The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-02-06

The debate over the State printing in the
expressions of opinion.
Mr.. Lamson of Sagadahoc said,
Mr.. President: Yesterday, when thel con-
tract of Sprague & Son was before us, voted
to lay it upon the table as matter OF courtesy:
/ have taken pains to examine the quality OF
the work done by Pillsbury & Co. the past
wear; and while do not profess to be a judge
of these matters find the work in small type,
blurred, and the paper OF mixed and inferior
quality. The printing, in type, Workmanship
and stock, does not at all compare with that
done in former years by the State printers.
Tue contract with Sprague u Son, now before
u.s. is for the same price as that made with Mr.;
Pillsbury last year, and I understand he said
it was as low as it could be done. Now, as
there has been an advance in labor and mate
rial and we have seen that the work done by
one party far exceeds in quality the work done
by the other, why is it that these gentlemen
come in here at this late date with offers to be
accepted. We we'll know the object OF their
opposition to this contract They know that
after one third or more of the printing (by
necessity has been done, and the contract
made and signed by the parties, that there
would be no justice or reason in revoking that
contract made, as it was, at a less price IN COM
parison than last year by their own men.
But that is not the cause; they want political
capital for their party, something to cover up
actions of their Governor and Council, backed
by Pilsbury, Garcelon q Co. During the
three weeks time open by the committee for
proposals, where was this Pillsbury, to whom
these gentlemen wish to award this contract?
He was plotting and planning to break down
and DESTROY this very body Of which he now
asks patronage and favor. say here, and all
fair minded men will bear me out in the state
ment that Eben f. Pillsbury has forfeited all
right to present proposal to this Legislature,
=. l. s1n trnCf
the State, and to receive the punishment he
deserves, and l will say further, that never
will vote to pay one dollar of the money OF
this State to a man who had done all in his
power to overthrow and destroy it.
Mr.. Berry hoped the minority report would
not be accepted. In this matter of awarding
contract which involves the expenditure OF
some 900, great care should be taken ia
making contract. A committee had Deen
appointed for that purpose, who have maze
contract with competent and responsible parties
on the same terms of the contract last year
These contracts for printing and binding had
been printed and circulated. and yesterday
parties had been bnzzing with members, and
whispering about the Senate chamber; now
taking advantage of the printing contract, Tor
political purposes purely they put in this bid
Why did they not come in before. and ask for
the work in manly way? The only two re-
ports that the State printers for the past year
have got out are the report of Commissioners oil
Fisheries, and the report of the Manager OF
the Industrial School for Girls. These are
filled with errors This work had better be
done by competent parties. Even If this bid
is less than the former, there are other reasons
for not accepting it. He would not award this
contract to any man who had sought to de-
prive the people of this State of their rights.
He would not give this contract to Eben f.
Pillsbury whom he considered one OF the most
infamous men in history, though his bid may
be infinitely lower.
Mr. Dearborn explained his vote on the sub
iect yesterday. He voted to lay the matter ON the
table through courtesy to the Honorable Sem
ator from AroostoOk. If Thomas f. Murphy
means Eben F. Pilsbury-as he had no doubt
it did in this matter, he wanted nothing to do
with him. Pillsbury has figured enough lately.
without giving us any more figures.
Mr.. Ellis was sorry to see this discussion
take political turn. He was not respon> >ible
for the actions Of E. f. Pllsbury or any other
man. He didn't see any appearance of Pills
bury in any Of this matter. He understood
that Pillsbury was soon to leave the State. If
this contract of Murphy's is subject to approx
al of Governor and Council SO far as the work
was concerned, he didn't see why it was not
safe to leave it there. He came here to work
for the good of the State. When he entered
the Senate chamber he left all party behind
him. Last year he had voted for the contract
Of Sprague, Owen & Nash, because it was the
lowest.
Mr.. Dingley liked very much many things
that the Senator had said, but as matter OF
fact Mr.. Pillsbury is really the man who puts
in this bid. He was surprised that the Sena-
tor did not know that Pillsbury had been the
head and front of cheat and swinde from
beginning to end. While he would do the
best thing for the State, he would not vote to
give one dollar of the States money to a man
who had been conspring against the rights of
the people of this State.
Mr.. Hawes spoke of the comparative cost of
binding the last few years From 1865 to 1873,
he average cost Of biRding was S6094 per an
mum. Last year the appropriation for binding
was SS,533.S7, which was overdrawn, and
he total cost of binding last year was 1l,077.
81! Two thousand dollars of this wss drawn
from the free high school fund,