St. Landry democrat., 1891-01-17
The Public Printing.

q ofJustlce and equity utterlyuniustifiabl
:. the course pursued by majority of tl
SIX (out of ten) members of the polio
jury who were present, while not les
unfair and unjust, was also, we thinl
clearly illegal and unlawful.
In order to enable our readers to forr
an opinion for themselves on this mat
ter we will give brief history thereof
IL has always been the custom here. q
F far as we know-such has certainl
been the custom for many years past
Tor these bodies to make contracts fo
printing, to endure and subsist durin.
the term OF office of such bodies-tw,
years for the town, four years for tn,
parlsh-and to never require that for
mai, written contract should be signed
such was the nature of the contracts
existing between the DEMOCRAT and
the Courier and the Police jury and
Town Council, the contract with the
Police jury dating from Oct. 1, 1888. for
four years, and that with the Town
Council dating from May or June, 1890.
for two years. At least that is the way
we naturally understood them; and as
neither of these bodies in accepting our
bids notified US in any shape or manner
or gave US the least intimation, that the
contract then entered into differed in
any particular from those entered into
by their predecessors with ours. there
was no room for any other belief or un-
de1standing. The contract with the
town was by the square, and there NAV
be no law to enforce it; that with the
parish, however, was by the year-at a
stipulated salary per annun, and az the
third year of our contract began Oct. /,
1890, we do not think that we can be
legally deprived of the parish printing
before the expiration of that year, viz,
Oct. 1, 1891.
Now, these contracts were not onerous
Or oppressive to the town or parish. tt
8 true that they were made in pursu-
'nce of an understanding had between
he publishers of the two papers. who
aW no wisdom in undertaking each
'ther and doing the work at cut-throat
'rlces; and having come to an under
landing on the subject, nothing was in
heir way to prevent them from demand
ng full legal rates for the work, and do
ng that work in only one paper. But
hey conslderately-though unwisely.
erbaps, viewing the matter in the light
t recent events-refrained from doing
lis; and in the case of the town they
greed to do all the advertising in both
apers at twenty per cent less than the
gal rates for one, while in the case of
'e parish they agreed to accept and {
vide between them the yearly salary t
$3.50 which for the four preceding
'ars bad been paid to one paper, also f
'reeing to publish the proceedings, or a
nances, jury lists, &C., in both papers, il
US giving those matters wider pub
'lty and doing away with the necessity IL
r any citizen to subscribe for anv
rtlcular paper in order to keep posted Z
those subjects. The election and c
sistration notices, orders of court, &C.,
re to be published, as under the pre- Y
ling contract, at legal rates, The al
arly salary of $3.50, we may add. com.
nsated us for the services performed w
der the contract at the rate of about
per cent of legal rates. is
Tt,u, ,,pdo, &koeo
unit, good faith, to say nothing of W
cent regard for the consideration and to
deration exhibited by the publishers
these newspapers at time when it in
in their power to exact much higher
es, good faith, We say, forbade in to
b cases any attempt to deprive us of
printing before the expiration of the wi
9 when all like contracts have ended Ff
etofore. To claim that, now that a Fr
: paper has been established here,
ch is willing and ready to engage in thi
lt-throat business, the printing can Co
done for less, and money thereby
ed for the people, is not a good and an,
lcient reason for such action; and vo
members OF both these bodies who, !,
lout due reflection 1--WE hope) voted the
the abrogation of these contracts A.,
at once perceive their error, we be- Al,
e, it they will to consider this mat mo
exchange their capacity of public Co,
ants in which they acted for that of anr
ate individuals. Could they copsis-
ly or hoEorably or would they en- A
man in any capacity for one, two, Jur
'ur years. as the case may be, and the
q end of six months, or a year, or hav
unceremoniously turn him off be- Cou
no written contract binds them to vid
him any longer and because they der
ave few dollars by such a pro- ish
IngY We think not; and we do not Is q
We that the people of the enlight- The a
town of Opelousas and of the great sam
b Of st. Landry would require Of ing
Or even approve, any action in their ''n'
1t which Wonld bring the blush of r
g to your cheeks If committed for ON,
own individual benefit.
10 action was brought about in each Yo'l
It the instance Of the office-Lolders ine
ffice-seekers who three months ago say
lished newspaper here to bolster selv'
cir political fortunes and at the n0De
time depriva ps of ; ror.;a, 80 a. can
!, ,;.asa..st ~ - .no he b
y '.auedua,0 ie"aius OF ousi- in th
n which we have been engaged for tion
and out ef which we make our tury
Il. 3