The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-03-18

much of the chap whose only pea TO
escape death Was that "Le wanted to.
save funeral expenses"
The Public Printers ParturiIiOa.
We believe il was Mrs. PAR1NGTON
who said that 'she never opened her
mouth without putting her foot III It,"
Tie unhappy indiscrrtiOn of that IA
nous female distinguishes in no small
dcerce the management of the LHtelh-
gracer In adapting its supply of argu-
ment to the demand upon its re-
sources it makes "both ends meet"
with about the same ridicu-
lous result which Mrs. 2. deplored.
In discussing the HINDMAN impeach-
mcut, for example, it tunited prodig-
ious anxiety to say something with a
woful ignorance of what to say, and the
consequences were q bundle of absurd
bluuders, and a precipitate abandon
meut of the controversy. Still more re-
centlr it "volleyed and thundered" at
the REGISTER for questioning
the propriety of referring the
bond question to posterity, and
in So doing touched off a piece which
kicked harder than it shot; it felt the
recoil when informed, evidently for the
tirst time. that the greenback pslicy of
redemption had been endorsed by high
Republican authority. Lastly, it ex-
hausts a column of words to admit the
very point which the REGISTER had
made against BOREMAN's report on the
Civil Contingent Fund" viz: that by
his own showing he had applied that
Fund" in manner contrary 10 what
he conceived to be its design.
The report is accompanied by mes
sage. which We would advise ourneigh-
Dor To glance over, and in that message
the public is given to understand that
the Fund can only b. used for such
public purposes as may not DC ''foTesees
OF specifically provided for by the Leg
islsture." As we understand the Intel
IidsRctr, the items in the report 20 which
We called attention, ought to have been
paid ont of the proper appropriation
but were not so paid. 1t admits that
there was such an appropriation, and as
the Governors theory is that the
"Fuud' was intended for use only in
the absence of specific appropriation, it
is clear that bet ween him and his cham
piou, gross misapPlieation of the
Fund" is pretty well established.
Tue Iat,lljgeRcoT man has evidently
had some glimmerings of the result TO
which he was rushing, since in referring
20 the Governors use of the Fund" for
purposes already provided for, he says
that the offence does not seem to be
= very heinouS one when We reflect that
the draft on the general treasury is pre-
cI>rly the same, whether the money be
drawn from one fund or the other,
whatever balances of any aupropria-
tIuus are left, being returned to the
treasury H
We are glad the IatelliseEosr has made
tLl, assertion, for it opens the way to \
pertinent illustration. The Public
Printer, for example, received from the
Auditor last year sl2, 173 -, and the
Legislature had appropriated for him
bHI $4,000. Now in ordef TO raise this
amount disbursed in excess of appro
priation," recourse is had to the "bal-
auces unexpenied' from appropriations
tor other purposes, and through judi
c!ouS Use of the "Civil COntin-
gent FUND.- such balances are
made to appear. For instance when
the Governor iuterpOsed with his "Fund'
aud paid S4jO, on account Of costs in
CARED in defending election suits, he
enabled the Auditor to transfer from
the appropriation for that purpose,
$50 as "balauee unexpended" to the
public printing appropriation, and .
few similar operations soon make up
the S2l73.7S 'disbursed in excess of ap-
prOpriatiou' 70 the Public Printer.
This is theory of the case
which oar neish5Or can, no
dOubt, readily corroborate, since he has
the best of reasons for being familiar
with the operation to which we refer.
We cheerfully accept as the consequence
OF his argument that the Fund is
used 10 create balances unexpended"
lTom specific appropriations, and these
balances il turn arc used to make up
the amount disbursed in excess Of ap-
preparation" TO favored officials like
the Public Printer.
Bot the Governor is not content with
merely making "balAnces" which may
be disbursed to the Public Printer, :.in
excess of the appropriations" sfsr that
gentleman's benefit, but he fees him
directly frOm the "Fund" itself and
that before the printing appropriation
is exhausted. In October 1856, the Pub
lie Printer, pleasantly styled by the
Governor "CAMPBELL, FREw & Coz,
receives $50, so. On December 5th, 1866
The same gentleman, under the modest
ApPellation of JOHN FREw, draws