The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-09-25
The Beauties of Democracy.

The corruption which has been practlced
in Maryland since the present Copperhead
Or as the leaders phrase it, Democratic
Conservative party have been in power
has exceeded anything ever dreamed of
before in our old State. The stencil of
Democratic rottenness in the Baltimore
City government has become SO strong that
it is at last entering the noses of her in
fatuated citizens who are beginning to cry
out for relief 1t has been brought to light
by recent Investigations that the city ring
have it in contemplation to fleece the city
out of $5,000,000 for the erection of the
City Hall, which the Republican Council
had contracted with responsible parties to
erect for $3.50, When the eopperhead
party got control of the city treasury, they
annulled the contract, and let it to the
Democratic ''ring." The ''ring" has
manipulated the matter SO adroitly that
one million dollars has already been spent
ON the cellar walls.
The american gives the following ac-
count of how the contract business is man.
aged by the ''ring''
"Whilst the attention of the community
is absorbed in the City Hall contracts, we
have, in the bids made for the City Sta
tionery and Printing, as published in The
Amertc6n, Il key to the contract system
generally. 1t is commonly believed that
there is q City Hall "ring" which controls
all contracts, and that the contract price is
not always enforced on those who are within
y.
bills, and they are paid. The price named
in the contract is never referred to, except
in making the award. Among the bids
made We call special attention to the fol-
lowing:
For 100 or more copies of the reports of
any of the departments, or of any other
reports or messages, with title page and
covers, SOC pages, more or less, at for print
ing per page.
Bids
John V Slater 50 90
James Young, Jr., 10
Thomas O. Jones, 10
+. A. Hanzsche, .i5
John Cox, 80
j. Francis swain. .25
James Sites and VIM. ]. T. Cooney .Oa
Kelley, Piet (; Co., 80
e. G. Armiger, .Of
Here it will be seen that the proposals
for this work range from 50 to cent per
page. Two dollars would be Il low price
per page fer this character of printing, the
Journeymans wages, on which. without
the paper aud the printing. amounting to
fully 81. Some of the bids, however, were
at so cents. ID cents, % cents, 10 cents, .
CENTS and cent per page. 1t will there
fore be seen that the whole contract system
is farce, and that the treasury of the city
can be pluiidercd with IMMUNITY by all who
belong to the ring" All that is neces-
sary is to secure the contract, and the bills
will be paid at higher rate than it would
cost to have the work done by the highest
bidder.
The bids for Faber's lead pencils, the
wholesale price of which is about 81 per
gross, ranged from 81 to 72O The bids
for cap paper per ream, ranged from So to
1920; letter paper from 1928 to 81 note
paper from 80 cents to SO. 40; for ledrers
from cents to s1.90 per quire, and other
articles of stationery at the same wide
range. The contracts for book binding
were bid for at from / cent to 10 cents per
volume"
Let our honest, hard working people.
who pay the taxes which these rascals
steal, ponder these statements thoughtfully,
and remember in connection Herewith
that the last Legislature, which had not a
single Republican member in it, expended
SEVEN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS =
The like in this State has never before been
known.