Year: 1859

Our enemies of late have said much about the public printing. The ex-treasurer, who himself paid out the money, has been enlisted to write upon the subject; all the newspapers unfriendly to us, both the dis organizing and the know nothing, have been engaged to raise cry upon it; and T. c. Hindman, one of the Congressmen elect, has made tour of his district to speak about it; and the public has been led to expect some astounding disclosures of fraud and corruption.

 We have waited long while, until our patience is almost exhausted, but we have waited in vain, for our assaiants to prefer against LIS some palpable, tangible charge. As yet they have not done so. They boast to have a great many facts from the record, but they do not produce them. They pub fish auditor warrants, talk of vast sums drawn from the treasury, and cunningly insnuate something wrong; but they do not come out, as men should, who have grave charge of fraud or corruption to make, and the proofs to sustain it.

 Why is this? Is it magnanimous. mode of warfare? The veriest criminal in the State, when arraigned for his crimes, has right to know of what he stands ac cused. That right, in this question of public printing, has been denied to us We are arraigned before the public without being accused of any wrong, and adiudged and condemned without even the shadow of trial The public has been informed that we have drawn certain sum of money from the treasury for the public printing, and, without charge or proof that 1t was wrongly drawn, 1t is asked that sentence of condemnation be passed upon us.

 The Old-Line Democrat, thinking to give us a finishing blow, and crush us for ever, makes the following proposition:

 "We would be very glad to do the same amount of work, and as well, at considerable discount elow the figures they charged, and will give them now an adpance Of per cent on those prices, for all work they may have to do for the State in fu- ture."

 This proposition, coming as it does from concern avowedly established to oppose the True Democrat, is the highest evidence of the correctness of the prices established for the public printing. Our worst enemy 

 when called upon to bear testimony in re- gard to the prices, says that he will pay an advance of per cent. on those prices to get to do the work-he enormous amount | of per cent! What higher eulogy could have been passed upon the law establishing the prices for the public printingl The Old Line Democrat, in this proposition, ac- knowledges that the prices are very near right, since it could not afford to do it at less deduction than per cent

 There is one more feature to be remark ed in connection with this proposition. Af- ter the complaints of the Old Line Demo- 1 crat about the amount we have drawn from the treasury for the public printing, and it's great solicitude for the public interest, one would not have expected from 1t pro- position to get the public printing at the same prices we are charging. Itproposes to pay us the meagre amount of 5 per cent. to get to do the public printing that we are doing, at the prices we are charging, all of which it has denounced to the public!- What show for patriot, standing as a self-created sentinel over the public treasu- "! It complains of us for running our