Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-02-19
Mr.. Hefndcn Replies.

Columbia, February 17.--Messrs. Edi-
tors Keowee Courier: / offer a few words
10 reply to your editorial in The Keowec
Courier in the issue Of February 18th,
instant. think all the defense that is
needed of the bill introduced by myself
in regard to the letting of the public
printing by contract to the lowest bidder,
is contained in your editorial, when you
say: "This advertising is now awarded
by the County Commissioners to the two
papers-T The Keowee Courier and Oconee
News--for the one price provided by law,
and this sum is divided equally between
them. This arrangement has obtained
for three years; and for several years
Immediately preceding definite sum,
equal in amount, was fixed by the board
for each paper for doing this work"
While the State newspaper did not at
tempt to quote my remarks in my own
language, and while / did not use the
word pap at all, the substance of my
remarks are given correctly. The report
of the State newspaper says: che (Sena-
tor Herndon) thought IL the bill passed,
all the papers would get together and
agree on the bids and in this way the
advertisements would appear in all the
papers. The State printing and con-
tracts for bridges, ETC., are given to the
lowest bidder, and he wanted the same
principle applied in this case"
The Keowee Courier says this is al
ready being done in Oconee county.
This it seems to me establishes the pro-
priety of the bill. But The Keowee
Courier, after stating the fact that the
advertising is now awarded by the
County Commissioners to the two papers,
says: "All this information was readily
accessible to Mr.. Herndon and he should
have informed himself on the subject
before making the statement on the floor
OF the Senate that in his (Oconee) county
our paper was monopolizing the "public
pap"
had information which 1 thought
correct, but in order that no injury may
be done any one, will the esteemed Keo-
wee Courier state specifically:
a. Does the contract of public print
ing include the printiSg of all such pub
lilo notices as election notices, Treasurer's
notices, Auditors notices, annual and
other reports of the county officersp
(2.) Does it include advertisements of
notices of sales and other notices of the
Sheriff.
(3.) Does it include the publishing of
notices and other advertisements of a
public nature issued by the Master,
Clerk of Court and Judge of Probatep
a. Did not the two papers mentioned
(The Keowee Courier and The Oconee
News) at one time publish all such notices
for one priceP
(5.) If they once did and do not now,
why do they notp
(6.) If they do not now publish all
such notices, will the esteemed Keowee
Courier explain why it was right once to
do 80 and not right now; and also why
it is right to publish part of such
notices and not allp
G) Will The Keowee Courier point
out in what respects the bill was against
the public INTEREST,"
The Keowee Courier says: cit will be
noted that the bill was killed by an over
whelming vote -" The Journal of
the Senate shows that on demand for a
division the vote stood 10 against the
bill, to no further count demanded, and
my recollection is that about Is voted in
favor of the bill. But if we were to grant
that the difference was very much
greater, will most respectfully call the
attention to the fact that quite number
of bills in tho interest of the people have
been "killed by an overwhelming vote"
at this sessionapf the General Assembly.
l will further say that 1 have always
voted, since have had the honor to rep
resent Oconce county in the Senate, ac-
cording to what has seemed to me for
the best interest of all the people, and if
in So doing must incur adverse criticism
from private interests, l regret that it
must be so, but such criticism will not
in the least influence my action now or
hereafter. Very truly yours,
T.. l.. Herndon.
a>h----