New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-18
Auditor Clinton vs.. the Country News
papers.
STATE AUDITORS OPYIcR.
New Orleans La, March l6, 1874. )

SIR-My recent note to Governor Kellogg.
in regard to printing the laws in some forty or
more country journals (which found its way
into the newspapers without my knowledge
or consent), seems to have served you as the
basis of a communication to the REPUB-
LICAN, devoted partly to personal criticism
and mysterious threats, and partly to
dissertation on the subject of public print
ing. In the former particulars, l do not
think it is OF sufficient interest or impor-
lance to warrant departure from my usual
custom of silence in such cases; but the
latter feature l propose to notice briefly,
since you have challenged public attention
to the subject, and have omitted to state
some important facts which, in justice to
the people, think should be more widely
known.
Since have occupied the position of Au-
ditor it has been my constant desire and
endeavor to restore our disordered State
finances to healthy condition, first by
bringing our expenditures within our in
come, and second, to reduce the debt to
point where it could be provided for with
out utter exhaustion of our resources. l
had reason to believe that you, as editor OF
Republican journal, and especially as
State Senator, would earnestly assist in
achieving so desirable a result. But in this,
as in some other cases which once cOnsid-
cred hopeful, l have been sadly disap.
pointed. You have used your position IN
the Senate to procure for yourself the
printing OF. the House journals in your paper,
at an expense of some $4,000 or $4,000,
we'll knowing that the benefit thereof &C
crued solely u yourself, the work to be
| done being Of no earthly use or advantage
to the State, either directly or indirectly.
In addition to this. you had suadry ap-
preparations made for yourself-amounting
| to six or seven thousand dOllars-tor old
| printing bills, the greater part If not all OF
which was, in my judgment, ''gratuity."
You are now unwilling to desist from
printing the laws of the late session, being
we'll aware that such work is neither neces-
sary nor valuable to the State, and is bene-
fetal to you alone.
1t is not great stretch Of imagination to
suppose that while you were having these
gratuities voted to yourself, you we're
placed under some obligations to assist
other members to help themselves in like
manner. This effect is apparent, among
other things. in the number of heavy bills
already presented for payment for useless
and worthless publications of the House
journal. / hold it to be a gross VIC
lation of trust for members of the
l h1yy fn
own pockets the peoples money with
out consideration, or to possess themselves
of doubtful claims against the State with a
view to favorable legislation thereon to
their own enrichment; yet many members
of both houses of the General Assembly
who avowed themselves in favor of economy
and reform were guilty OF one or both these
things at the last session. Such conduct
ought to consign the doors, OF whatever
party, to contempt and oblivion, and
trust the time is not SO far distant when
Louisiana Republicans will cease to return
members who use their positions solely to
Elk things" as they say, to their own ad
vantage, and to the detriment of the State
l oppose these unnecessary expenses 70,
printing on the ground that it Is bad faith
to our creditors, as well as to the people
While we are asking our creditors to dis
count $4,000, 900 of their obligations, every
dollar that is corruptly or carelessly given
away for purposes not necessary to main
tain the State government is a morally
criminal transportation of funds. 1t is
Just possible to 60 through with the veal
before us and pay with the revenue received
the necessary expenses of the State govern
ment. The printing contracts now out will
unless Cancelled, require more than $lOOOOO
l could see no way to provide for such
debt, and felt obliged to request
the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and
Speaker of the House, who constitute the
printing commission to relieve US from 1t.
do not agree with you that this involves
the destruction of the country Republican
press. Those papers have the other State
printing and all parochal, municipal and
judicial printing and advertising, and they
must bs seriously lacking in ability and en-.
terprise if they can not sustain themselves
with such help. But the truth is a large
number of them are not newspaper in any
just or proper sense of the word. They are
mere machines through which to draw ap'
preparations from the State, and if a CON
siderable number Of them should expire
the loss to the State and the party would
not, in my judgment, be irreparable.
CHARLES CLINTON, Auditor.