The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-31
TIN NEW ORLEANS DEAEOORAT, TUESDAY DEoEMBER 81 Is

the decision Of the proprietors Of the DEMO
J GRAFT was made. The resolutions weres di.
rectly aimed at their associate, the State
Printer. They covered and Endorsed every
charge that the hired tools and seribblers d
the Louisiana Lottery Company had been for
weeks and months making through anony-
nous and irresponsible communications TO the
city press. We had failed, either through de.
nunciation or specific demands. TO obtain the
name OF any person responsible for the charges.
The majority Of The Printing Board. how
ever, came boldly TO the front, and through
their resolutions gave the high Endorsement
Of their social and political positions TO the
charges the perjurer Green and other
anonymous scribblers had worked up and
put In shape. The Governor had declared,
after consultation with the members Of the
Printing Board In the city months previously,
that the board had no judicial powers. He
unequiv6cally stated that suchWas his opin-
ion, and on that ground wheel the report Of
the grand Jury was hanging over the State
Printer, the Printing Board virtually refused
him an opportunity TO vindlcate himself gave
him not even the poor courtesy OF a hearing.
l
tlons we find the Printing Board-a majority
Of it-exercIsing the highest judicial func-
tlons; declaring what is and what ID not the
printing law, and BY these judicial decisions
giving authority aud force TO the charges
made by grand jury on one-slded testimony
and taken up and widely circulated by
irresponsible parties, damaging In the highest
degree 10 public official and d gentleman
whose character has stood heretofore unim-
peached and spotless as theirs.
Immediately on the publication Of these
| resolutions, the determination OF the proprie-
tors Of the DEMOCRAT was taken. They re-
solved that their friend and associate. George
W. Dupre, the then State Printer, should bid
for the contract and secure II. II possible. at
any price. They were resolved that not until
he was vindlcated should the printing pass
out Of his hands. The charges against him
never obtained any weight until the Printing
Board virtually Endorsed and made them
their own, and they were determined that the
rulings OF the Board should be placed In their
proper light.
Mr.. Dupre obtained the contract under the
ruling and resolutions Of the board above
cited This Ia substantially the history of the
last printing contract. And how does II
work.
The Superintendent Of Public Education re-
Gently sent his report for 1878 to the State
Printer 10 be published. The State Printer
referred to act No. 49, OF 1877. TO the provis-
ions Of which the resolutions Of the Printing
Board. made specifically part Of his contract
strictly conflne him. In that act. section B.
the Printer found that oil officers Of the sew
eral departments Of the state, who, by eristing
ports 10 tho General Assembly, shall cause
the same TO be printed by the state Printer
for the use Of the Legislature" etc.
These are the exact words OF the act. The
Printer searched the other provisions OF the
act, to which no was confined by his contract
In vain for more specific authority on which to
proceed. The act, IL Is true, In plain terms re-
ferred him for specific instructions TO exist
ing laws" In brief, TO sections 1857 1865 1869.
26it, 26l2 and 1918 of the Revised Statutes
which give full and explicit instructions as to
the reports TO be printed and the number.
Obeying the direction OF act No. 40 of 1877 TO
print these reports according TO existing laws,
the Printer, In 1877, on the instructions of the
heads Of departments, promptly printed as
directed In these sections OF the statutes,
the number Of reports specified. Under his
present contract he was expressly prohibited
from consulting these provisions, and d.
rected to look to no law except act No. 40
Of 1877. Hence, when the Superintendent Of
Public Education pressed upon the State
Printer the grave Importance OF promptly
publishing his report, the State Printer
found 1t impossible to find any authority TO
print any number OF the reports.
In very able and ingenious letter which we
have printed, the Superintendent explained to
the Printer the number Of copies Of the report
which he 1.-THE Superintendent considered nee
essary, and urged the Printer to proceed with
the work. Very properly the Printer refused
to comply with the request until he should be |
ordered to do by a court OF law, under whose |
Judgment he could be protected. The Print |
Ing Board had stipulated In the contract that |
the Printer should obey In the discharge OF his |
duties no existing laws except act No. 40 Of 1877
q grand jury had made damaging report |
against him for obeying other existing and |
specific laws; the warrants he had received
for printing reports under existing laws
other than act No. 40 were enjoined, and, for
honestly, and conscientiously, and under in
structions Of the heads Of departments the
OF Education among them
printing specific numbers Of reports Of de-
Dartments under other existing laws, the
Governor, Speaker Of the House and two
Senator's, composing the Printing Board, had
virtually condemned him, and given the
weight OF their high positions to the
charges Of those who had been perse-
,uting him for months. Yet, In face of
,hese facts, the Superintendent Of Public Edu-
,ation proposed that the State Printer, thus
prosecuted and pecuniarlly dam
aged for acting under the instructions OF the
heads Of departments on clear and special
aw. should venture to run his presses, con-
sumo his materials and print number OF re-
aOrfc dictatod h1 thf,