The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-03-05
False Economy.

Every economy effected in this state from
the ncumbency of the late Governor Ham
ilton as Chief Executive to the present time
has been in the matter of public printing
Not only has this been effected in the mat
ter of state printing, but the economists
have, by act of the General Assembly, cut
down the price of county printing. The
press is the greatest public educator, yet 1t
is taxed, while some private educational
institutions, very limited in their influence,
are not only exempt from sharing the pub
lie burdens, but actually receive money to
sustain them out of the public treasury
In his last Sunday sermon Rev. DIR. Ry-
lance, of St Marks Episcopal Church,
New York, said
The living world was the best school, and
into this the newspaper leads its readers. 1t
goes everywhere-the art OF reading being
common. 1t is largely due to this that the
advanced and broad minded views of life pre-
vail so much among the American people.
It has created feeling of brotherhood among
nations The exchange of newspapers the
world over has promoted the cause OF inter
national peace. The newspaper men were
generally liberal, DIR. Rylance said. Asa rule
thew were far in advance of the politicians in
deserving the needs of the times. 1t was the
newspaper mainly that had rendered popular
government successful. The newspaper went
where speech could not. 1t kept men in
formed upon the best literature OF the day; 1t
made known the researches of science; IT ad.
vocated neeled social reforms; it pleaded the
cause of the weak and the oppressed; it was
the best auxiliary of the courts of law.
Some of these economies are of doubtful
expediency, and others are positively grind
Ing to legitimate enterprise. While these
economies were being effected, money was
being lavishly expended for all sorts of
purposes, many OF which appropriations
ought not to have been made.
Bills are now before the legislature for
needless appropriations, conspicuous among
them being the S60,000 proposed for the
Chicago fair. To some of these bills little
or no protest is made in either branch of
the legislature but if bill were introduced
to add $4,000 additional to the Governor
contingent fund to pay two papers IN each
county for publishing his proclamations on
Arbor and THANKSGIVING days, a howl would
20 up against it as extravaganza. The
Governor has just issued "A proclamation on
Arbor day, and the people will have to learn
of it through eratuitous announcement by
the county papers.
The press ask no gratuities, nor even to
be relieved of taxation, but they do want
fair compensation for work done, and they
are tired of doing gratuitous work while
money is being uselessly expended.
The act for letting to contract the legis-
lative printing is of the most unusual char
acter. 1t asks printers to do an unlimited
amount of work for definite sum, instead
of asking proposals for work by the page,
&c. The act ought to be repealed at once,
and Il new one passed, providing for bids
from only responsible individuals or firms,
who pay fair wages to their employees and
believe that the laborer is worthy of his
hire,
If this is not done, no bids should be
made, and The system of false economy will
have to be abandoned And further, the
press Of the state will have to take up the
matter of public printing in general. If
they don't protest against the oppression
now being practiced, it will not be surpris-
Ing that the next move will be an act re-
quiriug all public notices to be published
gratuitously.