The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-01-17

VI governor AAmsey ~ . StetAstlc1an3
and, Incidentally, Of Gov. Ramsey
~ . Liar..the Faisehood OF an"A
nual Expenditure OF nearly 100000
for Printing!" Examined and Exc
pl0ded.
During the canvass OF 1859. Governor
RAMSEY uttered on every stump 10 the
State, the falsehood that the public printing
done for the State during the year 1858,
amounted, in round numbers, to $4,000;
and that f. s. GooDRIcH, then public
printer, had, as the recipient OF this amount
swindled the State out of handsome for
tune in single year. This falsehood, which
Gov. RAMSEY thus gave currency to, he pre-.
tended to substantiate from the public rec
ords +; and being thus stated with all the
appearance of credibility, it was used in
political pamphlets and newspapers during
that campaign, and with undoubted success,
so TAR as Gov. RAMsSY's interests were coD-
cerned. Acting in harmony with the adj
age which requires US to "speak well OF the
bridge that bears US safely over" the Gov
ernor has shown, ever since, a most affec>
tionate regard for the lie that be coined in
1859, and which served him so good pur-
pose then; and be reproduces it still upon
every possible opportunity.
This lie of Gov. RAMsEY's, while it was
kept and used merely as an electioneering
agent, we did rot notice and, to this day,
we have NO recollection OF ever having made
reference to it in this paper, or in any public
way. 1t was so palpabIy false, considered
as lie, per Sc =; and so absurdly monstrous,
considered as lie of magnitude ; that we
have paid no more attention to it, than we
would had Gov. RAMSEY expatiated before
the people on the horrible nature of the
crime OF murder, and solemnly assured them
that we had killed eighty.eig thou
sand of their fellow citizens, that year, at
the contract price of dollar head, and
that we had made profitable thing by the
operation. The real lie was no more true
than is the suggested one and the back of
either ought, naturally, to be broken by the
heavy weight OF its own falsehood.
But we notice that Governor RAMSEY,
instead of permitting bis pet lie to ole the
common death OF eIectioneeriDg falsehoods,
seems determined to perpetuate it, not as
lie, but as truth, and to give it sanction
Us such by bis executive endorsement. 1t
is true, that, in repeating it substantially 10
bis message, he makes no personal alusion
to Mr.. GOODRICH but he had procured that
allusion 10 be made in his official organ, the
Press, three days before, and thus insured
ths personal application which be could not
decently embody in an official paper. Tie
Governors organ, in anticipation OF an ex-
posure of the printing frauds of the past
year, sought to parry the effect of that ex-
posure, and at the same time to prepare the
way for the Governors lie, by the following
reference to MIR. GOODRICH:
We shall not now 60 into the question whe.
Their our accuser has clean hands. nor attempt
70 describe the enormous impudence Of the
man who in single y.ar took out Of The State
1r.asury Eaghty-Es gM Thousand Dollars, On
prete'ce T paying for public printing, and
who now affects TO lind evidence of eXirava.
gance and dishonesty in accounts covering
three times the legitimate printing done by
him in 1885, and amounting in all to One.SeV-
enth of the sum which he exacted for work as
inferior to ours in its style as in its quality.
With the way thus paved, by having his
favo,ite lie thus publicly set forth 10 detail,
by his agent, the Governor, in his late mes
sage, officially eDgrafts it, 10 general terms,
upon the permanent records of the State, in
the extracts here copied:
In 10 direction are the fruits of the policy
of retrenchnent more CONSPICUOUS than in the
item OF printing, which now amounts to but
One-seveLth ot the sum expended for that
purpose u 1898 when, indeed, the printing
bills largely exceeded the whole present cost
Of the Stale Government.
1t was not the mere consideration that $780,.
coo annually might be saved to our mpOver-
ished people III the administration of the Gov
eminent with advantage to its efficiency; it
was not to satisfy the honest citizen that a
,castetuI annual expenditure of nearly $50, coo
eighth that sum, Immediately important as
tines, objects are, that have so long persisted
in urging an economical policy; but after
having afforded the needed relief to an over.
burdened people, it was to hold out to the
great army of emigrants whom the inevitable
course Of events must soon turn toward tue
virgin lands OF the Northwest, the assurance
that here, in Minnesota, their industry WAS not
to be hampered, nor their aspiration tLwarted
by oppressive taxes for the support of official
extravaganza, &C., DC, &c.
The idea designed 10 be conveyed by these
extracts will not be mistaken by any read
er, however dull. 1t is, that, under differs
ent management, the yearly expenditures of
the State government for its current printing
had been at the rate of $4,000 that the
cost of tie public printing done for the State
1861, amounted to only one seventh of
that doue for the State 10 1858. This is the
meaning of Governor RAMSEY, and it ia q