Telegram-herald., 1890-10-17

znnslestsa aisehsrxe & "a gseas re-
spoons ssi.ty q tie SAFE. TIE 50 mag
ee oommeuaea Ens re proFsoa Ell
ses 2cs rsiaExs q Ehs pr.nIag e tas
ncksts is t0elssh, inpohsle ana mpr4c-
Ieasie. Ws quote TIE pregisoas
No sissst shall - osse ~ any sach
siscDca % circulated "a tDe Cav u
a-en election, lllless IaEulsasa - t9e
o~cFetAzy of state for saeb plE-
pose, aae e hereby made TIE lutY OF
Ne Secretary u STATE ~ pr0earS &nd
furnish, on apPi.estoa ana payment a.
Ann u tee asg1ai cost, via 10 per
cent kd5ed sksFsto - the state Central
Consal Tee, eoanty, o. other manag ~
eonl,ztttes Of any political party o. or
% amount 81 hsil0ts o. b1 Used a. such
approaching elsct0ns, As may be
1eenled accessory 0g convenient.
The Secretary Of State took q sensible
view OF the provision, aud decided mat
the printing Of the tickets was state
printing. and bad % Dc done under the
state contract ~ the STATE printer A.
Lansing. 10 other view would BE-
taken % the requirement, by any man
OF ordinary common sense. bu. nov
The SupEsms Court has reasoned TIE
ssase cut OF the provision as sP-
pears by Is decision Iust HANDED
down. The constitution eujoins that
the Legislature shall provide by law
.hat ths printing aud' bad
ing the laws AMI journals, all
blanks, paper ard printing FOR tue exc
cUtve departments. and al other
printing ordered log the Legislature,
sAall De let by contract 20 the lowest
bidder Or h.dders."
But the supreme Court says that "the
printing OK iAe tickets is not 70 bo done
at the expense of the state. and there
fore "a not governed by Section p Al
ticle 4 Of the constitution" -thc section
quoted above. But how the Supreme
Court arrives az that conclusion, that
honorable body does not state. The
conclusion IS something Ike Topsey-
10 lust gr0wed." one OF the States
highest officials Is alphabetically
not personally 10 have the printing
done. The plInter knows that ne Will
have 10 deal with a state Official solely,
as . state Official. lie Will look to him
officially for his pay. The Secretary OF
State IS required to do the work Off
cially and not AS a mere go-betweeD, OF
middle-man tor the mutual benefit of
certain printers and certain political
committees. In fact he is 8 Secretary
OF State and not huckster. Then il
would seem to the ordinary individual
that the printing Of the tickets IS q
State job.
The Supreme Court says that "these
tickets will BE furnished by the Score
tsry of State only upon payment of the
cost thereof" The Supreme Court
should be accurate. The statute pro-
vides for the payment of the actual
cost nth 10 per cent added thereto. Thi,
10per cent cuts s. very important figure
night here. Who gets the 10 per cent.
The Secretary OF State? No; he can re-
celve no perquisites under the consti
tuition. The State treasury If so,
then the printing is surely State Job,
The printer? Then actual cost" means
"actual cost TO the printer, and "1C
per cent means his profit. Now, if
the printing job IS private matter be
tween the printer and the committee,
the State is altogether too accOmmo-
dating. 1t furnishes not only the enid
dleman," but also the contract. There
might be some show of dignity in the
States assuming the whole Job, but to
turn its Secretary of State into bucks
ter, and TO stick its nose into private
transactions is unbecoming, and was
never contemplated by the Legislature.
The only possible justification for re-
moving the printing from its natural
localities, was TO make il State job.
AS soon as the decision of the SUI
preme Court was announced, the print
ers all over the State jumped to the
conclusion that they had chance at
TIE work. Butas the Secretary of State
IS responsible officially for the printing
of the tickets, n justice to himself, he
must have the work done where he can
supeTintend it. He cannot be in al
parts OF the State st once. He ia re.
ported to have expressed this sensible
view Of the case: eff l am to be respon.
sible for the printing Of the tickets,
must have it where I can superlntend
the work. 7 shall hsve part done in
Lansing and part in Detroit The work
Of proofresding and shipping ticket,
viii be immense, and il IS i'm possible tc
do it quickly and accurately by dealing
with eighty 10 eighty-fve printers. q
And every practical business man val
commend MS good sense. lie has a
delicate job on his hands AZ the best
and he naturally wishes to turn out. in
= creditsble manner, the last and mos
important piece Of work Of bis whole
term OF Office.
We have called the provision foolish
We deem Is 20. becaass = removes the
printing OF tae tickets from the super
vision Of those who sre well acquainted
with ne names Of candidates and less
liable % make mistakes. because u
inns al The rrsnorslh-l.tr rr-, n-s