The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1878-02-07

y.
ronase is limited, and the busine0 is terribly
overdone. There are three q fosr pewsPspefs
in Counties or communities that cannot support
ons - 1t shosld be supported to mako IL proat-
able business. The County printing is an i'm
portant object to the best Of them, and is = help
that all are eager to secure. When papers boast
that they can got along without any County
printing, their sincerity may be estimated from
the fact whether they scramble and wrangle for
the printing or not.
A Kansas Legislature, some years ago, through
an experienced committee, some of whom were
practical priutess, but none Of when were in
terested in newspapers, adopted . scale Of fees
that newspapers should be entitled to for public
printing The committee made thorough in
vestigstion, and ascertsined what would be
fair compensation for public work. The figures
they arrived at, were very smlsr tO those adopt
ed by . majority of newspapers for ordinary ad-
vertising. This Law recognizes the right Of
printers to fair wages for their labor when they
work for the whole public, as well a. when they
work for individual members of the public. But
half -fedgsd printers, and men who are not print
err, have penetrated into every nook aud corner
of the State, filed with an ambition to run news
papers. They have no permanent interest in the
profession, or in the community, but are after
what they can pick up to exc ont an existence
until some other community offers an opening.
They look with longing eye upon the County
printing, and their souls are filed with jealousy
of those who happen to have the printing at q
fair price. If they cannot have it, they are de-
termiued to make it worthless to anybody else.
The result is, that every year, the dsmagogue
cry 10 resounded far aud wide, that the dear tax
payers are being imposed upon; that the news
papers are amassing wealth out Of the County
printing and that it should be let to the lowest
bidder, and thousands of dollars saved to the
people. Very few County Boards have the back
bone and the good sense to take su enlightened
business view of the matter, but think they are
serving the people by setting the printers to
cutting each others throats, thereby saving u
few dollars, aud having the County work botch-
ed. This class Of printers run down and ruin
their own business, and create the impression in
the public mind that printers charge exorbtant
prices, when not kept down by competition.
The County Board of Douiphau County is one Of
the few exceptions to the County Boards above
spoken Of, as the result shows.
thanks of all legitimate newspaper publishers,
for settling this vexed question in 50 clear and
concise manner as he has 1t will result in
securing something like justice to the hardest
worked aud poorest paid profession in the State,
aud will he welcome relief to County Boards
that were disposed to do tho fair thing, but were
intmdated by the clatter of irresponsible in
cOmpetents, concerning the interests of the dear
people, and false representation of economy.
Doniphan County has not been exempt from
this cut-throst practice. Nine years ago, last
November, the present edor of the Troy Bulletin
made his advent into this County. One of the
very first discoveries he made, was that there
was something wrong about County printing.
His bowels (and he has lots of them) all yearn-
ed for the dear people, and he demanded that
the printing be let to bids. Well, sealed pro-
posals were asked for, and three papers in the
County put in sealed Lids Tho sditor of the
Balletin, in ways almost as honorable as stealing,
found out what the figures Of his competitors
were, and, Of course, underbid them, getting the
work at less than half price. 1t was not very
profitable, and the next year, this man with the
bowels that ysarned for the poor taxpayers,
made proposition, the first of the kind that
was ever broacbed in the County. He feared
that the next bid would take prices down to
one-fourth or less, SO he proposed to the other
publishers that they refuse to bid, but lot the
work 70 to one and then another at full price,
and all divide the proceeds equally! Yes, be
wanted to save money for the poor taxpayers!
After that, for six years, the Bsltetis man
was out of the newspaper business. During that
time, be expressed to us, perhaps more than q
hundred times, that there was not . legitimate
living for more than one newspaper in Doniphan
County, and that printers ought not to cut under
legal prices for County printing As time pass
ed, he found that he was losing his grip, aud
felt that his political ambition was not being
promoted as it deserved. He hankered for Q
newspaper, that he might lash the politicians,
and "bring them to his feet, aud become the
great oracle of Northern Kansas. He found q
starved-out newspaper that wanted to sell, aud
he found men who would back him on condition
that he brought tho paper to Troy, and fought
tho Ckief. He at once gave it out that, although
he might not get any Of the County printing that
year, he proposed to have it all, the next year.
From the very start, he commenced the work Of
tearing down msn, for the sole reason that thry
were friendly to the Chief and would not desert
it to kneel at his feet; and he set about fixing
up tickets for the Fall election, with view to
his own individual interest. He made the ques-
tion of County printing the only issue in the
County, and forced it in every part Of the Coun-
ty. He was signally and overwh elmingly de-
feated, not single candidate that he willingly
advocated being elected. With this printing is
sue before them, the people repudiated him.
His next role was as Judas misunderstanding
his party, in the hope that the opposition party
would Luy him. by uniting as an organization
in his support. But still he could not give up
the County printing. He printed large mum.
Der of petitions, asking the County Board to let
the printing to the lowest bidder. He scattered
these petitions broadcast over the County, hav-
ing his special agents and Others make it point
to solicit everybody to sign them. We heard
from them in every direction. Some have told
us that they signed them TO get rid of the fell
lows who were boring them with the matter;
others, that the thing was misrepressnted to
them; and Others, on the general principle of
signing any petition that comes along. Afser all
his bowling and drumming, he was enabled to
present petitions to the Board with just 236 big
80, H. H. Az