Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1909-03-09
WHERE IGNORANCE
 IS AT PREMIUM

its object the establishment of a state printing office. to be operated by the state convicts, and for the purpose of printing the textbooks for the public schools of the state.
 In the first place, there never was a government printing office of any sort or under any circumstances which was success, viewed from material and economical standpoint. The biggest printing office ill the world. that of our general govern ment at Washington, is merely place made and perpetuated for taking care of the political proteges of congress- men. There was never piece 0i printing done in the place which months. Willard Fillmore. who filled contract for much less money, in less time and generally in better style and wor1smanship. Henc,., our Arkansas friend would employ his convict labor at business which is one of the hardest at which to make good at,
 
 even under favorable circumstances
 Again. the printing of school books is a class of work which requires the most skillful workmanship possible, and then it is often found that errors and mistakes have crept into the printing, and poor workmanship mar the presswork and binding. The men intrusted to do this work are educated men, who have not only a good school education. but are educated i'll the craft of printinG-they are the plch and cream of printe rdom. The con victs of any state institution are oi the rag-tag of creation-none of them are educated and noe of them are ca- pable of development into skilled craftsmen in any line. and they are generally too old to take up trade involving all the intricacies of the printers trade The successful print CT is man who has commenced early and has made. Il lifes work of his craft It is pOsSibl that there is q single good printer in the state prison of Arkansas today, but 1t is sale gamble for any amount :hat there is not an average of two good. capable printers on all average in the state prisons of the United States today, nor has there ever been.
 Of course, the bill was voted down. ;hut the fact still remains that so long as such men as the one who intro duced this bill enact legislation which will make or unmake the largest in- stitutions in the country. that the dan ger of investment in fixed projections wills continue to keep the country from taking that place among the states of the Union which it's natural resources ana advantages entitle it to take
 It is not a long step from profit to loss. if a burden is imposed, which, though small, is continuous and which hangs as an expense on every trans action. There are those who point to 1he growth of the Southwest and say yelopment, why this growth?" The question is well worthy of one who is incapable of deeper reasoning, and is tremendously satisfying to the shal- low and unreasoning mind. The answer is "because a man has made $l0,000, ,000, is that any s!gn that he might not have done better? Others have done better. I:ecc.,;se Inc South west backed up by all the energies of the twentieth century genius and by limitless resources, ani by a de- mand the world never saw equalled for all her products and for her un- developed riches, has done about as well as other sections, is it any sign that she has done her best? The fact is, the Southwest has now too much of her estimated wealth i'll pros poets" too much of it in "undevel- oped resources" tco much Of it in a speculative form. and worst of all, too much of it suppressed and held down by foolish laws passed to grat' fly the clamor against the prosperity of those who would do broader things and accomplish wider development O our every latent resource.
 The men who pay the bills do no sympathize with ths foolish sort o Legislation or silly legislators, bn they have themselves to blame fol the election of such to the. responsi hle position of dic':iting the prosper i:y or diversity ot all material de relopment. .=.-.--
 The press is pa culcable, too for laxity in p~os5s. ,s& from contam ination what ws sSjWhile reckonet ''the bulwark = G. evil and relig