Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1881-07-07

tention OF he legislature Is 10 be gath
cred from every part OF the law passed
by that body" And with this rule Of
construction, i believe my arguments
upon the construction Of this law will
remain unanswered. Moreover, / will
say to Taxpayer that ] can see nothing
in the remarks which he says Mr.. Key
made in regard TO this law al all incon-
sistent with my argument, and ! can
further say that Mr.. Key told me two
days since that his intention IN present.
ing the law was exsctly as lhave stated
il in my communication Of the 23rd
ult., and thus that Key wont suit Tax
payers door.
But, sirs, Taxpayer finding no answer
TO my argument IN regard to the law
passed in 1878, runs of with the nose
Of a partisan to smell out some facts,
many Of which arose before the law was
passed. Since the law was adopted,
| 500 has been the maximum; that sum
was allowed TO the BEACON in 1878 and
in 1880 By the Commissioners when the
| majority in rs were democrats and IN
80 republicans. In 1879 they allowed
the BEAcoN's bill OF $67625, and
whether the difference isgreat or small \
it shows what contpGded for. that thf'
Commissioners had the >PQwer OF eon1
tfacting for not only eAal ~
any amount under 500 for which tie
work could be done. Now, what
amount is a fair charge for the county
printing, presume the Commissioners
have been and are now supremely ig-
noram, as | confess | am. And the
public would never have had their
minds turned TO the matter, and ex-
pect | should never have read the Law
except for the sharp issue made OF late.
A responsible paper offering to do the
work for 1918 and a ioiherpaperawarie
the contract at $500, was well calcula-
ted to turn public attention TO the trans
action. They might be all ignorant az
TO the amount which should have been
allowed heretofore, but here an issue Is
presented and fact brought out which
very naturally brought about enquiry
among the people. Can that be law
say thsyl Arguments were made be-
fore the Commissioners TO show that
such conduct could not be based upon a
fair aud true construction OF the law.
Their giant has not answered The argu.
ment which heretofore put forth, aud
therefore respond 10 their question
"Can this be law Z" by answering EN-.
phaucalIy, no. Why was this thing
done That Will be answered at an.
other time and under different cirCum.
stances.
Bot Taxpayer brings up the allowan-
ces 30 the BEACON from 1870 up 10 1878
10 show how improperly aud extrava.
ganlly the Commissioners Of those Year,
have been in this matter. These charges
and allowance are made uudcra different
law from that Of 1878, and under differ
en-, circumstances. The law previous
to 1878 Wa the Code, which says:
''Thoy rGounly Commissioned shali make
out aud publish nBhniiy ia a. lctst two nrw r.
papers published 10 thpir respective counties II
iheic be- two. detailed, mnpio aud aernnah
statement Of the expenses OF uicif add couuiles
ppecitysng cseh irFQcplnr itssH Of expsasg 90
for what aud 70 whom paid, rte
II there ever was prremrtory law
this j.. There is no discretion given 10
the Commissioners at all. They are
lett perfectly under the control Of the
ne wspapers, and the ne wspapers are only
governed by the established journalistic
rates. Charges above those rates The
Commissioners could legally refuse 10
pay, but within those rates the Com.
mi.sioners would be bound 10 pay them,
and If they refused. could be forced by
law 10 pay. II Is similar 10 the agree
ment with a carpenter 10 build you
house OF certain dimensions and style.
You make no definite bargain with him,
but YOU think il will cost you (say
$1,000 when finished. You offer him
$500; he will not take il. aud you both
agree that The cost shall be objected 10
measurement by the established car.
penier's rules, by which. instead OF
$500, you have TO pay $4,000. Now,
printing is somewhat similar 10 this.
The rules Tor printing are established
by metropolitan Journals and are appli.
cable 10 similar work done in the eoun-
try. Under such rules and under such
an imperative law as tina, in the
Code above quoted, doubt If The coun-
ty printing might not have been made
LAWFULLY much higher even than he
charges above enumerated. No one is
to be blamed for this but those who
wrote the Code. Certainly the Com
missioners are not, for they were with
out an alternative. aud il printer or
any one else charged the State OF coun-
ty less than by law they are entitled to,
they would be more patriotic and dis
interested than any democrat or repub-
lican whom ] have The honor oil being
acquainted with. Ii there had been
two papers in The county during this
period, and the Republican had been
one Of them, that paper under the law
no doubt would have joined The BEA-
cor in claiming The full amount Of the
printing rates, 80 that the taxpayers
would hive been doubly taxed lor the
information that they were so, Pro-
violence kindly protected Us from that
republican invasion, and we sre thank
iul to the fall amount OF what his share
would have been.
Taxpayer concludes his communica-
lion by saying, Now let me ask every
honest and unpreiudlced man tins ques-