Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-01-15

C4ULC1s
Nh. WATsoN's CORRECTION" ."-As we
have so often been made conscious OF
false impressions in regard to the
amount Of the oficial printing given to
this ONCE, and have been at least occa-
sionally reminded that we live, move
and have our being in the patronage
dispensed from the county offices, we
are glad of the opportunity Mr.. Wat
sons note Of last week affords US to
make some statements which viii set
as right before the public. We are not
beggars for the county patronage; we
ask for nothing but what we conceive
to be simple Justice; what by almost
universal custom is conceded as right;
and whether our claims shall be favor
ably considered or not, we shall at
least, we trust, be no longer the victims
Of misconception. From the beginning
we have alluded to the matter in no
mere mercenary spirit, nor should we
have mentioned it, had we supposed
that either the Republican party of the
county or the people at large, believe
that any portion of the public printing
which can be as we'll done here, is or
should be done outside Of The county.
Mr.. Watson, undertaking to correct
US, says;
ssYou state that the printing of Mari
on county amounts TO from $500 to
81, 200 per year, and then conclude from
that that the printing in this county
amounts to the same which is not
correct"
Our readers know that our conclusion
as to the amount paid for the printing
Of this county was not drawn from that
paid in Marion only, but also from
other counties which were named. We
happened to know how much was paid
there, because in those counties state
ments are annually published, showing
how the peoples money is expended
and for what purposes. These figures,
and others we might give, justify the
assertion that there is no county in the
State of equal population of this, where
the whole amount paid for public print
ing is not from $500 to 81 200 year, or
double the amount of our average
gross receipts from this source for the
last three years. The presumption is
therefore of the strongest character that
less than half the printing of this
county is done in,'ide of it, or at least
given to US, and that our conclusion
Icas correct.
But Mr.. Watson fortiies it still
further when he proceeds to say:
''The printing of this county fok the
past three years amounts, you say, to
S432. o yearIy-of which YOU have re-
to the job you speak of, the making of
the books for this Office. MessrS. Siebert
& Lilley haze made all the books for this
4 Office since I hdUe been tn here AND BE-
/ FORE. TOO "
First, Mr.. Watson says our estimate
that the entire cost of the printing
of this county is SAY $500, is not cor
rect, and then endeavors to prove it by
representing us as having stated that
the "printistg Of this Cotsaty' costs 1922
yearly. But we did not say so. Our
statement was that this has been the
gross amount paid lts, while probably
as much more has been paid to parties
outside the c8nnty. 1t is true we shave
received every cent" of what we did re-
/ ceive, and it requires no deep course of
logic to prove that proposition. 1t also
appears to be equally plain that there
was a considerable part of the amount
paid for printing, every cent of which we
did not receive, but was paid to Messrs.
Sfebert & Lil1ey and others. The proof OF
| this is sufficiently given in Mr.. Watson's
own acknowledgment that ever since
he has been in the Treasurer's Office
and BEFORE too, the books of that Office
have been printed by Messrs. Siebert &
Lilley. How does this tally with his
declaration, just before made, that we
get 'aevery cent" of the county print
ing? We could scarcely have a more
conclusive proof than is here afforded,
that considerable part of the official
patronage OF this county is dispensed
elsewhere than to this Office. And that
! is just what we are complaining of.
n Mr.. Watson proceeds to say;
"As they (NTessrs. S. & L. have the
forms already set up, and are prepared
to do the binding, I thought it better to
employ them myself, than to have you
get the books made, and thus save a
per cent. 20 the county, as they would
10 Tue lAlQ 4ApE AAAp AANy WO0AA
for you"
Here Mr.. w. excuses himself for hav-
ing giveu the job to Messrs. S. & L. by
saying sthey have the forms already
set up; - but how can this be, when
} Messrs Siebert q Lilley have no forms
lin fact are not printers at all, but
binders. Messrs. s. q L. will. as we
happen to know, either get the printing
, done at the Office OF the Columbus Ga
zette, which is neutral in politics, or al
that of the Columbus Printing COmpa-
: ny, which is ultra Democratic-an of
shoot OF Medary's Crisis. 3.
Mr.. w. says he thought It better tC
) employ them(s, & L. himself, as though
: .se intended to employ them but W,
r didn't. 1t might be that these gentle
men would do the work as cheaplJ
for Mr.. Watson as for us, and it might b
also that zoe would do It as cheaply Joi
! the county as they would do 1t for either
: Mr.. w. says he saved per. cent. e
the county by giving che work to out
siders. HowP We offered to do th'
work as low as they, and thus "save
per cent? to the county IN tho expires
sage which must now be paid for send
ing the books from Columbus to thii
point It is difaoult TO see, under thesi
conditions, how Mr.. Watson has ssyeS