The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-06-24
A REPAST ON THE GROUND.

taken In reachfnR THIS point Is 70 par |
alyze Radical power and defeat Radi-
cal measures.
OF these measures one of the most
powerful in this State is the existing
statute relative to public printing.
This statute was avowedly framed and
enacted to break down Democratic pa
pers and to establish Radical organs in
the State. "IIere stands the incendia-
of Louisiana!' said Senator Ray,
sounding the keynote for his col
leagues, when that infamous bill was
was under discussion.
This law is not only political thumb
screw, but it is likewise odiOus as an
understandable, indefensible and UNI
paralleled monopoly, which discrimi-
mates between mechanics and general
ly in favor of the meaner, and robs,
too, the people of clear right to have
their work done wherever and by
whomsoever they prefer.
In the face of these irrefutable prop
ositions, the Morehouse Conservative
sets up a whine that because we have
taken it to task, by legitimate and fair
deductions, for soliciting and receiving
printing appointment, we have done
something unwarrantable and that
justifies its "contempt." We should
be sorry to incur Bro. Daves's contempt,
if we cared anything for 1t; but we tell
him candidly that we care nothing
whatever for his opinions, good or bad.
If he desires a personal controversy, he
can have it to repletion. What we
have desired is to investigate his po-
litical orthodoxy as Southern man,
and we are not likely to be driven from
sue may be raised meanwhile.
Now we give the Conservative, as
we have done once before, the benefit
of its own explanation, in full, of it's
position as an official journal. Refer
ring to a paragraph which we repub-
lished at the time, the Conservative
says:
We gave an account of the strong
reasons urged and influences brought
to bear by lawyers, judges and leading
men, before we would even make an
application. It was shown that the
necessity for the appointment did not
exist until the amendment to the print
ing bill left it optional with parties con-
trolling legal notices and Sherif7s sales
to post, instead of publishing through
our columns; that up to that time oars
was the official journal as much as now.
When this amendment came into oper-
alton, then it was necessary to have
special appointment. The application
| was made, and obtained the appoint
ment without the least trouble, and
aoithoot bargain, contract direct OF, h,di-
rest. All this we in effect said months
since.
PLANTATION of plain matter Of fact end
of law than H." shc;v;92, we have seldom
Id1sa9ss. 1t would appear that there was
an actual public and legal necessity for
the appointment Of an official paper in
Morehouse. No such necessity has
ever existed in that or any other par
ish. The necessity which did exist
was on the part of the Conservative
Il necessity, which legalized, would
compel legal advertisers to publish
their advertisements in that paper, and
that is all. Without such an appoint
ment the advertisements might be
written and posted. Don't you see?
"The application was made, and OBJ
tanned the appointment without the
least trouble, and without bargain con-
tract, direct or indirect" What trouble
any ..application" could have in obtain
ing an appointment, we confess we
cannot see. Ethics has not shown how
an application can be troubled ut all.
What manner of contract "bareain
contract" possible to be made by an
"application," is, we are equally at a
loss to conjecture. In fact, what mean
ing to attach to this sentence, inter-
preted according to the rules of gram
termine.
But we are willing Bro. Dawes may
have his disclaimer taken as full abso-
luton, as far as words may possibly go.
Then let him account for his appoint
ment to benefits under a law which was
avowedly enacted to break down DEM
ocratic papers and build up Radical
papers. How came he SO popular with
the Radicals? How came him to pos
sess their confidence: What, in their
eyes, made him worthy of n especial
appointment? These are questions