Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-07-18
STATE PRINTING AND GRAFT.

The taxpayers of Oregon know little about the state
printing office they did there would be no state print
ing plant at least not the kind Of institution it is at
the present time
The people generally, however, know very little about
the printing business Even report OF the work done
and the cost of producing it would have small meaning
to the average citizen 1t is behind this fact that the state
printing graft is entrenched Every dollars worth OF
work turned out by the plant probably costs twice or
three times as much it ought toand much OF the work
done also is unnecessary simply turned out to give SEM
bance of for keeping big force of printers press
men, etc. busy at high salaries These employees are all
paid out of the state treasury
Tn printing plant itself is manned by the blind the
halt and lamesefstyed printers who have been or are
strikers for politician around the state house with
pull enough to get them into this asylum Tor those VINO
have outived their usefulness except in the petty ed
of union politician.
Every real publisher and printer in the state knows
that the state printing office is joke as business IN
suton If the taxpayers understood conditions as wen
as they do it wouldn't last very ongbut the retaners
there ntrenched behind the Iact tnat tney do ho
know.
This was the institution that State Printer Lawrence
and his coconsprato Sefton used at the bidding OF the
men who put them in their jobs to attempt to close up
the plant of the Daily Capital Journal Men VINO make
living playing petty politics and preying of the tax
PAYERS have small conception OF honor and integrity lhe
measure all things of this nature by their own standard
They could not conceive of the great International
Typographical Union insisting CnaC every iIenDer Keep
faith with his employer and observe the law OF the union
10 the letter Men like Lawrence and Sefton have an idea
that labor union is merely thing to play politics with
and provide graft for irresponsible agators They are
the type of men who bring dscred upon labor unonlsm
They are the kind of who compel editors to write
editorials like that which appeared in the Capital Journal
condemning the activities of labor union leaders The
safety of our free institutions depends upon the curblng
of such men, small and insignificant individuality, but
collectively able to do much harm, especially in time
Of war and national peril
They were destined, however, to receive jolt from
the T. u when they pulled off their midnight consplr-
acy to wreck the Capital Journal They could use the
state printing plant to give employment to the striking
prinerspayng them out of the state treasu1ybut they
could not force the International Typographical Union
to break faith with employera conception OF labor
rnonsm that had penetrated the noodles of these
pin-headed agitators in their lives before
The Capital Journal is still running. 1t will continue
to crticse Governor Withycombe President Kerr of the
O. A. c. and other pubic officials when it chooses to do
so That is the right and duty of a newspaper and In
this connection it might be added that the state printing
board consists Of Governor Withycombe, Secretary OIL
State Olcott and State Treasurer Kay. They cannot
abolish the state printing office because establish
cd by law but they might clean itup of useless employees
put competent men in charge and minimize the graft
The responsibility for its present condition rests
with them