks by ths
I.eech Of the Record.

We proceed IN the iuiniimen' VI ou'
oromise to air some of the "gobbling
operations of the lump OF honesty in
shirt-coll"r and long swallow
tails. who. since the commencement Of
the present year. has had SO much to say
about robbing the Treasury Of the State.
Our object in so doing. is not that We
think it will have any effect upon his feel
ings; for his cheek is case-hardened. Like
an impudent porker with his nose in the
slop- bucket, you may kick him on the
snout, and perhaps be will utter a slight
squeal. and jerk away his nose-perhaps
not; but::before your back is turned. in
goes the snout again. Ross. with one
hand in the Treasury. will be writing q
TRADE against swindling with the other;
and the very moment you are convicting
ing him of being thief, be may thrust a
proposition under your nose, the object Of
which is to defraud the State. As far as
be is concerned, it is utterly useless to
show him up in the light of swindler,
for his only defence will be q random
charge against You. that you are swind-
ler too; that you received bribe for doing
this or that; or that you partner in some
gouging operation. Like an unprincipled
chimney sweep, he seeks to defile you by
rubbing his own blackness upon You.
Therefore. we do not expect the facts
which we shall state will have the slight
est influence whatever upon Ross; but
there are many people in the State, who.
in their ignorance of his proceedings, real
ly think be is an honest, upright man. and
who are in some degree influenced by
him.
Previously to January last, we had had
no opportunity of knowing much about
the editor of the Record; and We regarded
him as o man possessed of at least average
honesty. But having the honor to occupy
seat in the Legislature. and being placed
upon an important Committee. We speedi-
ly had our eyes opened. The House had
scarcely organized, before some member
moved that each member of the House be
furnished with four copies Of the Daily
Record, at the expense of'tbe State. The
Daily Record was proposed to be publish'
ed by E. G. Ross, at the modest sum ol
% for two months. 1t was expected that
the House and Senate would together
take 400 copies, amounting to the sum o1
$500. Well, some members fought against
it. but it carried. This thing had been
done the previous session, and we were
satisfied with what we had seen oft. And
those who had been there, pronounced the
thing o nuisance. There were number
of practical printers in the House, every
one of whom voted against the prososi-
tion. The person who was employed by
the Record to report the proceedings ol
the House, and who also corresponded for
another newspaper in tho State, compli.
mented the members SO voting. as being
gentlemen who were opposed to news.
papers"
That part Of the project vas through
the mill, and the members expected to get
at least respectable paper, with fair
and impartial report Of their proceedings.
But they were doomed to sad disap-
pointment. Day after day, there canes a
half sheet-a scrap of paper about one
third the size of the Chief-each copy Of
which was costing The State one dollar
per month. Taking size and amount Of
matter into consideration, the St. Louis
Daily Democrat, in the same ratio, would
cost about 800 per year; the Chief would
cost Sc. But the size of the sheet was Of
but little consequence. The reporters
knew what was expected of them; and
not day passed, but some member Of
one House or the other felt himself ont.
ragged by the reports as published in the
Record. Prejudice, partiality and favor.
itism stuck ont all through them. Mem
bers who belonged to the Record clique,
might bore the Legislature day after day,
with the most silly stuff, numbering the
Kings English by wholesale. and lengthy
notices ofthme would appearin the reports,
dila,ing upon their ability. eloquence.
logic, and all that sort of thing; while
members of far greater ability. who did
not run with that set, were probably cut
of with brief notice, probably not men.
toned at all, but more frequently so re.
ported as to make them appear extremely
ridiculous. Scarcely day passed. but
some Legislator found it necessary to arist
and correct gross Misrepresentation in
the paper for which the State was pay.
ing 81 per month. This was especially
the case in the Senate. In this operation,
Ross pocketed from $500 to $500 from
the Treasury of the State; for the Legis'
lature. after ordering the papers, were mol
so small as to refuse to pay for them, al
though they were not what had been
promised.
The first State Legislature passed Law