Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-09
THE PUBLIC PRINTER.
What that Officer Should and Should
Not be.


PRrNrERs-CASDIDATEs FOR FAVOR AT PREsI-
DENT RARRIsoS's hands.
In none of the other government depart
ments or bureaus is there so much apprehen-
sion as to the probable results of change in the
immediate administration than in the govern
ment printing Office. Under the roof Of that
great workshop more than 1000 people labor,
and the great majority of that multitude work
ON in fear and trembling, waiting the removal
OF their present ruler, and the induction into
power OF the new public printer. Who the
new official will be is a question of vital inter-
est and importance to the employees Of the
Office, and the matter is being discussed, not
only by them, but also by the members of the
numerous typographical unions throughout the
land. The government printing Office is by
many regarded as the central figure in the
craft, and the influences which emanate from
| it are not light nor valueless.
With thirteen or fourteen candidates in the
field it would be more than difficult to reveal
the identity of the successful one, but briet
sketch of the qualifications which he ought &c
have. and which the law says he must have
may be of interest
WHAT PUBLIC PRINTER SHOULD Be
In the first place he must be a practical
printer. On February %. 1867, an act of Con.
gress was approved which provided that the
Congressional printer" ..shall be some CONNIE
tent person, who shall be practical printer
and versed in the art of bookbinding" Stress
has been laid on these same requirements In
later legislation. in which the title of the Of
fetal was changed to Public Printer" From
1852 up to the time when Mr.. s. p. Rounds re-
resigned, the law was strictly adhered to- each
of the heads of the office-John L. Towers. A.
G. Seaman, Geo. W. Bowman, John Heart John
ID. Defrees. Cornelius Wendell A. NJ. Clapp and
s. p. Rounds all having graduated from the
case. When Mr.. Benedict was nominated by Pres
ldent Cleveland, the objection was at once made
that the nominee was not a practical printer.
neither was he versed in the art of bookbinding
The question was discussed at length and il
was finally developed that Mr.. Benedict had
not served an apprenticeship to the printing
business, but had picked up a snattering OF
general information on the subject after he be-
came proprietor OF a weekly newspaper at
his home in the interior of New York state
For this reason there was considerable opposi-
ton to Mr.. Benedict's confirmation. The Sen
ate committee on printing, however. reported
favorably on the nomination, because the re-
publicans on 1t did not desire to appear eager
to embarrass the democratic administration.
1t is understood now that the committee will
insist upon the next nominee being possessed
of all the qualifications the law demands.
PRIVATE INTERESTS.
Another matter which the Senate committee
will attend to carefully will be to see whether
or not the nominee has any interest in a
private printing Office, or a binding, engrav-
ing, litho-raphic or stereotyping establish
ment. On this point the law is very specific.
Section 3765 of the revised statutes saws:
Neither the Congressional printer, nor the
foreman Of printing. nor the foreman of bind
ing, shall, during his continuance in office,
have any interest direct or indirect, in the
publication of any newspaper or periodical, or
in any printing, binding, engraving or
lithographing of any kind, or in any contract
for furnishing paper or other material con-
nected with the public printing, binding,
lithographing or engraving; and for every
violation Of this section the party offending
SHALL on conviction before any court Of COM
petent jurisdiction. be imprisoned in the
penitentiary for a term of not less than FIVE
years and shall be fined in the sum of five
hundred dollars"
OTHER ESSENTIALS.
The qualifications which the law requires
in public printer are, after all, not of
as much importance as some of the
other qualities that such an official ought
to possess in order that he may be successful
He has to be thorough business man, a sufi-
GENTLY skillful financier, and diplomat of the
highest type. He must be strong enough to
to bear on the chief of the only government
department not controlled by the rules of the
civil service. and yet his resistance must not be
apparent, or he will make more enemies than
he will friends. lie must watch the expepdi-
lures Of the Office carefully and do his best To
80 arrange them that his force be not disturbed
by unnecessary furloughs or discharges. He
must supervise with keen eye the working of
the various departments Of the immense es-
Enlistment temporarily in his charge SO that
there shall be no extravaganza or waste, and yet
he must practice careful hberality in dealing
with the employees. All this he must be il he
Is to be satisfactory public printer, but that q
man combining all the rare qualities enumer-
possibility and by no means probable. There
may be two or three such among those who are
candidates for the honor, but il is by no means
certain that either of them will be appointed
The salary attached to the honor is but $1,000
per annum, and IL the new appointee is o con-
scientious man he viii earn every cent he Il
paid and q good many more. Congress fails to
realize the immensely of the great printing
ofice, and the public printer Is consequently
dwarfed by men and matters Of infinitely les
importance.
4 PoesrBLE cALANrTT.
Few people think sufficiently Of the printing
ONCE TO know that IL n practically the heart Of
the government, and that il destruction would
mean DISASTROUS cessation Of government
business II the ricketty old shell should fall
down or be burned down during sesston Of
Congress both houses would have 70 adjourn or
take . lengthy recess. for no local aggregation
Of printing lfices could pretend 70 do the
work The departments VOID necessaFily
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