Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-01-23

Ono Of the most remarkable ex.
4rsvacances of the Government, We
believe will be generally conceded,
is the annual amount expended for
the publication of Patent Office
Reports" We do not, of course.
include under this general term such
documents Of the Departments as
are of general information to the
people, the report of the Commits
xioner of Patents, the report on Agri.
culture, and . few other documents
OF equal importance; but We do pro-
test against the wasting of paper,
time and labor, and the cost involved
in producing, each year. several hun
dred thousand copies of dry statis-
tics labeled Report on Commerce
and Navigation" o partisan state
ment running through several pom
derous volumes denominated "Ku-
klux Outrages, or in the spreading
out over like space the very impond-
esable message Of Mr.. Hayes. If it is
necessary to publish such documents,
for use Of Congress, or to place in
the national archives the current his.
tory in q comprehensive form, it
certainly does not follow that an
edition large enough to afford every
Congressman cart-load of each
document to send to his constitu-
ents or sell to the waste-paper deal
er, should be printed. It is a mis-
taken idea to suppose that rural votes
can be brought by these paltry gifts.
The recipient of such .tauors. if he
has common sense, does not consid-
er it o compliment to either his
manhood or his intelligence, and
generally uses volumes each of
which have cost the Government sew
eral dollars and been transported two
thousand miles, for waste-paper to
light the fire or serve a still more
ignominious purpose.
We are aware that we are tread
ing upon unbreken ground in ex-
posing this extravaganza, but we be.
lieve that everybody will admit that
It is q leak which should be stopped.
Rigid economy in the manage
ton of public affairs requires that
all such useless and absurd drains
upon the public treasury should at
once cease. II, however, our Con-
gressmen regard it as the only chan
mel of official communication with
their constituents and the legitimate
means of recognizing party fealty,
let us perfect the system 80 that
some benefit may be derived from
it.
As the pioneer of this reform, we
claim the right to suggest remedy,
a means of mitigating the nuisance,
aye, Of Transforming it into a bless
ing to the people, and enhancing its
only present purpose thousand
fold. Our idea is, that for the same
money we now scatter broadcast the
dry statistics of trade or the volum-
inous subterfuges of diplomatic cor
respondence, we can just as thor
Oughly distribute the seeds of uni
versal knowledge. Suppose that
the Government should issue a COM
plete set of textbooks for our COM
mon schools, what blessing would
result from the settlement of all the
vexed questions designed to secure
uniformity, but which produces pre-
cisely the opposite effect? The Gov.
eminent could issue series of read.
ers which would inculcate from the
outset the true doctrines of free gov.
eminent; the history could be made
to suit the American idea much
more effectually than a rigid adhe.
renee to cold facts would warrant,
and ample space could be assigned
those Statesmen and heroes which
narrow-minded, and illiberal, not te
say prejudiced historians, have stu.
diously ignored! The men of the
present age would have a chance tc
achieve fame. and the student would
not be compelled to look down the
dark vista of time to select heroes
worthy of imitation! Then our gram.
mar would be subject to de6rit,
sules and We could determine wheth
a. the verb singular or the vert
plural should agus with the noun o.
multitude! Then there would b