The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-01-27

THE SEM.MEE
PAINTING Bull.
The printing bin. introdoesd In ihe
Heuse By Hon. r. o. Hickoes. q
l(adison county. shows Tie very NJ
To ,cuualntance the author he's With
The subject upoa which be attempts
to shape legislaaios. The principle
upon which The blu = constructed
looks to . revival Of the Old cootrsct
system. Fer the Territorial printing
u several lApess of the Territory
viii b invited to enter In competi-
tien. under which It might aud
would most likely, occur that the
most obscure journal In the Ter itOfy
vuuld b The successful bidder. The
psaetieal workings Of this feature
Of the bill might better en-
title It to 10 called bill
70 conceal the public oosiness Even
II the bill confined IT, opesatioos 70
newspaper ct the capital, The same
objections might arise, aud the snc-
eessfal eompet,tor b journal rarely
seen by the public. The method
now In use, of committing this mat
ter to IN Intelligent aud responstb'e
board, who are In . position to select
. pewspaper Of general circulation,
seems preferable to the device under
consideration BY the Legislature.
The mates allowed by law are not e.
osbiant, and are not y hardship felt
BY the Territory.
The same objection applies
to the county printing. There
might be IN t;.is cUunty .
that nine-tenehs Of the
people never zee. 1t might BE u the
diareputable. Matchmaking sort, con-
ducted on guerrilla principles. Such
. paper would In all probability be
The successful competitor 1t trial 10
be determined by sealed propoasIs.
The logical consequence Of the law,
then, would he that the policy Of the
Rovernmsnt ~ obscurity rather than
aud that It h = g"vern-
mental function to foster dtsreputA-
bic Journals that public I'atr'nage
hes repadlAted. The theory upon
which the bill Is based Is repugnant
to common sense and the c01umOn
Ideas az decency Ia public affairs.
The publication of matters for the
Information Of the public b . govern-
mental duty; and 1t IL IN Inherent
function OF government t" attend to
The performance Of this duty. 1t has
10 unquestioned right to select jour-
mails Of general circulation and re-
.pectability ~ the channels far MAX
Ing it, publications. The general
docs It. not only In this
Territory but everywhere through
out the Union; and It Is expected,
when . charge In administration
occurs, there will be . change
In the selection o; these channels.
The adoption III amv other view Is
to journalism. The idea
that Police Gazette may he made
an Official organ Is offensive to ideas
Of public dec0run,.
The principles " the pending bill
ars radically wrong In placing all
newspapers on thr same plane.
There II . slight variation. Some
have such standing and circulation
hat their advertising space readily
commands so per line, while
with other 1t would he . prodigal
wasteof money to ray one cent per
line for advertising space. 1t h
to the interest of the public
that journals Of respec liability and
ability should abound. 1t IL to the
interest Of the public, unless It wants
Boss sheppard methods to prevail.
that the fullest publicity should be
given in al public matters. Aud 1t
IL the right Of the government to
choose the Instruments it makes use
Of for the information Of the public.
The false premise upon which the
pending printing bill rests b that IN
individual can have an interest In
public printing. The plaintiff In IN
action where service 10 made
upon . non- resident has not,
Tor the reason that the
costs almost invariably fall on the
non-resident, who IL nat In . position
to he consulted with regarl to his
preferences about the publication.
Neither has the party plaintiff any
interest In . sheri6's sale or = decree
for the foreclosure Of mortgage. The
administrator Or executor Of an estate
has no interest In the publications
required for Its settlement. The law
requires them for the protection
alike Of the creditors and heirs, aud
1t would lie u burlesdue ON justice IL
allow my IL the partie. the control
Of the publications. Legal printing
h = part of legal procedure, and r.,
and ought IL he. under the inme-
diate aud absolute control Of the Law.
The nss.eage Of Governor Crosby
was received at such . late hour last
night - to exclude extended COM
ment. Its style IL vigorous, its spx-
gestions In the main wholesome. and
the knowledge It exhibits Of public
questions varied and accurate. II ID
above the average Of documents OF
the kind, aud cannot fail to produce
q favorable impression In the public
mind toward our new Governor. A.
though written from . Republican