Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-23
THE COUNTY CLERK AND THE GREAT
REGISTER.

umns of special pleading in last even
ing's issue to try to break the force of
the arraignment of Mr.. Ward (the
county clerk, and candidate for re-elec-
tion,) by the HERALD, some time ago,
and by the resolutions OF the late Demo-
cratic convention. Mr.. Ward is charged
with using his position as county clerk
for the purpose of fsvoring his organ,
the Express, in giving it the contract to
print the great register. No bids
were asked for from other print
ers, Notwithstanding several were ready
to compete for the work.
The defence made by the Express is
that the law does not order county
clerks to submit bids for printing to
competition, but merely requires the
board of supervisors to limit the max
imum price that will be allowed. The
board fixed the maximum price at %
cents per name, as was clearly their
duty; but this does not imply that the
work should not be secured at less price
if possible. 1t is susceptible of, proof
that Mr.. Ward gave printing houses in
this city to believe that be would submit
the job to competition, and dallied with
them on this subject even after he had
awarded the contract of his own motion
and without bids to the Express at the
maximum price fixed by the board of
supervisors.
This shows very plainly that Mr.. Ward
used his position as public officer to
favor job Office attached to a news
paper concern that could be useful to
him in booming his name for re-nom;-
nation by the Republican party. The
board of supervisors fixed the maximum
limit OF the cost for printing the Great
Register, and there their duty ended.
But the law does not contemplate that
the maximum shall rule in these cases
is the work can be got cheaper. The
printers who stood ready to bid. say
they would have done it for less, and
the head OF one reputable house declared
that he could have stocked his Office
with new power press and made fine
profit besides out of this job at the rate
at which it was given to the Express.
We have heretofore said that the
county has been made to sweat to the
tune of s25OO or $4,000 for the partial and
arbitrary act of Mr.. Ward. This cannot
be denied, and the people ought to take
this fact into consideration when they
come to vote for county clerk. A man
who, as an official, fails to protect the
peoples interests when he can do SO,
cannot. with any degree of grace, ask
their support.
The Express cites San Francisco. as a
county which pays a higher price for its
great register than Los Angeles. But
even in San Francisco, the county clerk
did not take upon himself to give out
the work without inviting bids.
As against the high-priced bid ac-
cepted in San Francisco, we shall cite
the TACT that IN Santa Clara, which is a
fairer comparison for our county, the
great register is printed at the rate OF
IS cents name. True, only 1900 copies
of the register are to be furnished there
against 5000 here; but the greater num-
Der of names to be printed here than in
Santa Clara ought to more than offset
the difference in the number of copies
of the register required to be furnished.
There will be some $4,000 names in
the Los Angeles register, for which the
printer will get, say, $4,000. Surely a
job of this magnitude ought to be given
out to competition. and not be seized as
the personal belonging OF an official to
place where it would do him the most
good. The board of supervisors fix
every year maximum for advertising
but when it comes to giving out the de-
linquent tax list they submit it to COM
petitive bid.
Every feature of this register business
shows plainly that Mr.. Ward abused
his official trust to favor a parti-
can who could help him in his political
aspirations. He has brought upon him
self no penal responsibility for the act,
but he has morally violated the plain
intention of the law, and acted as no
business man would have done in his
own private affairs. The county has
lost, and the taxpayers will have to
make up, the difference between what
the work is done for and what it could
have been done for. Whether that sum
is $500 or $4,000 is only question of de-
gree. The intent is there-plain and
palpable as a mountain rising out of a
clear sky.
1t is for those who have to foot the
bill to say whether they want the coun-
ty clerks Office filed by a man who will
thus compromise his duty with his con-
science.
IT is curious wha unfortunate man