Delaware State journal and statesman., 1869-06-08

The Avard Of Contract Asor negh9oro o tne 3oVS ~ he
aa ssR'S5s S5stise f. q shS sst 5s would @
qure if this rule was hisy aeaea up S ouse m of Rep.
ressiiatTes and of the state Il Is Tepofeo as s sr
lie hid Of favorte accepted althongnh was s
per cent higher than the propositions made py "'n'i
for said work @Repnbhcan.
We are not able to answer the query oil
the Republican. 'rhe Journals OF the TWO
Houses of our State Legislature have not
been printed by us but twice during the last
TWENTY-FIVE years, and then they were gwen
to this office because we were about twenty
1--WE cents per page below every other bidder
II the editor Of the Republican knew of any
instance in which an enormous or exorpl-
tant price was paid for doing the State WORK
over and above what any other responslole
bidder would have done it for, he was dere-
lict in his duty to the public IN not sta'ing
and exposing the transaction. lie IS an un'
faithful chonicler of the events OF the tmes'
and very unreliable public instructor.
But will the Republican tell us something
about the cost of publishing the Statement oil
the Finances of the city for the year le0s'
and which appeared in the Republican in
February lastp Our recollection OF the
mailer Is something of this kind: About the
time the Statement was ready for puhlica-
tiop. a member of the Finance Committee
coFtatagalg called at our office, and stated
that tile Financial Statement was ready fol-
publication, and he desired to know what
we, would charge to give it the usual inser-
tions in the JOURNAL. We answered
taeeniy.tioe dollars, and, by setting the who'll
Statement up IN our own ofice-lnstead
dividing the copy with other offices as hal
been Heretofore done-we would guaranie
to have it inserted correctly, or make nj
charge whatever, for the work. The mem
her OF the Committee answered that h
would go report to the Chairman, and W
wouldh hear from him again. BE retired an
in due time returned and told us that will
characterization with the other members
the Committee the Chairman had given Il
work to two other papers to publish,
thaTtg.three dollars each, the Repablicc
being one Of the papers This was dol
notwithstanding the Committee knew tn
-.. .oy.r lid -.sAs the lowaat and the hast nffere
Here. is an instance inwhich the Council
THOUGH one of its scommttees-paid betwe
forty and fifty per cent. more for work I'll
they could have had it done for elsewhe
and il may be the very case alluded to
the Republican, Whoknows
But this is not all. A member of Coun
heard. Of the affair from some source
other, and threatened TO 'ventilate it
Council" and so fearful was the editor
the Republican that his price would be
down, he hurried lis. bill in and had
passed on the evening of the same day
CO. q f.,
paper.
And again Another member ol CouI
called upon us TO inquire why we did
publish Tie Statement as he had suppo
we would for, said he, sit is so misera
botched anG blundered up in the Repabi
that ! cannot understand even my o
portion OF lis contents"
Now, we do not wish 10 say that
"tieo other pdpersn which published
Statement got paid too much for ther We
We think they did not. But that was
the point. The committee were asking
bidders and pretended to be in search of
lowest They sought us, we did not g.
them. In view of the embarrassed stat
the City Treasury, and the enormous to-
we made our price unusually low, and il
Committee had dealt honestly with
matter they would have saved TO the peoE
treasury nearly fifty per cent on the job,
been as well II not better served In {
cusion we would suggest that the mem
of the City Council upon taking their 8
as members also take solemn oaths, eael
administer the government justly and to
best interests of the community We w
not have alluded tothis little matter at a
these columns, had it not been pressed
our attention by the inslnuations of
Republican, and ii the editor is not YET
isfed, we have little more yet unsaid
we can furnish him with,