The Democratic advocate., 1882-02-18
The State Printing.


The matter Of the state printing, We believe,
has been settled to the satisfaction of everyone
except the Annapolis Gazette, Mr. Busted,
editor Of the CentreviIle O6sercer and Mr..
Grubcr Mr.. Busteed and Mr.. Gruber were
two unsuccessful bidders, and both assume to
be badly treated Mr.. Gruber has no print
ing Office anywhere, and this fact, coupled
with the other, that his bid was $500 below
all others, led the committee to ignore his
bid altogether, having no faith in his facilities
or ability to perform the work, especially at
the price first named, Mr.. Busteed put in
bid for s26, 900, and Mr.. L. F. Cotton put in
one for So, 800. Mr.. Busteed was then allow
ed to withdraw his bid and put in another, for
the same amount as that of Mr. Cotton.
The joint committee on printing awarded
the contract to Mr.. Cotton for the following
reasons First, Mr.. Colton's Office was in
Annapolis and was well-ftted for executing
the printing; second, as was customary, he
had been doing the work until his successor
should be appointed, and half of it, at least,
was already finished; third, he agreed to in
clude in the contract the printing in the Anne
Arundel contested election case, which was
not in the original schedule of printing upoa
which the bids were based This action of
the committee received the unanimous sane
ton of the Senate, and the almost unanimous
sanction of the House, and to say there was
any jobbery or wrong-doing is to impune the
action not only of every member of the joint
committee on printing, composed of Republi-
cans as well as Democrats, but of every mem
Der Of both houses of the legislature. The
unanimity of the action of the legislature, in
endorsing the report Of the joint committee,
is sufficient to shield that committee from any
imputations of jobbery. as Mr.. Busteed
charges
As TO the thundesings Of the Annapolis Ca
z.ite, it is only proper to remark that 1t does
not become any Republican journal to com
plain of how the printing was let. When Mr..
T. S. Riley, ST., associate editor of the An
napoHs Advertiser, but then editor of the Re
publican, put in bid for the state printing
when Republicans we're IN power, he was told
hythe Com. .troIler. II. H. Goldsborough, who
was empowered to let the contract, that his
bid was the lowest, hut the Comptroller per
emptorily refused to contract with him be
cause he was a Democrat. Such was the
Republican custom Of letting the printing
contract No Democrat then was consider
ed, no matter if his bid was the lowest, and
he had an Office at hand, within a stone
throw, figuratively speaking, Of the state
house. Under Republican rule the state
printing Of one session cost $4,000. Two
years ago. under Democratic rule, 1t was done
for S8s, 600, and this year the contract price
i 50. 500, a reduction Of Sl2, 800. When the
records are produced Democratic rule, as
against Republican. commends itself to the
people.
There i now bin before the legislature
providing for the public printing 10 he let by
contract 10 the lowest bidder by the CLERK Of
The Court Of Appeals, after he shall have ad-
vertised for bids in three daily papers in Bal
iimore before the Ist day Of October pFeced-
ing the meeting Of the legislature. the bids to
be opened and the contract made prior to the
convening of the legislature, 10 which body
the Clerk must report on the irst day Of the
session The bill was passed to its engross-
ment in the Senate on Thursday, and no
donbt viii become law.