Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-08-11
The superintendent of public instruct.

1 =
Voice, to eyade the issue brought out
by the Press and Dakotaian relative to
the printing pertaining to his office.
The Press and Dakotaian has stated
that he is acting in the
dual capacity of superintend-
ept of instruction and OF
public printer to the superintendent OF
instruction and giving to himself as
public printer the work under his con-
troll as superintendent of instruction.
He receives from himself as public
printer the completed work, and as
superintendent of instruction, counts
the quires and reams and certifies to
tho auditor OF the territory inHt ne mus
fulfilled the contract let to himself as
public printer by himself as superinten-
! dent of instruction. This appears to be
dons through the medium of another
man, who figures as the nominal con-
| tractor.
| MIR. Jones advances the counter
charge that the Press and Dakotalan
has itself been printer of public work.
| The Press and Dakotaian knows of no
reason why 1t should deny this circun1-
stance. But at the time it was executing
work for public officials it was not itself
a public official, letting contracts to it.
self to the exclusion of ell competition.
1t was IN the field as manufacturing
establishment, without any influence to
control work excepting it's capacity to
do it we'll and cheaply.
i SO We feel impelled to nip In the bud
the profundity of the superintendent of
instruction by a general admission of
J these allegations. The question now
reverts to himself as contractor to HIM
self for something which is paid for from
lpublic funds. The superintendent of
public instruction says:
We now inform the Press and Dako-
taiap that it shall not receive on dollar s
worth of this printing while the present
incumbent holds the Office. That the
printing will be given ont es best suits
the convenience of the office and without
regard TO the selfish--even hoggish de-
mands OF the Press and Dakotalau.
This is an exceedingly i'll advised re-
i mark to emanate from q public official
. who is presumptively endeavoring tc
. conduct the affairs Of his office with
) proper economy. 1t is confession O.
J that which the Press and Dakotaian has
|, been moved to assert-that the worl
e under control of the superintendent o
instruction will be done without regart
to cost, so long as the money thereto
goes into his own pocket or into th
pocket of some one who basks in tn
:, sunlight OF his official good will. 1t i
= not expected by the Press and Dakota
ian that it will be favored with she pat
ronage of A. Sheridan Jones, though j
could do his work very cheaply, SO lonl
as A. Sheridan Jones is in posi-
ie ton T.. let contracts to him
~ self at the wide margin. He will there
y fore please observe that the Press an
ID Dakotaian makes no demands for itsel
~ It believes, however, that as taxpaye
20 it has right to demand that he COL
vince the public that he is not squande
. ing their money in his own interest.
:, is euough that they are compelled
- pay him salary which he is unitte
- by nature to earn, without being con
PEELED so contribute further to his pr
:, vate exchequer through the medium {
unusual payments on the patronage
his Office. We do not know that suc
i unusual payments are made, but tt
;, circumstances justify the suspicion ar
20 warrant the demand for showing fro
the Office of superintendent OF public i
struction. No officer under the gener
at government would be permitted
or nonopolize the contracts of his positit
th to the exclusion of oil competition. I
be would be promptly removed from offic
,s. and rightfully too. AS a territorl
I'll Office is Indirectly an office under Il
be general government, we see no reast
he why the rule should not apply in /
to case.
lie. There is another feature OF the artit
ro- which the superintendent OF publ
"a instruction prints in the Olivet Rul
Voice which seems to call for an allusie
He alleges that the Press and Dakotai
'@' printed all the blanks for the first ye
W. of his term, under orders from his pret
~ cessor, General Beadle, and was pf
an ,no for the work three months before I'll
,rr work was executed. 1t is with reg
IAN that we are compelled to charge up
se the superintendent of instruction gr
I,a LIE ialseho cd. 1t can be easily enou
ed. shown that nothing of the sort e
the happened, and as the superintend'
del of instruction must be aware of
NC. e.s falsity OF his statement, he ls
rial the more culpable for permitting
was Sheridan Jones, for the moIaent, to
the cure control of him to that extent.
leu. It is lamentable that, under the
reat mlhistfaiioh VI oofeinoa Iieioe'
pay important educational interests of
ub- kota are placed in the hands of Z
,an ne whose incompetency for the position
,nre not seriously questioned. And VI
over he adds to inefiiciency disposition
that gather the patronage of the office al
inc himself, in defiance Of custom and
ataa speetability, the case becomes &
sxas. more depIoraElr.