The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-12-02

1914 VOL. mo. ZIG
| officers, attacheee, Ic., the only vonclc,
requisite would he duly certified list o
all persons who held these positions Th,
Comptrol'cr-Gc cneral having satisfied him.
.eif or thu correctness It the lists fnrni .ht d
by the oni c"rs OF the General lIApscmLIyubt]
tine authority Of law Tor their payn,cu,
Fould then draw Ills warrants upon the
treasurer for the proper sums of money
IN The payment OF contingent expenses
each branch ot .hc General Ass.mbl,
would. by committed or otherwise, make
slch Hudit ~ might Ee deemed necessar,
Ot sucE accounts and order their puymcut
The vouchers thus acc opted by tho Genera
assembly would tie sent to the Office OF tbt
ComPtro!ler-Gencral, and there rcmAi
forever cxposcd to the scrutinv of tho uub.
il", und payment would he made by III,
reasrrcr only on the warrant of the
Comptroiler-G General.
Let NO one imagine that l feel any Ills.
tru"i Of this General Assembly or OF il,
presiling officers, but know that nothing
Is no vital In such matters as n correct
svstem. wise laws arc expressions Of cor.
i"ct rules OF civil conduct The bcs,
guaranty against individual dishonesty in
financial transactions, is a system which
has no open doors to deception or fraud
Eigld cccHntabiiity and constant expos.
nre to putiicity, venture to pronounce
mo foremost requisites OF good system
"r thc aisbTunement or public funde.
i''nectiuliy and most earnestly urge i'm.
mediate attention to this subject. M.
tang can exceed it in Importance. Con.
sideration for tho publ, good demands
nuch action as will finally close the door.
TO recurrence or the reckless expendi.
lures which have attended our recent lcgi..
latlvc sessions.
/ recommend that your earliest atten
ton bc directed to the matter Of the puulic
printing. The system which has prevailed
ior the past three years is utterly incapa.
ole ol defence or excuse. The loosencss al
the system in theory is only egualled by itp
ten the Clcri. of tho Senate and the CLERK
OF the House Of Representatives we're en-.
powered to contract for the public printing
ana the drafts Or orders for the payment oi
printing expenses were made PAYABLE
upon the certificates Of those officers alone
out OF any moneys in tho treasury not
otherwise appropriated - No limit was
liked TO the amount for which the contra ct.
hhonld be made. Under tho system of
making general levy OF taxes. no specific
iunds IN the treasury at any specified time
were considered us specifically appropr,.
attd. The result was that under this I'VE
tenn II was in the power Of the clerks OF the
Two houseb to draw OIL account of pub il.
printing 10 an unlimited extent uJon th,
pubic funds, without reference to :hc krT-
hciency OF those funds to meet he demands
oi othCr appropriations. llurr J., cru,l,
howevnr, the General Assembly ha- made
definite appropriations foi yayrncnt ul
printing accOInts.
y few statistics will show !ow such n
j=yrtcni l..s rueClte3 in practice IIn. r"s,
oi the permanent andcnvIcni printing rom
lntS u ;Et present tiuc was iSi.. ia. -
lie cost Gf advertising the statutes, HAT
IS, or printing them in the newspaper. Tor
the same period. WAS S2il i9G -; making a
tn'a! cost 8! u iGi .G3 81. During he ,,u /
thrc" years the cost To the State nf per.Da-
ueut ahG crrrant printing was :1I:; -, 9n.
And the cost OF printing the laws in ncw.-
papcrs Tor the rnme period was STA, coz. Cti,
making u tutal cost To the State OF soiS .
G29si Dedncting from this last amoun;
such iicn1 O! printing as may be called tx-
traordinary. inc!n,lip,, the Republication of
certain volumes oi the Stat ut cs at Large, the
printing Of the Ku Klux trials, inning atinn
reports, tax duplicates und Supreme Court
decisions, amounting to 1915 0G0. there re.
III iine a= the cnrt nf printing for three wears
the sum ut Srl G23 S.i. nr MI average an
nua! cost OF tiSl 2O9 81 of.r no com.
nent on there statistics. The ONLY appro.
plate inquiry is. how shall euci. results bt
prevented hereafter? Ianswer. byextcrmi
mai ing the present system, roc and branch
ana substituting safe md tconomica .vr-
tenn. such eysttm can easily be pointed
ou.. Let advert .ernrlit hc made ltv ,r,i, +
DONG ihc necrssa!A pnhhc printing ~ AL
kinds Tor the S,ntr u. liked period spcri.
Tying the vArio,:- hi,,is ani AEln,,nis ni
printing fcVu,rt'!. ":iiI the "p,iun at nrdor.
ing more w"rk"t AN. specified kind 1T liked
rates AMI +, ln'r!IE lnitAble bond to ac
conipsny ca:n EIuprsal, tor the faithful
execution oi the work accur,lin. 10 the pr o.
poSais. Let there proposals bt presented
10 the General A-stEIhly anu the most adj.
vaIthStous one bt accepted. In this wa.
and secure All lnncs: and economical i,-
t.un (" All Act passed by the last Grn.raj
Assembly, entitled IAN Ac, 10 rrsu!a,cth,
public p-in'.nr. Ia be funnd al page 1U7
OF she Arisot 81, ~ This Act. iunbtlr.s.
w"nld have arc impl!shed q r:wii, rraii.:
II the iirst section. 1t ia evident that IN
siiH'e the amount o! work ttlnired 10 be-
done can never be estimated. IT the line.
referred 20 were e1punSed frum thi4 Act. II,
would serve AZ All illustration Of she s..-
tenn which have recommended.
cohsidcr the cost of advertising o,
r"printing the Acts ui the Genera! A.a.;..
bly, IN the newspapers OF the State II
"h"iiy unnecessary e1pebse, and r.com-
mend the total diecuntinuauce o. the prAr.
zee IL ANY lawr are enacted which il ir
i'na"rtan; should hr published at once L.,
tic !nformati"n "i tie people. it will be the
interest OF the newspapers to publish then,
rs matter OF public information. II lhi-
ID not done, number OF extra copies eau
be ordered by the General Assembly from
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