The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-08-26
EDNA. Mo-, August 4. 1854
Hon. John T. Heard, Sedalia, No.

DEAR SIR am in receipt OF your favor OF
the LIST inst. enclosing editorial clipping from
the Sedalia Democrat entitled Mr.. Heard 5
Perhdy, IN which the writer criticiSes your ac-
tiOns in relation 10 bill entitled An act to
provide for the Public Printing and to elect a
Public Printer
This was substitute for House bill No. 2s2 in
the 3lst general assembly of this state You ask
me TO state my recollection of the history of
this bill in the Senate, and of your action in re-
lation TO the same
have made il a rule all my life to try to
avoid controversies of this kind-eyen TO the ex-
tent of permitting erroneous statements
a. 20 my own public acts 10 go uncontra-
dicted-but when am called upon by another
TO make a statement of facts touching the pub
lie conduct, acts, and character of "a man whom
Snow To be above reproach, do not feel at
liberty 10 deny the request.
To begin with, know nothing OF what NAV
have been said by you u the editor and
publisher of the Sedalia Democrat The writer
of the article is in error when he SAYS when
atOr Heard was paying no attention 10 the bill,
duplicate was made and introduced into the
house &e; This bill, No s2, was introduced
into the House on the i.th day Of the session. See
House Journal, page lyl, which instead OF being
quite late in the SESSION. was on the contrary
quite carly I've the seS.iOn-
Again the writer is mistaken when he saws,
1t THE above billl was referred 10 the COM
mittee on printing, composed of MesSrs.
Heard, COttey and HeastOn. The senate COM
miJtee on printing for that session was MesSrs.
HeaStOn. Lloyd, Byrnes, COttey and Headley.
see Senate Journal, page 10. The bill was re-
ferred ~ the above named committee on print
ing, but you were not member of the same,
nor did you in any way seek to influence the
action or report of the committee in said bill,
while IL was in their charge and being consid-
cred by thell as a committee. Senator HeaStOn,
an old editor and practical printer. was chair
man OF the committee After the bin had been
referred in the senate, the committee took the
same under advisement. and as now distinctly
remember, carefully and deliberately consid-
cred its various provisions section b. section,
in the light of all the Information on that sub
ject attainable by the committee. After the
fullest investigation, 10 was the unanimous
voice of the committee that the bill as IL came
from the House ought not TO become u law, Tor
the reason, that its provisions, ii enacted. would
very largely increase the cost Of public printing
TO the state. While the committee was well salts
lied, after its investigation, that the bill was eX
travagaht and bad, and should not in its present
form become a law, still they were not disposed
to act hastily III the matter, and as the friends
OF the bill claimed some party significance for
il, a caucus of Democratic senators was called TO
consider its provisions.
Senator HeaStOn made report or statement
10 the caucus of the principal provisions OF the
bill, with the objections OF the committee,
and after the subject OF the bill had been dis
cuSSed by the caucus at great length, IL was the
almost unanimous opinion OF the caucus tas
now remember that the bill ought not 10 pass.
i do know, however, that you felt an interest
in the passage of some bill creating the OtlCs
of public printer, and at your suggestion in the
caucus il was agreed that this bill should
lie over and not be called up by anyone Tor
vote in the Senate, until its provisions should be
further considered in caucus; and further re-
member that you said YOU would send for Mr..
RUSSELL of Sedalia. who was practical printer
and who YOU thought would Dc able to explain
away the Objectionable features of the bill or
suggest amendments which would make the
bill acceptable 10 the Senate. The friends OF
the hill would not consent 10 any material
amendments being made 10 it-they did not
suggest any
The writer OF the article above referred 10.
says lone oil the gentlemen present took from
his pocket Senate roll and showed that enough
Senators were pledged TO the bill 10 pass il.
Now if that was true, why did not those pledged
had been reported 10, and was i'll the possession
of the Senate at the very time OF which he
speaks (See Senate Journal page OIL
The truth of the matter was, as you know. and
know, and all the democratic senators, that
after the provisions of that bill was fully under
stood, that il never would have received the
vote of 8 single democratic senatOr-the caucus
was to a man against il, as il stood.
threatened to Kill Senator McMahOn's cyclone
bill If he called up the printing BILL L never
thought of saying any such thing, nor do
think any man viii say he ever heard me make
any such statement.
For myself do not claim TO be a practical
printer" still i was a member OF the com
mittee on printing in the 18th, SOth and Slst
general assemblies OF this state, and know
enough TO knowthat if this bill had become
law the man elected public printer under its
provisions could have made fortune out OF
his Office in five years time.
While the defeat OF this bill may have been
a sore disappointment To some indlvld.
uals, stiil its defeat was in the direction OF
economy, and was surely benefit and bless
SThe welfare of the people is the supreme
law is the motto of our state
Yours very truly,
l.. r.. ".