The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-07-25
COLUMBIAN
Saturday Morning, July 20, 1868.
rho PubIio Printing Again.

Senate, day or two since, by Rev.
Burnt District Randolph, in refer
ence to the wellStimed comments of
the Columbia correspondent Of the
Charleston Godaier. with regard to
the award of the public printing;
and although we are disposed to pay
noyattention to the .perso onaal explana-
tion of that ;sanotimonious 5aspirant
for political preferment, Justice to the
public demands that we should ex-
pose his sophistries by presenting
the facts in the case, which are, in
oil material points, precisely those
stated by the correspondent whom
Randolph assails. We do SO with
more alacrity, because Randolph is
likely to comprehend our statement,
being proprietor of oneof the very
largely circulated and influential
radical journals of Charleston, and
likely, therefore, to know oil about
printing; but more especially because
the line of proof we 3present-one
purely of dollars and ,cents-will
appeal, most effectually, to that
organ of his chronological compost
ton which is most largely developed
-acquisitiyenessl He Essays: r. n.
''Mr. Selby's estimate for the
printing was not before the Commit
tee at the time the statement would
seem to imply ~ gg.aYa5oa
Why inotaI A proposition of ours
was handed to prominent members of
the two Houses on lie first day Of
their session. Why was it not sub
mitted? A few days later, bid was
made SO low that the Committee
would have been constrained, from a
decent regard for the public Tfeasu-
ry, to accept it; which would have
placed the chances of o radical organ
far in the dim perspective. What
became of that? Let us see. Ran
dolph adds: a'2"- iia
'Two estimates were sent in to the
Committee on Printing, and the time
for proposals kept open four days. :"
It matters not how many estimates
were given to the committee
whether two or twenty-but we are
concerned to know what is meant by
keeping the time for proposals "open
four days" Heretofore, it has been
the practice of the Committee on
Printing to advertise publicly for
bids, and then to award the contracts
to the lowest bidder-sometimes,
also, dividing the work, and giving
the Senate work to one party, and
the House to another. No such no.
tice was given. On the contrary, the
proceedings of the committee were
conducted in manner which leaves
O clear inference that the members
of it were, solicitous to exclude all
competition from Mr.. Denny's bid.
Again, says Randolph, '1The esti-
mate of Mr.. Denny being the lowest
of the two, was reported on favora-
bly," &c. What twoa Randolph
fails to tell us. Possibly the other
bidder had fictitious existence. In
deed, we incline to this opinion, and
that, besides ourselves, there was no
other competitor than Mr.. Denny;
and in this belief we are strength
ened by the fact, that several Sena-
tors requested us to place our bid as
low as possible, SO as to save the
State EXPENSE. e., compel Mr..
Denny, the fore. ordained printer, to
reduce his estimates. We did so,
end bid nearly $4,000 less for the
work, and we were not elected.
What influence our low bid had on
Mr.. Denny's, 1t does not avail us to
inquire, as no response is likely to
como from the tomb to which the
committee consigned the whole mat
ter. III
Lastly, says Randolph, in the way
of argument:
..rL =,