The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-12-25
THE STATE PRTyr,x,,

''oS~AoH Va OIate Printer at the
session OF the Iegisla-
ure is the immediate cause of the
discussion, but Il has brancbed off
INTO sort OF personal war between
The Commonwealth and the pres-
mt State Printer. In this quarrel
We propose to take no mart The
Commonwealth, started by the
former State Printer, s. s. Prouty,
Eve don't call him Col. because we
are not aware that he ever was one,
is supposed by many to be especial
ly interested in the election this
winter, and has received some
abuse on that's ccoant, notwithstand-
ing 1t has frequently stated that Il
had no candidate, but was only
anxious for the election OF a good
Republican. We propose to take Il
at Its word in this matter. and can
see no use in denouncing it for ex-
pressing its opinions in the direc-
ton 1t has. Mr.. Martin, the present
Printer, published q long article in |
his last paper, the Junction City
Union, in which he uses rather
strong expressions toward the Com
monwealth and Mr.. Prouty, charg-
ing corruption. To this Mr.. Prouty
replies in a card in Tuesdays' Com
monwealth, giving the cost of the
printing under his four years. ad-
ministration, and denying that there
was any corruption. The figures
are taken from the auditors' reports.
1t Is charged that Martins bills for
printing last year will be $1,000
more than Mr.. Prouty ever received
in one year. This might be ac-
counted for on the ground that the
legislature ordered more work last
year than ever before. Martin
shows by figures that the bills for
the same work under his admins
traiion are smaller than under
Prouty's. But, as we said, we do
not propose to engage in the quar-
rel between these parties, and al
together, can discover no reason
for tearing our hair. We don't care
who Is elected State Printer, so he is
qualified and is a good Republican.
To our notion George Martin fills
these requirements. The only OBJ
jections we ever had to him was
that we have always understood he
"pnt up" a little combination by
which a Democrat, who had no
show OF election, was given the
state binding, q very fat thing, and
. one horse evening paper at Leav-
enworth without circulation, char
acter or influence, whose proprietor
had the "cheek" to be a candidate
two years ago, secured some sort OF
an interest in the state work, pro-
vided he would withdraw in Mar
tins favor. Had we n vote Mr..
Martin could get II, provided he
ran under proper circumstances
With a Democrat hilched on TO ono
side and sort of q professional
buzZard on the other we would moi
be for him.
The main point in this whole bus.
mess, though, is the Interests of the
state. This State Printing burden
is costly. 1t has run up from S25
600 in 1870 to $50, 900 and over thii
year, a ratio of increase which i.
anything but pleasant for the con
temptation of tax payers. After al
ia said, II is not the State Printer
that is to blame for the annual ex
penditures for printing. He only
prints what is ordered by the legis
lature and State officers. We do no
hesitate to say that we believe, from
our observation that $4,000 to $25,
600 would pay for all the State
printing that is necessary to be
done. Year after year this thing
and that has had report of humid
reds of pages to print. Through the
system of lobbying employed, the
printing has been saddled onto the
State. $1,000 to $1,000 at a lick for
printing worthless documents is 8
mere trifie In the mind of the aver.
age legislator, and there is where
the trouble comes. Even in the old
and prosperous State of Indiana
where the printing bill ran up to
the neighborhood of $4,000, the leg
islature Investigated and found, we
believe $4,000 steal, and if we
remember the printer was sent to
the penitentiary. So far as the sub
Ject has been Investigated in Kan
sas by legislative authority we be-
lieVe no corruption has been found
II the members would investigate
they would find that tens of thous-
ands of dollars have been squand-
cred on the printing of useless doc
uments. There 10 where the mon
ey goes. Hundreds of foolish leg
islative bills arc printed every win
ter that are not even looked at after
they come from the printer.
Now a word as TO the law under
which the printing is done. 1t was
passed in 1869. Mr.. Auditor Wild
er says It was passed in the inter-
est of the "ring," aud not for the
people, or something to that effect.
In this he is much mistaken, to put
Dor was put upon that bill. One of
the members OF the committee was
the late Hon. II. &. Hawkins, of
DOniphan county. We claim to
have done our duty honestly and
conscientiously TO the state in that
matter. We believe every other
member of the committee did the
same. In the House the bill was
fought item by item by Col. Blood,
of Lawrence, and other able and
honest men. In fixing the prices
for the work and other regulations,
all the laws of other states that
could be had, as we'll as price
lists from leading printing Offices,
were brought to the aid of the COM
mittee. But times have changed
since that bill was passed. The
prices of labor and material have
decreased. The bill ought to be
amended. 1t was not expected at
the time of its passage that it was
without faults. Its practical work
ings, indeed, have been better than
was anticipated, because it inaugu-
rated a new system. We trust the