The Richmond palladium., 1863-10-30

A4Ss WVoss VIC CoPHcO into oux ColuAuuS IN -
: 6cIs reviewing the conduct Of the committee OF
printing. from ,he Telegram. in which that pa
Iper vrsy clearly showed up the injustice done to
the other printing Offices (itsefincluded,) By the
; Icourse the committee pursued in contracting
with the jeff organ to do the worK-it being one
lof the highest bidders--without again submitting
the matter TO another bid in accordancs with
the ordinance. or giving il to the Palladium,
which IVES the next lowest Of the orignal bid
ders. This article. calls out the chairman
Of that committee, A. F. Scott, Esq. who gives
ing the matter, which, from the contemp,uous
manner in which he alludes to our facility for
doing the job. as well As the artful dodge he re-
sorts to cover up his psrtizan action in 'trans-.
ferring" the work into the hands of the tory
editor of the JET, calls for . brief rejoi.der
from US.
Mr.. Scott, in his card, gives the bids Of the
several Offices: jeff and Telegram 40 cts each
Palladium 35 cts, and Axe 25 cts, per I.0OO
ems, for composition Hammond was awarded
the work; but after one delay succeeding another.
Hammond told him fScott) that the Telegram
and JEFF were tie only c67ees in ios1n Ma, had
suitable type to do the scork'--that he had seen
the Telegram folks, (Which they say is faise,)
and they were too busy to do it. So the con-
scientious Mr.. Scott, who says his taxes are ut
least An average Is much as that paid by some
other citizen. and having been sworn to discharge
faithfully the duties Of councilman in accord
anco with the ordinance giving the printing to
he daA h,e r..
ito political organ, and made se,r contract with
it-agreeing. in order to hide his political bias
under the cloak Of economy to give Jim Elder
just one cent and two-thirds less than our bid
on the 1000 ems. A great saving to tho People
for which he deserves their profound gra.isrie!
especially as it coincided with his bevI shat
this was - low as he could get the work done.
after concluding that the JEFF WAS the only Of
fee left '.n town that had suitable type'!!
The main objection Of the Telegram to Mr.
Scott's arrangement was, that the work was
given to the JEFF when the Axe could not do it.
without permitting the other offices to compete
or it again. in accordance with the law; and
We cannot perceive where Mr. Scott's "cxplana-
ion meet. this point. We can't see it. unless
with the compliment Of knowing that the distin-
yuished chairman of the committee on printing
believes that they have Suitable type" in their
with which the Ordinances I'm
,luding the one regulating the bids for the city
printing! might be printed, if they were not SO
busy! In this regard. the explanation Of Mr.. S.
nay be 'entissly satisfactory" to them.
But, We ask Mr.. Scott, where was the use
n the first place, to ask all the Offices for bids
he lisd the authority to mako the "dicker,'
Ego around and cheaper the work-peddle the
rices IS he did in this instance? The law
vosld have heen tracked just as closely, hac he
3 soon ss he knew the amount Of each bid, and
eceved his appointment As chairman Of the ,
rinting committee, proffered the job to the JEFF
the same rate it now agrees to do it [331 cts.
'ithout waiting TO see whether the lowest
idder' would Go it or not. His oath, which
e prates over in his card, ito discharge faith
ally the duties Of Councilman would have
een as rigidly adhered to then rs now.
We have always liysd up to our contracts for
to have done this had tho
work come into our hands, to the satisfaction of
u
'id-our book and pamphlet work will compare
avorahly with similar work done oy .cyJnn
establishment in this city, and why Mr..
hould Be 30 ready to take Hammond's word =
o tho unfisuess Of our material and the "busy
condition of the Telegram folks We accQa
or in no other way than that political SYM
lrew him towards the JEFF - to the resuscita-
ion Of which tory sheet he had largely contrib
tied. and his desire was to give it all the little
public sop there yet could be squeezed out of this
ob!-that is what is the matter. II this were
,ot the case. and if the distinguished chairman
# the printing committee really believed that
'ur type was not good enough to print the book
If Ordiaoces and the jeff office WAS the only
place in town where it could be done in time and
lone well. where was the necessity to induce
Jim Elder to agree to print it for less than our
bid, which, in all conscience was low enough?