The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1881-08-20
THE COMPTROLLER AND THE PUBL.
CATION OF THE LAWS.


Fsaa, ihc Baliiaorr Tribune, (BeH,orraf Gih iHsi.
In our last issue We preferred q general charge
Of wilful violation Of the Law against Mr. Heating,
the present Comptroller, and under this general
charge presented specification number one, name
ly, paying 1850 for publishing the laws In three
papers in Baltimore. when the Law only provides
for their publication in teo, and they never were
published In more than two newspapers In Balti-
more city before. This point We think was made
too strong and too plain for any 20 contradict
lie certainly did pay out these 81 $50 without any
shadow Of legal authority, and for this and other
like offences he should not be reelected. In order
that our readers may fully understand this point,
and others yet 20 be presented, VIC give the Law,
word for word just as IL stands in the book. Here
II Is:
Every Public General Law which Is made to
take effect before the first day Of June next after
the session at which IL may be passed, shall i'm
mediately alter It's passage DO published, at the
expense Of the State, daily, for week, In f,ro
daily newspapers in the city Of Baltimore. one Of
which shall be printed In the German language,
and one newspaper in each county, having the
largest circulation, IL there be n Newspaper pub
lishcd in said county"
Who read this and say that the Law has not
boon violated! We pause for reply. SO much
for specification number one.
Specification number two: A wfal violation
cation Of the laws In f'ro. newspapers In county,
while the law only authorizes their publication In
one. We have just given the Law above; our
readers will just please to look back few lines.
There IL Is, nothing could be palmer. "Onc news.
paper in each county having the largest circuia-
lion, II there be newspaper in said county" Yet
right In the face Of this plain and explicit Ian
guagc, MIR. Heating has paid for the publication
Of these laws In two newspapers In Caroline eoun-
~, two In Charles, two In Dorchester, two In Fred
i'll l.. Ia fn~le 49, To- So La.
gomcry, two In Prince Georges, two In Queen
Annc's, two In Talbot and two in Worcester. In
eleven separate cascS he has paid double what the
law authoriEed-S600 In each case-amounting TO
5000. This added TO the 1850 paid in viola
ton Of the law In Baltimore city, amounts to IS,
$50. All paid to newspapers over and above what
the law authorizes. How can this be justified
We call for n reply. We asked for an explanation
in our last and We ask IL again. II not satisfac.
torily accounted for. declare Mr.. Heating gull.
ty before the law Of wasting the peoples money.
We think he should be held responsible for IL, and
somebody else elected TO Gil his place. So much
for specification number two.
| Again We charge upon Mr.. Thomas Heating, the
present Comptroller and candidate for re election,
tina, he has wilfully violated the law In this that
he has paid cx,rayagant sums Of money for this
work In all Instances, aud especially that he has
paid {" twelve different newspapers published In
the counties 81 the State 200 each, while TWEEN
ty-iwo other newspapers in other counties did the
same service for 5000 each; that IL really costs
more 10 do the work in one casc than another, and
that this of 5000 paid To- each Of said twelve
| newspapers wa, n wastcful aud unlawful expcndi-
turc Of money amounting to $1,000. This added
| TO the $3.50 given above. makes SlJ,6jO Of the
public money taken from the State Treasury in
violation Of law and proper economy aud lavished
upon the press OF the State for no other purpose
than TO secure it, support in the intcres, Of the
ring
The Comptroller seems to have pre- determined
20 spend in this way 81 200 in every county in the
State. IL there was one paper only, then he gave
IL all TO that ono paper. but II there were two. he
divided Il. Distributing IL as political stipend,
| without any regard whatever for the law.
The Law IL certainly sufficiently liberal without
these violations. One.fourth the sum
pended would d. the work just as we'll. bu, twice
much has been paid should have been paid.
For instance. in Charles couniy there are two pa
| peFs. each did the work for SG0O-though but one
il authorized. In 81. Marys county there Is but
paper. il got 81 200 for the work that the
| Port Tobacco Ti.ses did for 5000. and IL went
| thrOug hOut the State.
II the T;ae. printed the laws for 5000. tina, was
enough for Charles county. There no need,
no law for giving $500 to a second paper. II the
Port Tobacco Tia,ss could print them for 5000, so
could any other paper in the State, why then give
some Of them $1,000! There can be no reason
| except to secure the support Of these papers.
Al S60o for each the twenty three counties
Of the State would cost 500
Two papers In Baltimore city at 81. s;o..... 3,soe
sI7.soO
This il what il would cost under the Law as Il
now stands IL properly obeyed. But Mr.. Heating
has disrcgardcd aud violated the law, and has paid
for publishing the laws Of 1850 tho round sum Of
$50, $50. which Is slj.650 more than should have
been paid. For this We call him TO answer at the
bar Of public opinion during :hc present canvass,
and we intend to keep this and other kindred sub.
| jects before the people.