The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-12
THE PRINTING LAW AGAIN

THE PRINTING LAW AGAIN
The present printing law was cop
led from the one in force in Caif0r
mia for several years. That law re
NAMED upon the statute books o
that state until it was repealed by
subsequent legislature. No judge II
that state had the temerity to declar'
it invalid after it had been in opera
ton two years. If one had beer
found to render such q decision HI
would have been hooted of the bench
JUDGES are elected by the people ther'
and honesty is one of the prime quail
ifications for the Office. In Montana
the PEG! lie are compelled to take such
as a partizan administration forces
upon them. Some of them were men
disposed to be just; others again pros
tituted the office to their own and tt
their partyis aggrandizement. There
have been too many of the latter In
Montana for the good of the Terri
tory.
That the readers of the MINER
may thoroughly understand the in
tent and scope of the present print
ing law, we will state that prior to
Its passage in 1876 the printing for
the several counties was let to such
papers as the commissioners of the
counties designated. The Helena
Herald had the printing for Lewis
and Clark county. The exhorbi-
tant charges of that paper for that
work became a matter of general
complaint among the people there.
Its charges were about double those
allowed under the present law. For
the purpose of establishing a uniform
and cheaper rate for county printing
throughout the Territory, the Legis-
lature of 1875 passed the present
printing law. This law provides that
the Governor, President of the
Council and Speaker Of the House
shall constitute q board with
power to enter into a contract
with some one paper in each county
of the Territory to do the printing
for which the county is chargable, and
if no paper is published in the coun-
ty, then to provide for the printing
in i paper published in some other
county. The rates to be charged are
specified in the law itself and are
about one half of those formerly de-
manded by the Helena Herald, and
about one-hay of those now charged
by the Helena Herald and Inter
for publishing notices of
applications for mineral patents.
Under this law contracts were let
to the MINER to do the printing for
Silver Bow county, to the Mde-
pendent, to do that of Lewis and
Clark county; to the Madisonian,
for Madison county, and more re-
to the Husbandn,an of
and to the Chronicle of
Bozeman. The New North. West,
The Mssoulidn the Dillon Tribune
and the Benton Record have been
the printing for their respect
i've counties. Under the law the
printing hes been done in q work
manlike manner and much cheaper
han formerly. No complaints have
been made in regard to overcharges
or no overcharging could be made;
'nly one price can be charged and
he law states very plainly what that
price shall be.
The validity of the law has not
,een seriously questioned. Under it
contracts, to do county printing,
we're let in 1875. 1873, 1880 and 1882.
The MINER still holds an unexpired
contract to do the printing for Silver
Bow county, signed by Governor
Granville Stuart as Presi-
lent of the Council, and Alex. May
lew as Speaker of the House. The
has also entered into good
nd sufficient bonds to do that print
ng. 1t has gone to an expense to do
/ which it otherwise would not
ave incurred. 1t stands ready to
alfll its part of the contract, and
xpects to do it and receive pay for
Notwithstanding the decision OF
Judge Wade. The time is not far
lstant when Judge Wade will be a
citizen, and q very private