Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1905-09-13
PUBLIC PRINTER OUT
Not a Case Of Graft But oce Of Par
tiality and Fayoritism
pAR1tSANsHlp, NOT CORRUPTION
Reason For the Summary Dismissal
Of Public Printer Palmer is Given
by President Roosevelt.

Oyster Bay, l.. L., Special.-P7esident
f Roosevelt has made public the report
of the Keep commission on its recent
investigation of affairs ID the Govern
ment Printing Office at Washington.
The inquiry was made by special Ii
rection of the President on account Of
a protest which he had received from
a protest which lie had received from Of
icials of the Mergenthaler Typesetting
Machine Company against the award of
a contract by Public Printer Frank w.
Palmer to the Lanston Monotype Com
pany for II machines Of it's make.
The President decided, after an ex-
animation of the Keep report, that the
contract for the Ianst0n machines
should stand. The Keep commission
reported that if the contract could be
set aside, "such course would be ad-
visable;" although the commission
states expressly that "no corrupt con-
sideration, payment or promise passed
from the Lanston Monotype Company
to the public printer or to any person
in the government service"
1t was developed by the investiga-
ton, however, that two important as
sistants of the public printed were in
directly interested in the Laston Com
pany, their wives being stockholders
therein" The commission shows that
fair and impartial test of the Lanston
and Mergenthaler machines was not
made, and reports that the purchase Of
so.large number Of Lanston machines
was ''improvident" and indicated "great
partiality and bias on the part Of the
public printer" The commission re-
CARDS the purchase as maladministra-
ton
The text of the Presidents mem
orandum upon the port follows;
-"Oyster bay, Sept. 9, 1905.
"The conclusion of the committee are
hereby approved, save the latter part
Of conclusion first. 1t does not appear
that there is any question as to the
validity Of the contract in question. If
it had not been for the conduct of the
Mergenthaler Company ii preferring
the charge discussed by the committee
in conclusion two, that of corruption,
should agree with the committee that
it would be desirable to set aside the
contract Il such course we're legal. But
second only to corruption in public
office in point of inquiry, comes making
a baseless charge Of corruption, and
this is what the committee finds, the
Marganthaler Company has done in
iffs- sasei s., t2m ts-obesng LIN
part:
"Iir the light Of tie failure Of the
company to produce evidence or s,cn
corruption, it must be held that !le
charge was made recklessly and lie
Mergenthaler Company should be =
yerely condemned for Including st,ci
charge in a formal COMMUNICATION 20
the president of the United States
made as basis for official action on
his part. 1t is fair also to the Lanston
Monetype Company to say that no evil
Gence was produced by the Mergen,
thaler Company, nor was any obtained
hy the committee in the course OF its
hearing, tending to show any promise,
payment or consideration OF any KIND
whatsoever made by the Lanston Com
pany. or any of its officers Or agents,
to any person in the government SER
vice.
"Had moi this charge of corruption
been made I should have er ely
agreed with the conclusion of the COM
mittee that if it were possible (which
it is not) IL would be desirable to can
eel the contract in question.
"Public Printer Palmer has been re-
moved from office. The cases Of the
subordinates alluded to in the report
must be taken up in connection with
the discipline and reorganization OF
the bureau when Mr.. Palmer's sue
cess or assumes office.
"THEODRORE ROOSEVELT.
Referring to the allegation that Os-
car ]. Ricketts, was the candidate OF
the Merganthaler Company for Public
Printer. the report says: Questions
were asked of the Public Printer, MI.
Dove and General Michner, as to what
grounds they had for thinking that
the Mergenthaler Company was be-
hind Mr.. Ricketts,. The seasons given
were of an unsubstantial character and
it is only Just to Mr.. Ricketts, to say
that there is not in the evidence taken
before this committee anything to show
an illegitinate connection between Mr..
Rockets and the Mergenthaler Com
pany.