The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1877-11-26
THE PRINTING BOARD,


We have read, very attentively, the discus
sion which took place in the Printing Boar,
Saturday, reported in the city papers yester
day morning. The views expressed by tn.
several members of the Board, though differ
ing In some respects, do not exhibit q diver
gence SO great as to imperil unanimous apt
satisfactory final action. The gentlemen
who compose the Board possess to the fullest
extent the confidence and respect of the peo.
pie. and we have no doubt that the public
will approve the motive of any action they
may deem proper to take.
The discussion throughout evinced deter.
mination on the part of the members to serve
the best interest of the State under the law,
and though interested parties, we take this
occasion to say that whatever course the
Board alladopt for the disposal Of the print
ing contract, we shall cheerfully acauesce in
its action. We are not of those who believe that
any official, or any class of men, are too high
or pure to provoke criticism of, or even ami
madversion upon, their public acts; but it
seems to us that it would be 80 impossible to
wiring from the present Printing Board
corrupt or Intentionally wrongful act, that
our belief that they will discharge their duty
in the public interest and to the satisfaction
of the people.
Two of our contemporaries, eager to obtain
this contract, have thought it proper to at
tempt to bulldoze the Board into the adoption
OF their construction of the law and their
views as to how the contract should be dis
posed Of. We have been, indeed, quite aston
ished at the vehemence with which these
journals have attacked the motives, views
and purposes of the members of the
Board. If Kellogg, Antoine and clique of
Radical senators and representatives had COM
posed the Board, the Times and Picawt,e
would not have manifested a greater jealousy
Of their proceedings or graver apprehen-
sion that the public interest would be subor- |
dinated to personal or partisan considerations. |
Nay! we do not remember, nor does the "old- |
est inhabitant," that either of those virtuous |
Ind patriotic sheets ever, in the palmiest days
of the Usurpation, expressed in such vigorous
anguage such damaging suspicious of the
Radical officials as they have seen proper to
express Of the present Governor. Lieutenant
Governor and their Democratic associates on
he Printing Board
This, it occurs to u.s. is unseemly and inde-
ent II the gentlemen Of that Board cannot
e safely trusted to dispose of thirty
housand dollar printing contract, we have
title to be thankful for in the change from
sadicalism to Democracy. When Messrs
Iicholls, Wilt and Bush and their associates
etray the people and stain their hands by
ishonestly disposing of this or any other
ontract, it will be time enough to at.
ack them. But until they. exhibit them
elves In the role Of petty rogues, 1t seems to
8 that the people of Louisiana may safely
,ly on their honor, and that it should bel
le pride Of the people of Louisiana to trust
lem, and of the State press to uphold the fair
lme for honor and integrity they have won
the whole country. Indeed, we
ave seen nothing in public affairs which has
, disgusted us as the reckless suspicious the
fcaylne, especially, has expressed Of the
rinting Board in its puerile effort to bully
s members into subscribing its interests.
What action the Printing Board will finally
IKE we cannot say; how the several papers
hich are candidates for the contract stand
18th the Board we do not know. The Pic
yasee and Times, however, seem to entertain
very firm belief that il they go before that I
oard on an even footing with the DEMOCRAT
ley will be badly beaten. They seem to
ink and believe that every proposition to
le effect that the Board shall exercise q dis
etionary po,cer is a direct proposition to
We the contract to the DEMOCRAT and to de-
at them. They are moving upon the belief q
at they have chance to obtain the print 4
& only when the Board shall surrender all b
secretion and offer it to the lowest bidder. n
,rhaps they are right; we think it is proba- 81
Q they are right. But there could be no
ore crushing commentary upon the manner L
which they have served, or rather be-
aged the people, than that, with their
pital and age, they dare not go before the
hitting Board on an equal footing with the
and that they regard any meth
of disposing of the printing contract
hich gives the Board discretion as q meth
favorable to the DEMOCRAT alone.