Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-02-12
OLYMPIA, SATURDAY MORNING, FED. 70, 1870.
Our Territorial Printing at Washington.

Our Tefrltoflal FI1ntlug al w asuAusIoA'
The Washington Chronicle of Jan. 4th
contains an able and comprehensive article
in relation to public printing in this Terri
tory. It embraces the whole subject in a
nutshell, and emanating from the source
it does is most scathing rebuke to those
Gsrfelde Democrats" (white black birds)
iptstested in the contract for the public
printing who have announced it as iegit-
innate calling to forage on the enemy"
(the Republican party,) and after the
game is baggcd return to their former po-
liticalorganization, if it may suit their venal
interests to do so. What surprises us is,
that the Age should publish the article,
with SO fimsy defense of its friends as is
is embraced in the few comments which
accompany it. These only serve to show,
in, still more vivid colors, if possible, the
magnitude Of the scheme for plundering
the Treasury, to reward few thmble-
riggers for services in the last campaign.
The Chronicles article is as follows:
u,Mr. John Stuart Mill and other admirers
ola high degree of Individuality wherever it
may be achieved, will be delighted with the
shrewdness Of the Legislature of Washington
Territory in inventing an absolutely new meth
Oh sof procedure. The whole affair is so
auusing, as well as instructive, that We cam
NO hat smile whila w censura
.. II seems that there is Congressional APP
preparation for publishing year by year, the
current legislative enactments of the various
Territories. This sum cannot, however, be
employed for the reprinting Of any previous
code or body of laws-and thereby hangs
tale
"The Legislature of our namesake Territory,
finding itself short Of printed copies Of the
earlier statutes, conceived the ingenious plan
ofhaying them reprinted ut the expense Of the
Gsnera Gevernmen mt as the statutes of 1869.
80 This might easily bave been accomplished
by the. simple artifce of repeating them all
aid then re-enacting them with notifications
as-a Revised Code. But alas no man is wise
at all times, and the Legislature of Washing
ton, is no exception to this rnle. 1t waited
until within six days of the time fixed for ad-
jonrDment before touching single law, sri,h-
out 1dring taken the trouble to repeal them, pro.
ceeded to re-enact all the old laws on the stat
ute books, to the number of more than one
hundred
=" But Governor Avian Flanders resolved to
beno party to this transparent scheme, and ac-
cordingly vetoed the wkote batch of old lars.
This il the proceeding which, having been tel
xgapbed all over the Union, without the pre-
ceeding explanation, was naturally interpreted
NJ showing grave conflict between the two
branches of that Territory. Governor Flan-
ders. has a good record as Republican, and if
h has suffered through n Misrepresentation of
his condnct, the wrong will doubtless be recti-
led in some manner.
q" One singularity Of this proceeding consists
IA the fact that these old laws having never
been repealed, Governor Flanders veto has alb
solutcly NO effect upon their validity, and they
are now as much the laws of Washington Ter
ritory as ever. The only effect the vetoes have
had, or were designed to have, was to defeat
the brilliant project Of making the General
dorernment pay for reprinting old laws with
a..neW date ~
There it. is: plain, concise and to the
point There are the facts, which no ar
gument can refate, nor sophistry furnish
. shadow Of reason to rebut. The hope
kssness Of the task is admitted, when the
oeH Justification Of the attempted swindie
hAAssst FORTH:
Two years ago, the Legislature appointed
gentlemen learned 10 the law to revise the civil
and criminal code of the Territory. Having
rsgfcssed their laborious duties, they reported
ths respl, Of their labors a. the late session OF
nst boa! M
The iafereace here sought to be con.
yeyed y mot true. The commission neye,
ass never performed the duty assigned "a
shen, and i vas not until the Legislature
nst that Sam Coulter and a few Of biz