True Democrat., 1862-11-26
The Public Printing.

been preferred against Mir. Yerkcs and myself, as public printers, by Mir. Jame'D. But e, proprietor of the Patriot-a newspaper started in this city few months since, to advocate the reelection. of the late governor, and which will doubtless die soon as the struggle it is making to obtain the public printing is decided. Mr Butlerhas offered himself a candidate for public printer, aud as he considers us his rivals, he deems 1t necessary to his success to asperse and defame our characters. He seems to be one of those who think to rise, not upon their own merit, but upon the demerl oi ,thers, and hence his assault upon Mir. ierkes anu myself The absence of Mr. Yerkess and the sickness of myself, have prevented an earlier reply to Mr. Buffers article in the Patriot of the i3th inst. I propose now 10 make that reply, and earnestly request to it the attention of the mem rDers of the General Assembly,
 Mir. But.ers first charge against us is that, JyPer scouting and compelling him to relinqush his con tract for printing blank treasury warrants, he means of subjectng the State to the hecxpensc of purchasing the plates, for which tpaid him the sum of f,oo Thousand dollars. Thus, after pocket ng the money -Ailasen, he. endcayUrs 10 cast the odiumo the outrage upon Johnson Yerkes.
 Contrary to the law, which expressly declares that the Public Yrntef shaA do and priorm aii book, pompiaet and Job prnag, lcork of eufry ktno md description for aohich fe Stae S iabte 0 .ay. md in violation of our contract with the State Public Printers, the job of printing the bhuk war ponds and tre eislry warrants vas given to Mir But Ter. When the job of printing war bonds was given to MT. Butler, we did not complain, but per nitted him to finish 1t, or nearly SOL and draw the nonev and enjoy the profits of 1t. lt was in our power to have stopped his payments by mpc notest at the Auditors office the Au1l or had 10 authority to issue his warrant in payment for public printing other than to the public printer But we made no objection, and Mir Butler got Dis money We thus permitted him to reap profits hat belonged to us by law, and winch We could nave claimed and collected even afrer He had peri
 rmed the work We did not choose to do 50 We chose rather to act generously towards Mir Butler, for which We now getno credit. Mr But. ter says are perSecuted him.!
 Now IS to the prosecutions"
 When afterwards, the job of printing the blank treasury warrants was also given 10 Mr.. Bater, thinking the injustice done would have no end 90 long as We patiently submitted we protested l,ainst it, | | at once ihe Auditor refused to gay or any public printing, unless upon the certificate ot the Public Printer. This failed, however, of my effect, for Mir Butler still proceeded with the work determining to appeal to the General As sembly, then about to meet in extra session, for a special appropriation for his benefit. The Assem- ply met and the Senate. without understand ng the matter, passed the appropriation, but the House appointed a committee and enQuired into 1t, and with the facts before them, failed or refused to t. Thus the matter rested as before, when we em- noyed Il Ia syer, and served a notice upon the proper officer that it onr purpose to claim and exact our rights ny an appeal to the courts
 This step produced the desired effect, and at once the contract with Mr. Butler was annuIled, md the printing given to the public printer as the law directed
 But this is not all It was still in our power to have made out our bill against the State for the printing of the treasury warrants already done by Nr Butler, and collected it by the force Vi a vio- l,ted law. The work he had done amounted to thousands of dollars.
 How did we act2 Upon being appealed to by Nr Bu Ter, we not only withdrew ournrote.t at the Auditors office. but gave our written consent to the Auditor to pay Mir. Butlersancounts, and they were immediately paid. Thus MT. Butler received for printing war bonds and treasury notes, as shown by the Auditor and Treasurer's books, the hand some little sum of sepca h1usapd, sir huadred and sirtg seuen dollars and seDenty nine ccnts. This by right was ours, and we could have enforced the right; but we withdrew alI cam and Mr Butler received the money. Now, Nr.. James ?. Bnilar sq1ts Johnson and Yerkes peYSccmed himu A gen erous act is tortured into foul accusation.
 Regarding himself pcrsecuted man, Mir Butler held within his hands the means of revenge, not upon Johnson X Yerkes, out upon the State. He owned the plates upon which he had printed the warrants, and the State compelled b have them at whatever the cost. She could not suffer the plates, upon which millions of dollars of her money had been printed, to remain, with any secu rty to herself, in the hands of private individual, whether that individual or any other, was the prin ter For her own protection, she was compelled to +I,o o1 IT,