Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1874-01-29
THE PRINTING SWINDLE.

The Truth at LaSt-a Legislative Com
mittee give the FigureS-Printing bill
Multiplied by, ten-$l74,O0O Appro-
priatcd to pay for $4,000 worth Of
work.
In the Legislature, almost the only
topic for the past ten days, has been the
following report to the House:
Mr.. Bowley, from special committee,
submitted the following:
"The committee to whom was entrust-
ed the duty of investigating the charges
against the Republican Printing Com
pany of unjust and illegal discrimination
against coiored compositorS, in accord
ance with the following preamble and
resolution:
"WHEREAs, The constitution Of the
United States and of South Carolina
guarantees to all citizens, irrespective OF
race, color or previous condition Of servi
tude, equal rights and privileges; and
"WHEREAS, The Republican Printing
Company, although sustained by the
Republican party, has repeatedly refused
TO employ col)red compositors because
their white employees, being members of
the Typographical Union, dislike to work
in the same apartment with colored men,
and threatened, it alleged, to leave rath-
er than to do so; aud
"WuEREAs, BY their action in pan
dering to the prejudiceS Of their white
compositols, the said company violates
the constitution Of the United States aud
Of this State, aud disregarGs the priuci-
PIES, platform aud pledges Of the Repub-
licau party, and iutlicts upon the colorcd
compositorS OF the State fagrant wrong,
deserving OF ccnsure and rebuke; there
fore,
"RcSOlrGi, That a committee Of five
be al pointed b. the speaker to examine
into and ascertain the cause OF this un
Just discrimination and refusal to en-
pl Y cOlOrcd cUmpOsitOrS, and to recon-
mcnd some practical means to compel
The said company to give the co!orcd
compOSitorS of the State an equal OPP
pOrrunity with the white to obtain live
llh0Ud; and that the said committee re-
port 10 this House the names Of the po-
sous composing the satd Republican
Printing Company, beg leave to rcpot
That the foreman and jjourncymcn
printers employed 10y the Republican
PTnuUg Company are all white men;
that they belong TO the Typographical
Union, an international as ociation of
printers throughout Canada aud the
United States. BY the laws of this as.
sociation its members are forbidden to
work with printers " ho arc not members,
and p., d ed to strike or refusal to
work should such be employed in the
same Office with them. Each local Union
regulates the rules of admission Of its
IL ambcys-a given number OF back balls
or adverse votes preventing admission.
throughout the Southern States no col
Ored yr,Iiters are members Of this ASST
citation. The evidence before your com.
mitT,e was that il. New lolk AMI WASH
in .t;n cities no cclpred primers Were
members, but We have Siuce direct intur-
nation from Washington city that col
oYci men are there members.
The facts above stated show conc!u-
s;yriy thar under the present arrange
mcnt ior the plblic printing Of South
Cdranna c1,orcd men are practically AMI
ciuytua.ly lcbuTcd t:Om the privilege o.:
employment in that ariment OF the
State service. This distinction becomes
more odiou~ when viewed in the light Of
surrounding facts. When We consider
lnaj c"lOYcG mcn compose large major
ity Of the Republican party in South
Gar, linq; that the large sums Of money
which are annually voted to pay the
aims Of the Republican Printing Com
rsny, ami the preference given 10 ihoSr
curn,, are dependent upon the votes Of
coluicd Republican nauLers ofthe leg
s.ctue. and that the sfeSpC visibility of
thes large expenditures attaches main
IS to theni, the injustice is apparent. In
tbs connection, IL Is pertinent to review
the amounts which have been appropri-
ated from the puDiic treasury within the
last twelve months TO the Republican
Pinrng Co pany, and the mahner i'll
winch The cnp,ract for the public print