The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-01-13
THE STATE PRINTING MATTER
By Henry Wallace in Wailace,s Farmer

!
Mr. Henderson about this matter, but
we can readily understand why hel
| should dismiss the suit II was
brought before the legislature had act
ed. When the Legislature did act, and
when it reelected him without vote
being cast against him, he had a right
to consider that action a complete
vindication. 1t would BE- very difficult
for him to prove that Mr.. Pierce's al
legged libelous statements had damag-
ed him when the action of the legis-
lature indicated that the members
did not regard them as worthy of SER
ious consideration. A jury would like
ly say; Why, you have not been dam
aged; the Legislature has thoroughly
e yindiCateI you. The members really
sat at jury and gave you the YER
dict"
The members of the committee on
retTenchment and reform were: Sen
= ators Joseph Fl. Allen, of Pocahontas;
Joseph Mates of Sac City; Leslie E.
: Francis, of Spirit Lake; John L. Will
2 son of Almont; Sherman w. DeWolf
: of Reinbeck, and Representatives
John w. Jacobs, of Lake City; VIM.
y Larrabee, Jr, of Clermont; Gerrit w.
: Clay; Chas w. Miller, of Waverly;
r BENJAMIN H. Black of Nichols. These
gentlemen are of standing and good
o re puta in their respective counties.
J. and in the state at large Surely, after
II these men had made a thorough in
" vestigation of this printing and bind
ing matter after they had listened
r patiently to all that Mr.. Pierce had
3 to say. they were in position to form
{. fairly reliable Judgment at to what
q wiuld be best to do. They had no pos
u sible motive other than to serve the
state intelligently and honestly. The
b. other members of the Legislature
Al had enough confidence in their integ
Of rity and judgment to act as they ad
re vised
IL In the foregoing we have given oul
lie readers the facts about this matter
IL Some of them may ask: why should
re Mr.. Pierce make so much fuss abou
lie it? Why should he get out specia
O. editions? Why should he devote col
lg umn after column Of his paper to thi
n matter? Why should he continue t
lie talk after it is all settled, and TIN
We legislature has adjourned?'
=. We do not pretend to be able to eN
III plain the motives of this man. W.
70 venture however, to suggest two mai
:. tiers for consideration by those VIII
~ are curious.
toi First, at the time Mr.. Pierce wa
~ making such tremendous effort to cer
70 ter attention on what he called tn
>, terrible graft in state printing an
IN binding, certain railroad legislato
a was beng considered by the legislt
to
n paper about this. It's readers were nc
of warned that their interests to tn
IN amount of millions of dollars yea
Is. we're at stake. So far as they could te
ve by reading his paper, the one all In
in portant question before the legisli
Oh ture was this printing and bindin
~ matter. In everv issue Mr.. PierC
DC tried to focus attention on this, sa
nd ing nothing at all of the railroad LEI
AT islation, of infinitely greater impor
he ance
CHI Second, the state printing and bin
to ing, or most of it, must be done
Des Moines. a large amount OF 1t b
20 ing rush work done at night whe
,ie the legislature is in session. Thel
&C are but two printshOps in Des Moint
N equipped to handle it. One of these
~. owned by Mr.. Pierce. If the legislatul
u. had abolished the offices of state pri
or ter and binder, and let the work /
los contract, on competitive bids, on
20 these two firms, one of them Owne
IN by Mr. Pierce, would have been alb
IL, to bid on it. What usually harper
no when there is condition of this sor
bo The officials from other states a.
,et swered this question.
rIy Under the present law. the member
-. of the legislature, the direct repr
~, sentativcs of the people, absolute
Leo fix the prices paid for state printir
ri, and binding. If the prices are found
We he too high, they can be reduced
10 any meeting of the legislature. And
oi. is the business of the state documel
-, editor to see to it that the bills rem
., cred conform to the prices fixed
-, the legislature. 1t would seem difficu
,as to devise a more satisfactory or mo-
ID economical method.
.I No one familiar with the facts too
III Mr.. Pierce very seriously. His d
- sire to secure the work for his oV
printshop seemed to be his controlliI
motive.