The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-10-30
i. s. .yC.
Thur.asy .4erning, netoDer 50. 1878.
an Omoial Nswspaper..


tho General Assembly. of last Monday,
we read that ''Mr. Swails gave notice OF
the introduction of bill to proyide.for
the establishment of an official news.
paper in the State" It is not violent
supposition that the official newspaper
which it is proposed 'to provide for,
will be in some respect, in its means Of
support or otherwise, placed on differ
ent basis from that now occupied by the
Republican Journals OF the State, all OF
which are s'off1cial, "imore or less. The
County newspapor organs publish On
ACT requiring the designation of certain
newspapers to publish legal notices. &c. i,
as their warrant. When 80 designated,
they proclaim themselves the official
organs Of their Counties. We turn to
our amiRble neighbor, the onion. Herald,
and Ands flying from its peak the an
nouncement IN capitals of its status,
thus: "Ofioial Paper OF the United
States;" "Ofioial Paper of the State;"
"Oficial Paper of Riohland County"
This would seem to be sufficiently Of
foial. The lines which assert it are not
hid in corner. They are conspicuous,
and may be read from afar. AS they
stare us in the face, Nc arc rc. 70 our
trumrs to DISCOVER what is the exact
purport OF Dir. Swails' little bill. It is
either useless repetition. or it means
something, to the effect that no existing
ofioial Newspaper for the State is of
fcial enough. A further scrutiny OF it's
language gives us q glimpse OF its mean
ing. It is to prouidet for tho establishment
OF an official newspaper. Is its purpose
to do for it what subscribers, advertisers,
and those who order job work, do for
other Offices? Newspapers advertise
tor one GLASS, print books, pam.
phlets. bill heads, &c.. aud do rail
road work for another, and furnish
reading matter and comment upon the
events Of the day, for all who choose to
subscribe and pay for it. Thus are they
supported. These are their legitimate
means of living. When legislator
brings forward such bill as Mr.. Swails',
he nust mean to place the official organ
for which he is providing upon differ.
ent basis, as to support. from that we
have mentioned as common and we'll
understood. he can scarcely intend,
by any legislative action. to add any
thing, to,its business of job work. adj
vertising or circulation. The newspa-
psrs already existing and already official,
already have all the printing tie State
has to bestow firmly secured to them.
Let Us glance at the Aot of the Legisla-
ture in 1870 upon this subject Under
It, it is made the duty Of the Attorney
General, the Comptroller General and
the Secretary of State, conformity to
designate. by public notice. one or m orc
newspapers in'this State, in which all
legal notices, advertisements or publ.
cations torthe State of any and every
character required by law to bo made
public, shall be published. State and
County officers and other persons are
required to furnish to newspapers Sc
designated, for the State and the Coun
ties, all legal notices for publication in
them. 1t is provided that no legal no.
tico shall have any valid force or eject,
unless published in the designated jour
nails; and no publication OF any charac-
ter. if printed in any newspaper not so
designated, shall be paid for from tho
funds of the State or Of any County.
We should have thought that th ESQ
provisions would have sufficed to make
these journals, State and County, all
official. But something. VIZ suppose,
now is lacking. and Mr. SwaiIs comes
forward with his measure to supply it.
Does it mean to make payment direct
ly to the State organ, as to salared
officer, or to give it occasional timely
lifts, when hard up? II VIC are not
amiss &c our reckoning, we have here
outlined a'little plan which will call for
considerable sum Of money from the
State treasury to carry it out. Then We
shall have an ofaeia! organ. running
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