The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-24
THE CITY PRINTING.


DEMOCRAT. and still more recently on the
town. has within the past few weeks started q
| small evening paper Of his own, with the mod
| est but candidiy avowed purpose OF reforming
the Democratic party aud introducing into
public affairs and party policy the article of
virtue of which he claims to be the inventor,
and Ia, we presume. the patentee. 81 long as
| the Mai ,r kept within the sphere OK leRiu-
| mate journalism and attended to his business
becomingly We had nothing TO say against
| him or his enterprise; on the contrary, we
felt kindly disposed toward both, and were
duly grateful for tho privilege OF breathing
| the atmosphere that was rariied by 80 much
Spartan virtue. II Is the misfortune Of reform
ers, however, that they cannot sec their way
| to success except through mallgning ana de-
| nouncing others. With them tho want long
felt Ia the desire to procure, by ono means Or
| another. the position or the patronage already
| achieved by a rival. Virtue Of this class can.
not tolerate the slow growth or popularity
promoted by earnest effort and genuine merit
1t seeks to capture distinction by proving
that no ono else Is worthy OF respect or conf
dence.
Thus 1t happens that tho Mnjors paper
found IL necessary yesterday afternoon to rs
sail tho proprietor OF tho DEMOCRAT GprOpos
Of the matter Of tho city printing. The fact
that th printing WAS duly Advertised duly
bid for md duly awarded 10 tho lowest bidder
In accordance with the law. seem s.to form no
part OF the Majors philosophy. All of that
operates no pallation of the oifsnse com NIT
ten by the DEMOCRAT In obtaining tho con
tract. For, says tho MOTORS paper:
1t IL we'll known that Administrator Houston
III ono Of The prnprietors Of the DEMOCRAT:
any nwhti, ihAr efote. or u city contrast TO
paper Of which he IL lroprtetor Is gross and
inpSGuahhin violation of Il law snAntad to pro
tect tho public interests BY preventing those In
trusted with those interests from preying upon
than.
Perhaps this constant struggle in the cause
OF virtue. this terrific wear and tear upon the
emotions, this dailyand Nightly putting down
OF corruption. ana things, az 1t were, does en-
feeble the faculties: yet It would seem that 80
blooming patriot as the M ajor-a gentle
man with such lofty claims ~ a reformer and
puritier-might have had the Information or.
IL that be asking too much of a superior be-
Ing. the charity TO avoid this injustice 1t
has been notorious for some time past that
Mr.. Houston intended to resign his position
fact Of his intention to resign has been com
mented on In the newspapers, has been an
nounced upon Mr.. Houston's authority, and,
IN faot. is 80 generally known that only an
idiot or n particularly gloomy reformer could
bs pardoned for Ignorance. We ara left, |
therefore. to infer that tho Majors kind OF
virtue does not require him to possess in
formation. or to state facts, or to do any of |
those other things which com mon people con
slider Indispensable to decent and honorable |
IL only remains for us to state, for tho bene-
fit of the public that although the contract
has been awarded To the DEMOCRAT, 1t was |
not 80 awarded, or even bid for, until long
after Mr. Houston had determined to resign
and had actually begun to arrange the aft .rs
OF his Office with view to tn 1t end This |
fact was 81 well known Mt tho City Hall as to |
remove the slightest air OF improprety In |
connection with the DEMOCRATS bid, and the |
only reason that Mr.. Holstons resignation |
has not been eonsum mated before this Is b. |
cause the closing up Of 50 extensive and com
plicated II business required great deal Of |
time and care. We cannot believe that any
person will see In this affair any
grounds for blame. and certainly no true re-
ormer should complain because the city has
secured d more favorable contract than was
,ffered by the Picaytn,e or Times.
We are sorry that NJ ljor Hearsey felt him
'elf called upon to do more than deal In moan
Ind vicious nnuendo. We should much pre-
Or to be able to dismiss him aud his virtue
nd his little paper and his big pretensions
Upon this showing. But, unfortunately, the
Ma jor saw fit to add
An extraordinary fact IN this little transac-
lon u.s. thnt Admin stratur Houston voted him
This curled and petite darling oil the ring did
lot. Ia this Instance at least. have honorB aud
ntring friends. II too tha bull by the horns
ehed thslaw and VT himset the contract.
Ii this were true 1t might give some color
0 the preceding insinuation that Mr.. Hou3-
on had violated tho proprletles. 1t IL, how
yer. not true It is. Ia fact lie-out OF
Whole cloth. MIR. Houston was not present
pok no part In the proceedings, aud the
DEMOCRATS bid was accepted by the Admin
strators simply and solely because 1t was {
he lowest and therefore the ons which their
uty and the public interest required them to
ccept. {
We do not pretend to understand why truly {
minent reformers are 50 given to malice {
nd falsehood and other little weaknesses 1
OF supposed to be characteristic OF apostles. |
erhaps 1t Is their occupation, which is ex- (
Ting and thirsty-perhaps 1t Is something
lse. We only know that they do lie and l
lander as q class, and that Nj 4jor Hearsey {
GEMS to be rising to q dazzling prominence |
q their ranks. I
TOOK LAWS AND PLANTING IN
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