The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-31
THE LAW AND THE FACTS.

THE Law AND THE FACTS.
In another place this morning we print al
editorial article from the columns Of the New
Orleans Times, which shows very clearly tn
motives which have prompted the cowardl,
and malevolent war which is at present beins
waged against the State Printer and th,
DEMOCRAT In reading the Times article
we desire that the public shall bear In mine
these facts: that MIR. Charles Clinton. th,
owner. editor and manager 81 the Times, wal
kellogg's Auditor; that committee OF the
Legislature, composed Of Democrats ant
Republicans, charged him with being part,
to the robbery Of the Charity Hospital fund
to the amount Of $4,000, and that he was
stakeholder In the New Orleans Republican
when that Journal through the most Infamous
printing law ever devised, was annually plum.
dering the State TO the tune Of over three hun
dred thousand dollars. We desire the people
Of this State to read the article from the Times
headed "publlc Printing by the Light 81
These Facts
II was not until this Infamous assault Of the
Times upon the State Printer revealed 30
clearly the true inwartInegs Of the attacks
upon the DEMOCRAT that we proposed to
proceed outside Of the courts 10 defend our.
selves. and now, we ask our fellow-citizens,
tedious az the task may be, to follow ts
through the statement we now propose to
make We shall disembarrass our remarks
OF all preliminary and minor facts, and elm
mate from the general argument all thoee
details which can alone DO proved and ex-
planned by the evidence before the courts,
where the final Issue rests.
In July, 1878. the grand Jury presented to
the Governor, through the Judge Of the Blu
perlor Criminal Court. special report maxi
Ing the most grave insnuations against the
State Printer, and suggesting that the Exec
utive and law officers Of the state take imme-
dlate steps 10 recover from the State Printer
such moneys as he may have received for
work done without warrant Of the law.
We presume II lie unnecessary to be- more
specific. That report was printed In every
paper In New Orleans. and the Lottery Com
until IL Ia familiar to every citizen who
reads the newspapers.
Immediately on the publication OF this dam
aging report the State Printer called upon
Gov. Nichols and demanded an investiga-
ton. The Governor replied that he had no
authority 10 constitute tribunal with power
10 investigate the charges. The State Printer
then besought the Governor to call the Print
ing Board together. that that body might ex-
anime into the accusations of the grand jury.
Tho following day the Governor stated to
the State Printer that he had conferred with
the members Of the Printing Board In the
Cured was that the board had no judicial
powers and was therefore powerless to act In
the premises. The courts closed almost i'm
mcdiately after the report Of the grand jury
was made public. and thus the State Printer
was left to smart for months under the grave
charges preferred against him by the grand
jury without any means Of vindlcating himself.
The grand jury report against him was given
to the public. The courts closed for the sum-
mer vacation; the Governor declared that he
had no power to investigate or to appoint
tribunal to investigate, and the members of
the Printing Board In tho city, the Governor
concurring, affirmed that they had no judicial
powers. and could do nothing.
Thus was the State Printer left with these
grave charges resting upon him, and without
any means OF vindicating himself And then
began the most cowardly and infamous perse-
cution we have ever witnessed. The hirelinQs
81 the Lottery Company Immediately began
their anonymous assaults upon the State
Printer and the DEMOCRAT through the other
journals Of the city. Day after day the charges
mi ui nrd In ths, Of
which were based upon tho perjured tes-
'imony OF Towards tools, were embodied
II paid communications to the Times, the
Pcayune and the Item. All demands for the
names Of the scribblers were refused nobody
vas responsible and the State Printer and |
lis associates were left to the alternative OF
submitting to the wrong. or Of making per- |
onal attacks upon the disreputable Jour- |
lalists who printed those defamatory COM |
and refusing to give the names |
4 the authors, or to assume the responsible /
ty Of the ISLANDERS they thus printed.
Eliminating all details, we come now to the
ate meeting Of the Printing Board. After
he first days deliberations Of that body It
vas clearly evident that the majority were
esolved upon awarding the contract to do
he State printing to any man or journal, IT.
Of politics. who would take it at
he lowest price. The proprietors Of the
DEMOCRAT held a consultation to determine
vhether or not, under such circumstances,
hey or their associate should bid for the con-
ract. Before their deliberations were con-
luded the Printing Board adopted and off,
tally promulgated the following:
Resolped That II is the sense and opinion of
1e Printing Board that the contract for public
rintinR, to be entered into with the person
hosen State Printer In conformity to section
D OF act 40 Of 1877. covers and includes only
UGH printing as is provided for by said statute
OF 1877, specifically required Of or imposed
pom the State Printer. and that his bond. &C.
ording to section 70 OF said statute. shall be
for the faithful performance OF ali
ae duties deyolving upon him. under said
lafute 40. or any future or subsequent law
hat, in consequence. the following printing is
OF included In the contract. to wit: the vol
mes designated as documents OF The -
eeslature. -, comprising executive mes
by future legislation.
2. That section Is of act 40, approved March
J. 1877 anpliad tn the MARIAN Of 0rlauuo io l.,