Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-02-22
THE PRINTING BILL.
Debate in the House ON Wednesday

The House went into Committee of the
Whole for consideration of the Printing Bill
Mantle in the chair.
The majority of the committee reported q
substitute, which strikes out all of the pres
ent bill and amends the old law so that, in
stead of compensation as now allowed, the
printer shall receive pay as fixed by the bill
for printing reports of Superintendent OF
Public instruction, Territorial Auditor and
Treasurer for the year 1882.
Comfy moved to adopt the majority re-
port.
Blake moved to strike out that portion
providing for back pay for work done as pro-
vided in the contract
Hickman stated that the majority report
| showed plainly the influence of the party
whip which had popped in the House. He
had seen the editor of the Independent Pub
fishing Company lowering over the members
on the floor like vampire, like black vul-
ture eager for its prey; that the efforts of
that person were shown in the report of a
majority of the committee. He (Hickman)
produced the bids of the Independent for
printing legislative bills. which offered to do
the work for As cents per 1000 ems, or Is
cents less than that provided by the old law,
while the report of the majority of the COM
mittee fixed the compensation at rs cents
per thousand ems. He thought that the bill
should be entitled "an act for the relief of
the Independent Publishing Company" He
could not account for the action of the ma
jority of the committee, and thought it eYi=
dent theyshad heard something pop.
Blake thought it strange that a man like
Col. Voolfolk, who but few years ago Wilt
fed the Democratic party, should have the
presumption TO seek relief from that party.
If the Democratic party desired this law
upon the Statute books, let them live up to
it, The effect of the amendment was to
allow the Independent additional pay for pub
fishing the reports of the various Territorial
officers that it was in the nature of hack
pay" which was practiced in Congress in
1873, and which the country had so vigor-
ously condemned that few members of that
body who voted for it had survived the pub
lie indignation. He would like to hear from
the members of that committee what excuse
they had to offer for their report. There
was not printer in the Territory that would
not be glad to take the contract for printing
at its present price. 1t was safe to say that
no court would decide that the Independent
Company were pledged to do anything under
this contract That Company had sent its
editor as a lobbying attorney upon the floor
and the result of their efforts were plainly
discernable.
Allen agreed with Blake that there should
be no back pay, and for himself he should
vote against the report of the majority of
the committee.
Mayhem said it had been charged by Re-
publican members that this was to take the
complexion Of party measure. No party
whip had been or could be cracked over his
head. No one had approached him on the
subject and his action should not be infu-
enced bysparty considerations. He was en-
phatically opposed to the majority report
of the committee, as in his opinion their
figures we're entirely too high. He favored
any measure to reduce the cost to the lowest
figure. He would like to have
an opportunity to vote on the project of
shutting up many of the newspapers, for
they were villifers; that he wouldn't say
more for fear of making speech.
Batten asked to be excused from voting, |
as he felt that he could not do so intelli- |
gently. He desired to refute the charges of
yielding to partisan behests in this matter. |
Settle wanted to know more about the
prices in the schedule before he voted for it. |
He desired to resent Hickman's remark |
about the party lash being swung over him.
He had heard nothing pass; he wanted the
printing done we'll and reasonably.
Comfy was of opinion that Hickman had
cracked the party whip and all Republicans
would fall into line. The present law was
the result of necessity. Some one had to do
and Of course the Democrats, be-
ing in power, confded that trust to Demo-
Gratis.
The committee reported progress and asked
leave to sit again.