Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-02-06
" The Public Printing"

Under this! head the Daily SsE'rentn!
Herald oil the 25th instant indulges in
numbered e3pletives, because a few Dem
ocratic newspapers have received SOM
benefit from the State printing; and init
mates that only Republican, papers shoult
receive this patronage. We would asl
the Herald several questions upon this
point, not that we are personally interest
ed in the printing Of the lava Of the State
or care in the least who may publish them
If that patronage is to be a mess Of pot
tage for which one must sacrifice principle
90 secure, We are ready to bid the tempter
"Get thee hence, Satan" We are moi
ready to prostitute the press for the sake
of individual profit.
.In.the first place, has the Republican
party any right to monopolize this patron
age? II the laws are printed at all, is it
for the benefit of newspapers, or for the
information of the people? If for the
benefit of the peopls-not of Richiand
County only-but the people Of the State,
how many of our citizens would ever see
The laws if they are only published In Re-
publican newspapers? Asswe understand
It, the Legislature in Columbia pretends
to legislate for the whole State. The &C.
lions Of thatbody bear with equal force
upon all. irrespective Of party creeds. The
members Of that body claim to represent
NE peop1c-not the whites, nor the blacks
but the people Of South Carolina. For
them they legislate; and among other acts
it was made a.law that the acts of the
General Assembly should be published for.
the benefit Of the people. Will the Her,
aid tell us by what authority this patron
age can be given exclusively. to Republi-
can papers? How many people Of the
State would be benefited BY anything that
appears only in its columns? We claim
that if the law authorizes it, the laws
should be published in every county; and
more. that if published for the benefit of
the citizens Of one county, the citizens of
every county are entitled to the same
consideration.
In the second place.. who pays the tax
out Of which appropriations are made to
pay printing bills, as we'll as other ex-
penses? If Republicans do all this, we
have nothing more to say. But if upon
Democratic shoulders rests the greater
part Of the burden of tayation-if Demo
Gratis furnish themoney that runs the State
government, We cannot but wonder at the
HerGlGs unblushmg effrontery. Demo-
Gratis must be taxed for the sole benefit of
Republican newspapers! Of course, the
Herald is to be one Of the favored few
it sprang up just in time. If "it is the
right Of the poor Republican laborer," to
know whether or not Democratic newspa-
pers receive any Of this patronage, as our
greedy contemporary asserts. tits certainly
the right of those who pay the taxes to
know what becomes of their money. If
they are required to pay for the printing
OF the laws, they should demand that they
be printed at home-not in England, or
Columbia-but in their own counties.
The Herald wishes some information,
and asks this question How much has
been received by Democratic, and how
much by Republican newspapers? On
this poimt lei as hare tie tlcts." Well
we cannot answer for the whole State, but
SO i;ir As We kllew, the Herald shall be in
formed we know that one Republican
proprietor did receive thirty
ccnts per liac Jor &ate printing. 10 tie |
amount totnl Of sirtcc'. thousand doNprs:
and we never have known Democratic
paper to receive more than IRE cents per-
line. This is ali we. ran say upon the sub
jet, :rcm' our own xnovejSe; and VT
nope these iacts may be OF some assistance
10 the ItTaht In approxip,atihg the dif-
ferrnt amounts received by Democratic
and l;epablicaQ newspapers.-Marlboro
Tires.