The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-10-19
| WASHING
l& e. q NEWCa


rookery, irreverently called by many
an Incubator" it was considered the
grating" Department of the Govern
ment. When a man came to Washing
ton dead broke, and demanded of his
Representative In Congress that some
off into the Government Printing Of
flee. 1t didn't make any difference
whether he knew pumpkin pie from a
'pied'' form or not. He could learn
the Government would support him
while he was at it. Every pretty wo-
man. every disconsolate widow. every
broken-down school teacher. every
woman of any kind who had pull
and not brains enough to do anything
else was sent to the Government Print
ing Office and put on a salary for-well
something was usually found for them
to do. even though they made poor
out at doing it. Meantime Congress
was making appropriations for running
the Government Printing Office far in
excess of the work done. Old machines
were kept in the huge printery because
the new-fangled ones would take fewer
men or women to run them and cut off
some of the big force, which was not
to be thought Of Anticipated methods
of doing the work Were followed for
the same reason. The Government
Printing Office finally became the syn
onym of graft pure and simple. Then
Richardson, of Tennessee, left the halls
of Congress, leaving the Craftsmanship
of the House Committee on Printing
vacant. and there was also a change in
methods in the Printing Office coin
cident with the other changes.
1t will be remembered that one of the
greatest specimens of graft ever not
ed in connection with the Government
Printing Office was the publishing of
he md aY1tC of
idents of the United States. This was
compiled by Mr.. Richardson, of Ten
nessee. and each member of Congress
got SO many copies of this very valua bic
work. and then no more were forth
coming. Efforts were made to find out
from the Government Printing Office
why more volumes could not be gotten
out to supply the demand. but some
way the House Committee on Printing
could never seem to get any informa-
ton on the subject. Then, finally, one
day i'm Congress. some member got up,
possibly it was Gen. Grosvenor. of Ohio.
and stated that he held in his hand a
circular from some book agent stat
ing that he had for sale, very cheap,
q large number of sets of Messages
and Documents of Presidents of the
United States published by Mr.. Rich
ardson, of Tennessee. The circular
praised the books to the skies, told
how the coIlator had burned the mid
night oil in getting the books in shape,
how he as a member of Congress had
access TO documents which nobody else
could reach, and that the books were
invaluable, because they had been
stamped with the approval of Congress
Yes. indeedy. They had the stamp
of approval of Congress all right. for
Congress had voted to make Mr.. Rich
ardson the collator of the books, had
given him a free hand, and had ac-
cepted the books after the work was
finished. In other words in some mys-
ferrous way, never yet quite under
stood. Mr.. Richardson, a member of
the lower House from Tennessee, had
secured control of the plates of the
books. and was selling books printed
from them on his own hook. 1t has
been stated that he derived a fortune
from the sale of the books. When call
ed upon to state how he had managed
TO get possession Of the plates of the
set Of books, Mr.. Richardson said that
after the number ordered by Congress
lad been printed there was no more
use for the plates. and they were pre-
sented to him. Who did the presenting
has never been learned exactly. though
Mr.. Richardson left the impression that
II was Congress which did the donat-
ing.
Well. however Mr.. Richardson got
hold of those books or the plates. Con-
gress speedily got hold of them again,
and sent word to the country that it
was not in the book business as a
mOney-making project, and that put an
end to Mr.. Richardson's little graft.
This is mentioned as just one of the
ways in which the Government Printing
Office has been run. There are thou
sand other cases almost as bad. Things
are different now. Charley Lands, of
Indiana, is Chairman of the Committee
now, and he looks after the interests
of the Government, not himself or his
friends He has just received word that
Mrs. Daniel Manning, ex-Presiaent-
General of the Daughters of the Amer
lean Revolution, is coming TO Congress
TO camp on his trail till he authorizes
the printing of her bulky report of the
doings of the Lady Board of Managers
of the St Louis Exposition. Mrs. Man
ming was made Chairman of the Board
along during the year some time and
they do say that she stirred up more
various kinds of incipient inferno than
Mrs. Potter Palmer did. and that seems
to be almost useless. If. in her book
Irs. Manning tells the number of times
that the women ruined their gowns
with tears wept over her snubs of them.
1t will prove delightful diversion from
the THlrnan scraps in the United States
Senate. or the "Red-headed Rooster"
from New York i'm the House proceed
tngs. MIR. lands does not say that he
will not print the Volumes but he diplo-
maticaliy asks, why should the Gov
eminent print it," and that leaves a
kind of hiatus in the hopes of Mrs
Manning. Mrs. Potter Palmer tried to
get Congress to print her report i'm 1903,
but il wouldn't, and it is not probable
that il will do this now.
The fact remains that expenses I'm
the Government Printing Office must be
cut down The Committee on Printing
recognizes this fact. Whole tons of re-
ports Of various Departments and Com
mittees lie rotting i'm the document
rooms. never called for, and absolutely
worthless. 1t is said that the AgricuI-
turai Department is the greatest trans
gressor. and that deep cut will be
made there. All Departments will be
made to feel the reduction of their
printing privileges. but it is a righteous
reform.
The Construction Bureau of the Navy
Department will recommend that~one
OF the big battleships authorized at the
last Congress be built at the BROOKLYN
Navy Yard.
This year Cabinet officers are ex
pected To stay of the stump-except I'm
their own States. Secretary Shaw. who
has been m a ctfty,1p taur Ill Co.,.