The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-04
DISGUSTING.

UISGUbTlNu,
We confess that we were unprepared for
the furious outburst of rage, idocy and indie
cency In which the IicdWN,e INDUCED yester
day morning over its failure to secure the
city printing There was scarcely any diff
ference in tho bids of the several papers, and
under any one of them tho city would have
Its printing done for at least five thousand
dollars per annum less than its actual value.
The DEMOCRATS bid was slightly in excess Of
those Of the Times and Picay.ne, while the
CITY Hems bid was little less, and the lowest
made. II justice to the taxpayers re-
quired that this contract should be
given to the lowest bidder, then by
all means the City Item was enti-
tied to 1t. 1t is oil baIderdash and con-
temptible meanness on the part OF the other
papers to say that the Item could not carry
the printing. The Item is managed by one Of
the Oldest and most experienced newspaper
| men In New Orleans, he certainly knew what
he was doing, and there is no doubt that he
| could have given the bond just az readily as
/ any of the other papers. IF, upon the other
hand, there was no public interest to be
served by adhering strictly TO the lowest bid
among those offered, the Council had per-
| feet right to exercise their Judgment as to
| which was the best bid offered. It seems
| they thought, with the great majority Of
| the people Of the State and city. that the
character. standing and antecedents Of
the DEMOCRAT entitled It to recognition
| as the representative paper of the city and
| thinking thus. they exercised their discretion
;t.,I IA,
journal
Under the DEMOCRATS bid the printing
| ought probably to cost the city from $50
| to $3.50 more than ii would cost under the
Ptcayune's bid: but still, from $4,000 to
| $4,000 lesa than its actual worth. But it
| ID not certain that under our bid it will
cost the city ono cent more than it would
| have cost had the PIC. got it on its
| bid. The eagernesa and ferocity with which
| that "old and respectable" sheet fought for
The contract indicates that II expected to make
something out Of 1t, and the Picoyune's char
| acter is not 50 high as to render tho surmise
| unnatural that it expected to take advantage
Of the Councils ignorance of the printing
| business TO finger little profit out Of most
Improbable contract
The hcdvnne has never been known to
| exhibit any temper over anything except n
business contract. nor to display much anxiety
| about the dear taxpayers except in cases
where the Pic failed to get a job. Not the old
est inhabitant can remember Of that venera-
Bile conservatv esheet ever before displaying
its teeth in the manner 1t did when the DEMO
GRAFT received the State printing, and again
yesterday when the Council gave us, unso-
lieitcd, the city printing. Warmoth and KEEL
logg plundercd the taxpayers of Louisiana
Of millions; regiments of political ad-
venturels and rascals swarmed in our
parishes; rings were organized; nfbnopolies
sprang into life; the liberties of the people
were tramped upon: the laws gave way to
the will of the usurper, the spectator and the
oppressor. but during all that time no such
protest came from the Pieavue as that it
hurled against the Printing Board when IL
elected the DEMOCRAT to do the State print
ing, and no such fury was manifested by It MS
that it displayed yesterday over the fact that
Democratic City Council had awarded the
DEMOCRAT the contract to do the city printing
on terms that may cost the city 5000 more
than the Picnyetnc wanted to do tho work for.
And such is the patriotism of the Picayune:
such is its solicitude for the taxpayers. That
poor little miserable two hundred dollars
looks more gigantic to Its bleared and eager
eyes-seems more enormous to its itching
palm-than the hundred millions Of which
the State was robbed when, crawling and
cringing in the filth of what 1t terms con-
servatism, the PicnWme dared not utter a
manly protest.
Out upon such solicitude for the public
INTEREST," The judgment of no such sheet will
affect the quietude Of the gentlemen who
voted In the Council to give the city printing
to the DEMOCRAT, who, in our darkest days.
never faltered In the fight, and who were
among the foremost men in the great final
struggle which redeemed Louisiana.
So far as the city printing is concerned, we
do not care the snap of our fingers for it. If
Mayor Pilsbury chooses to veto the action OF
the Council, he is welcome to do so; and we
want to say to him right here, publicly, that
If he does so it will not in the least
alter our relations to him, and that
his adverse action will not create in our
hearts a ripple of disappointment At the
same time we must say that we are proud of
the compliment that was paid the DEMOCRAT,
when five of the Administrators out OF the six |
present voted to give us this contract, though |
we were not contending for it. We thank them
for their recognition of the DEMOCRAT as the |
friend Of the people. With that compliment |
we are entirely satisfied, and we now ask |
those gentlemen to accept any action our
worthy Mayor may deem proper to pursue |
If he vetoes their action we beg that they |
will throw this miserable bone to the hungry |
whining dogs who are snarling at their
action and yelping for some sort of public |
patronage.
THREE CHEERS FOR CADDO!