The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-02-04
The stnte Printing.

EDITORS OFTHE REGISTER:
Permit me through the columns of your
paper to ventilate the intrigues of some
of the ertra loyal members of the Legis-
lature of West Virginia. / had suppOs-
ed 1t to be the sworn duty of each and
every member of the Legislature of any
State to guard, faithfully, the welfare
and interests of his State But in these
times, when party interests and party
purposes assume the name of loyalty,
suppose the more party interests are
cared for the more loyalty is exhibited
Therefore, when the State is made to con
tribute a thousand OF two thousand dol
lars to any party, firm, or individual be-
cause of his OF their extreme party zeal,
it is an evidence of pWe patriotism.
But as this government was, at its for
nation, considered the government of
the people, it may he questioned whether
the people will be willing to be sorely tax
ed for the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of any firm
or individual, already grown fat by nib
bling at the public crib.
Even since the formation of the restor-
ed government of Virginia, the party
claims of most intensely party zealot
has deemed it an evidence of disloyalty
for any person to question his right to
all the lOaves and fishes within the gift
of public patronage The public print
ing gave him % great deal of trouble for
long time. Many members Of the first
two Legislatures were independent
enough to guard we'll the interest of the
State, and refused to give the printing
to this ambitious individual. SchOoled
in the arts of intrigue, he assailed such
members as stood in his way and com
menced an unscrupulous prosecution of
the then State printer Thus he labOred
till he had manufactured sufficient party
sentiment to elevate him to the position
of public printer.
When the restored government of
Virginia sloughed its State habiliments,
and the new State of West Virginia was
ushered into existence, this party king
supposed that his cdicts must he implc-
lilly obeycd. If any one refused, his vindic-
tive pen, like the sword of Damoclos,
was held over his devoted head, and
thus, in part, opposition was silenced.
Not satisfied with the extravagant sums
he had received from the State, at the
commencement of the present session of
the Legislature, he pretends that he lost
in the execution of the State printing
and asks to be Unidentified in the way of
higher prices. A committee was APP
pointed to investigate the matter and
report as to the best method of getting
the State printing done. Now, to show
that some of tho committee were suspi-
cious that the present public printer
had charged eXtravagant prices, one
member of that committee waited upon
the firm of J NJ, Ewing d Co., printers
and binders, to ascertain what would be
fair remunerative price for various
kinds of work, alleging that they de-
sired to know how much the State had
been over-charged, or in other words,
chow much the public printer was dig
ging them" One member of that firm
informed the said committeeman that
he would give him the information
sought, and that the firm would give
bonds with good security to do the work
for the price thus named.
Now comes the sequel of the matter TO
which would invite the attention of the
public. This committee, instead of franz
ing bill in accordance with the prices
named by member of the firm of J. NJ
Ewing & Co, drafted a bill allowing
some fifteen per cent more than the prices
named as above The difference in prices
would have saved to the State some
$500 or 5000 But this was of no conse-
quence, since the present public printer
was Republican of the most radical
kind. Partyism isnow the true test of
loyalty, and the Legislature is certainly
justitiable in legislating money out of the
State Treasury into the pockets of zeal
ous partisans-
Itmay be, hGwsv. o as intimated i'll the
beginning of this article, that the people
will not submit to such kind of legisla-
ton; for what security have the people
if the State Printer alleges that he has
lost money and the Legislature assumes
the bold prerogative of allowing him eS-
orbitant prices to indemnify himl When
such loose preoedents are set, where will
they stopl Must the poor laboring man,
who can scarcely maintain his dependent
family, be burdened with onerous taxes
to crafty the cupidity and avarice of such
men as the present Incumbent I hold
that the members of the Legislature are
but servants of their constituents, and
trust that those who vote thus to sauan-
der away the money Of the State, for
mere partisan purposes, will be held to-
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