New-York tribune., 1872-03-14
WR. MONTlNYES MISTAKE.

Mr.. Isaac " Montanye IL n printer Dy trane'
residing Mt MiddlctOwn, Orange County, where
we believe he edits Democratic newspaper.
lie was "A member of our last years Assembly,
and, being printer, was made Chairman oi
its Committee on Printing. Whether because
he proved plastic and convenient or simply
from an impulse Of disinterested benev0lence
we will not say, but Mr.. NJ. admits that he re-
cciyed n present of $500 from Mr.. Parsons on
behalf of Weed. Parsons a. Co. (ncarly iden-
teal with The Ereping Journoi) and another
$500 from Mr.. Manning of The Albany Argus
This Che testifies) was all he received "in that
"shape :" but he sometimes saw books on
"the shelf that wanted to send to my con-
"stituents,n and the Obiging Mr.. Parsons
told mm to take them in welcome. This, how
ever, he thinks, did not amount to much.
The cash was the main thing.
Mr.. Montanye was not so ready to tell OF his
$500 from The Argus Office, experimenting eve
presume) that this might scandalizc the Demo-
cratic organ if not the Democratic party. He
didn't take this $500 during the session, but
a fer it, Yet 80 shy of publicity, he "neyer
supposed there was anything wrong in the
"transaction; had glcat deal OF running to
"dO, after session hours, while other members
"were enjoying slcigh-ridc;; did not lG5k on
"it as a bribc; it was for extra labOr-w0ik
"done after hours"
Then why did MT Mr. VI. excuse himself,
when invited to sleigh-ridcS, by frankly stating
that he must stay at home and work TO earn
$500 from each of the Albany newspaper con-
Germs that did printing for the Legislature
Was the laborer ashamed Of his work or his
wages
Mr.. Montanyos capital error was his failure
TO realize that he was the trusted agent of Tie
state, and not of Ethc jobbers of its printing
" 40 man can serve two masters :" especially
if one of them be intent on gouging and skin
Ming the othcr and Mr. NJ, if he saw fit to
enter the service of The Journal and The Argus
should have resigned his seat in the Assembly.
But that, you see, would have disabled him for
earning the two a5OOs He was worth so much
to the jobbcrs, precisely because he was pre-
smed by the State to he looking after its inter
est and taking care that they did Mt clutch
more than they were entitled to. Yet, if no were
thus faithful to his trust, how could he earn
the two SjG0s I
As to his having running TO do and al that
Mr. NJ. could not he ignorant that the Assem-
bly-clamber was fairly crowded with meSsen-
gers. pages, &c, who were paid for that very
work. And the printing jobbers were ready
enough to send to him if he had not chosen
TO "rrnr for them At all events, Mr.. NJ. should
have looked to tie State alone for his pay,
whether for regular or for extra services. 1t
will not answer to take pay on both sides.
Mr. MontGnye reports Mir. Parsons as telling
him that che [Parsonsl had been IN the habit
." of giving the Chairman of the Committee
"on Printing something for his extra labors.'
We trust this will prove a mistake. Mr. Ter
wiiliger told the Senate Committee that his
twenty per cent. was likewise habit" but
his predecessor. Mr.. Samuel 7. Allen, cx-
pressly contradicfs this. If such habits are
in vogue ut Albany, they must be broken up
before they become inyeterate; if the recent
practice has not (as we trus) become "habit,"
we must take care that it never shall. VIII
the Printing Committee examine Messrs. Ter
wiIhgcr, Parsons, Manning, &C., on this matter
,f b.Iit ~