Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-04-01
THE PUBLIC PRINTING.
Speech EX-SENATOR Grantham,

the following resolution
Resoloed, That the Senate Committee on
printing be directed to examine the vouchers
| OF the Public Printer, aud ascertain if the
charges correspond with the agreement be-
tween the Committee and Printer, aud report
to the Sensts
Senator Grantnam then said
Mr.. President: l offer this resolution az
the basis of few remarks which I wish to
submit and crave Tor short tune the atten-
ton of the Hon. Senators.
| 1t will be remembered that while mem,
| Der of tire House of Delegates l was, much
| against my expressed INCLINATION and wishes,
appointed by the Hon. Senator, from Ka>
nawha, (then Speaker Of the Housed more
than one year ago, one of committee to in
vestigate charges made against the Public
Printer, and also the vouchers, of his prede>
cessor. We were instructed to report TO the
present session all over-charges, if any. In
| May last in connection with my colleagues
of the committee. the investigation was COM
menced. Hon. I. j. West, OF Harrison, did
not make his appearance until some days after
the committee had convened. After sitting
| for some time, the committee for reasons set
forth in its report, took a recess to meet at
Berkeley Springs, in the county of Morgan,
in August. Hon. Z. J West not appearing,
| although frequently notified. Neither did he
| again appear suppose for reasons satisfactory
to himself; on adjournment in August it was
| resolved to meet at the Capital to conclude
the Investigation. in order to afford the Pub
lie Printer fair opportunity to examine the
testimony and produce such testimony as he
might deem necessary and proper in his vim
dicatlon, and also to give him chance to take
Legitimate exception to evidence adduced BY
the committee.
When the committee was at the Capital
MIR. Walker appeared by Counsel and re.
quested continuance until the first of De-
cember. This the Committee was unable to
grant, as their time members of the Legis
lature expired on the first of November, and
| they so informed Mr.. Walker. He replied
by saying in substance, that our time had ex
| PRED on the 22d of August. and that we we're
only pretended COMMITTEE, had no right to
| proceed with the investigations, and that he
should pay no further attention to us 1t may
be well to say that while at the Capital 10
| May the Committee sat in the hall of the
House OF Delegates, with open doors. and any
person could have been present who desired
to do 80. In October it sat in the room adj
| joining the Hall, the room known as the room
OF the Sergeant, at arms, with open DOORS
The report was made to the present House
| of Delegates, and from that time to the pres
cnt have been the subject of attacks from
members of the other House charged With
making partial aud false report of making
partisan crusade against the Public Printer,
aud in favor of the Executive and many
other things equally villainous bur too motto,
rious to need repetition In brief, war to the
knife, was declared; the gauntlet thrown
down.
N"w, Mr. President, although have kent
my lips closed the time has come when duty
to the people AZ we'll myself, forbids me
longer to be silent. | now take up the gaunt
let: and say in addition, # It is '.war to the
ku!te, let it be the knife to the hilt" I
entered upon the investigation hoping and be
Iieviug tina; all that had been charged was
false but when I found it otherwise, what
WAS my duty? To throw over i, the filmy
veil oc deception or to tear the mask from
the hideons creature regardless of personal or
party predictions! In the performance OF
my sworn duties I chose the latter, aud re-
ported the TRUTH, as near as could arrive
at it by the evidence before the Committee
Having made our report it wond be super
| t!nous to direct more particular attention
thereto, further than referring tn charges for
House Journal, 1871, letter hend- furnished
the Senate and Convention, and the Auditors
report. 1871
Am |. Mr.. President to 90 before my con-
stituents with this journal and tell them that
II cost etecea dollars per copy, and swear that
that is just aud equitable price that no
fraud has been committed :? Why sir, the
merest school boy wonid laugh me to soorn.
and derde my judgment: book that can be
purchased anywhere-that is. one containing
as much reading matter-for two or at the
very highest. So, fact which every one
knows. Am l to tell them that letter paper.
Weighing ten or twelve pounds per ream with
printed heads. is worth S14 per ream, when
half that sum would be large price? And
tell them that the Auditors report.-36OO
copies-contains double the number Of tokens
of press york that it does in fact? And if
do not do this am | to be characterized as
week kneed Democrat, or excused upon the
ground that have been misled and induced
to make false report by designing man?
Sir, spurn such proffe-s. aud am not willing
that the crimes of others, should be covered
up by accepting the mantle of charity for
myself. l heard the evidence. judged for
myself aud am responsible for it. as are tho
lions John d. Lewis. and W. G Barclay,
whose honesty and uprightness, like the vir,
tue OF Caesars wife. are above rcproach and
the "designino man as ho is termed was
disposed at all times to be at least as honest
as any other member of the COMMITTEES.
1t appears also from the report that the
Printer who furnished additional copies of the
daily Convention Journal to the Senate and
House, charged each body with the oompo>
sIton. when really the type was set bu. once
The Committee allowed this, though all agreed
that the charge was not properly made, but
technically he possibly. was justified by the
usage OF the craft. And so all the wuy
through.
The Code says: The book printing shall
be done, or estimated, as octave Now by
reference to tho House Journal of 1872, it
Will be seen that it contains nearly double as
many signatures as that of 1871, although
much smaller book. The signatures are marks