The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1883-01-23
ksonville Union. Jan. Il.


OmW8Ef8mt6Q Cn0EHGSs
The Key West Ne,cs is edited by ]. Willis Me-
nard, an educated colored man, and of course
Republican. 1t is among the few Republican
papers published in the State, and processes to
be very fair and impartial in its discussion OF
public affairs. But we are compelled to believe
that it pays very little attention to facts when
discussing State politics. 1t is very easy TO
make false charges, but quite another thing to
maintain them. The Nests belongs to that class
of papers which imagine that there is force in a
false charge, no matter how absurd as soon as
il appears in print 1t fOrgets, however, that
when false charges are made without the shadow
Of truth TO rest upon, they can only hurt those
who make them.
We are led TO make these remarks by most
unwarranted and shameful criticism upon the
Governors message, made by the Netos. II is as
follows
The most absurd item of the message is that
in relation to the printing of McClellan's Digest
The Governor presumes very far on the guilt
billy of the people of this State when he asserts
that the "bid from Tallahassee was tie lowest
and best bic" for the publication of the Digest
This remark must bring broad grin on every
printers face in the State. 1t is very strange
that G. E. Dyke should always be the lowest
bidder whenever there is any printing to be done
by the State. We all know, Governor, that
Dyke knew as much about the bids received
from Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Charleston,
Atlanta and Savannah as the Comptroller did
We don't blame the Governor for encouraging
home industry, but we do blame him and the
Comptroller for making the taxpayers OF the
State pay subsidy TO G. E. Dyke for doing work
which could have been done cheaper and better
in New York or Boston.
THO o''';>;--- 70 an outrage against public de-
cency. 1t is a moHstrous abuse OF the freedom
of the press. Without the shadow of fact to
base it upon the Governor of the State is charged
with falsehood, and the Comptroller with unfair
dealing Such unwarranted criticism is enough
to win for the Nescs and its editor the contempt
of all just and upright minds. Now, what are
the facts?
The Comptroller sent out invitations to all the
prominent business houses in the North and
South asking bids on this work. He received
the following offers: Messrs. Little, Brown &
Co., the great law publishing firm of Boston,
put in the following bid, the books to be printed
and delivered in Tallahassee: 5000 copies of
McClelan's Digest Laws of Florida, 1900 copies
in law sheep and 500 paper, &5,656; 500 addi-
tonal copies in paper, $435, and 1000 addition
al copies in paper. $870; and this without side
and foot notes No bid was received from New
York, though a special invitation was sent there
Rand. Mentally & Co., Of Chicago. proposed 10
print 5000 copies. 500 law sheep at 1875, and
1900 paper at $3.375, making total of s., $50
and 500 additional in paper at $3.50, and 1000
additional in paper at $3.50. with side and foot
notes.
j. H. Estill, of Savannah, Ga, proposed 10 do
the work for fraction over "a per page, making
his bid $5,805 for the 5000 copies, with side and
foot notes.
Capt. G. e. Dyke, of Tallahassee, offered to
print, bind and deliver, as per contract, 5000
copies of the Digest, 800 in good law sheep
and 1900 IN paper, for "a $780, and for 500 addi-
tional copies $3.50.
| The State ordered through the Comptroller
$500 copies, and paid Capt. Dyke therefor
| $500. As printed, IT has the expensive and
| troublesome side and foot notes objected to by
Little & Brown and Rand, Mentally & Co. The
State also paid Capt. Dyke $3.50 for enclosing
the words Property of the State " on the copies
intended for the use of the State and court
officials and justices of the peace throughout the
State, making the whole amount paid for the
work $5,43250, or e17250 less than any other
bid offered. In addition, the State saved the
amount Of $500. requisite to defray the ex-
penses Of q legal editor to 60 out Of the
State to revise the work as 1t was printed,
making q total saving 10 the State
Of 4672.50 made by keeping the work at
home. And this b not all; the money was kept
at home, enabling number of poor, hard work
ing printers to support themselves and families
during long. dull summer. It also gave steady
employment TO three industrious colored men,
who otherwise would have been compelled to
leave home TO find work.
Some people imagine that . newspaper that
gets the public printing must make oceans Of
money, when the truth 10 they rarely make more
than living profit Captain Dyke, no doubt,
makes the public printing pay him good profit,
but we venture to say that there is ss little
money wasted in this direction In Florida as In
any other State In the Union, and that the prof.
its Of Captain Dyke would stand among the low
est on the list In schedule OF profits made by
all the State printers In the Union.