The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-07-20

jected. If carried would have re-
suited in the practioa1 At seS;og0
per annum. --1-'-1 AZ ~ 'aas''ss'Sl
} The common people .of the country,
are not interested IN. tke ekcessive puh-
licatiOn of the Congressional Record
Tits very fine thing to have, bound
and indexed at the public expense for
the use of statesman and newspaper
men, and it makes a. handsomes addis
ton to the library of gentleman. aBuS
if fivc~copies were daily givcn~-to- each
member of congress, instead of twenty
two, it would be Sufficient for the,
statesmen; -and-if they needed more to
send to the various people in their dis
tricts they could purchase and pay for
them out Of their own pockets. -.
The present government printing Of
fee was not founded until 1861 when
Mr.. John d. Defrees, of Indiana, was
appointed the public printer by, Presi-
dent Lincoln, after congress had wor-
ried along with other less convenient
and satisfactory systems since the gov
many years the public printing was
done ON a small scale, the house and
senate each paying for their own work
out of their appropriations for con-
tingent expenses" For about twenty
years prior to 1916 the senate and
mouse elected public printers who were
salared officials The duties of these
officers were to make economical con-
tracts and audit accounts for such
Il
sary. In that year, 1916. when the an
nual expense of congressional printing
reached the enormous sum of S65, 900,
it was decided to return to the original
contract system. But in 1851 the pub
lie printing cost $500 900, and the office
of superintendent of public printing
was created by act of congress, with
salary of $4,000 per annum. Strange
as it may now appear, Horace Greeley
was an applicant for the position, and
so was Henry j. Raymond; both of
them destined to become the leading
journalists of their day, and one of
them candidate for the presidency of
the republic. II s. "
The law of 1861, creating the Office of
der the system then commenced the
government printing Office has grown
TO the present proportions. The salary,
which is $500, IS very small, and no
superior man could be induced to ac
cept the Office but for the honor of the
position. The public printer gives
bond in the sum of 100000 and is
oh ~, 10 in
with or interest in any printing, bind
ing, lithographing or engraving estab
lishment; so that the entire time, at
tention, ability and energy of the pub
lie printer must be given to the gov
eminent for $500 per anpum. And
yet, the duties and responsibilities. Of
the place require, the Services Of man
who is possessed of as much executive,
ability as would be required of the in
.cumbent of It cabinet position, e,,~1
The public printer must be q man of
absolute incorruptbiltY and sterling
inte2rity.a If he is not. heiis always in
dagger of ,nssdirectioh; for the temp
tations gfcfhsposition nre'ver-y great.
The foHo%iH st3sy is illustrative: Il
,do notlike. Ira tfban, said Capt, 5lere-
dith, .ch ief 69sfhe bYEesr of engraving
ard priHtingk thressycdrs ago, as we
passedsa fr6minept chaEaeter on the
avenue$ 81 tssSas Supposed early in 50
that ! wouldbe appoiated public prin-
ter. That mans calpe TO me and asked
10 be appointedchief clerk of the gov-s
ernmcnt.. printing office, sayingehe
would make me rich II gave him,thati
position. WhenI asked how he could do
it, he said that. as chief clerk, he would
make all contracts for materials for
the office, and that he would OCCASION
ally hand me an envelope with thou
sand dollars in it; and that need not
ask any questions. He had been in
troduced to me only week before by
ap ex-member of cabinet. and had
presumed that ne was gentleman. |
have never permitted him to speak to
me since that day"
The above is true story. 1t illus
trates Pointedly and practically the
dangers of the position, unless man
is armed so strong in honesty that he
is absolutely incoTpptible. s---
u IT, ~ SSuTH d. FRY.