Year: 1874

tration, the Legislature, and all Others
having connection with the matter, and
carelessly rains blows that will surely re-
turn to him with interest. In his issue of
the 24th, he says:


at is certainly matter Of deep regret,
at the first stage in the execution of the
new Jaw providing for the public print
ing, that base infamy has attached
to It,"


In what is the wisdom of the enactment
affected, that dishonest clerk "col,
luded" with dishonorable agent ?


''It was directed alone at us, but in its
results it is serious unless at once recti,
fed by the most feasible plan that pre-
sents ITSELF"


We trust the Legislature will find large
game in the future Yes, its results will
be serious--to the Statcsman--we doubt
not; and it can be rectifed at once, by
restoring it to its lost position. ssBut will
the Legislature do it 2 All, there's the
rub. We happen to know that many
well informed men in both Houses
strongly suspect that there were three,
Instead of two parties in the late "col,
lusion" Ivy which the News and the
Statesman were both hoistsd with their
own petard:


"IIad the Legislature controlled the
printing US heretofore, the unpleasant re,
ilectiops arising from the late damaging
facts in regard to the opening of our bid
by the chicf clerk in the Secretary of
States Office would not have oecurred.n,
This sentiment comes from bosom
that can only be filed with hatred to the
Administration. Has the Statesman de-
clared war upon the Governor, the Sec.
retary Of State end the Attorney General 2
This locks Ike it. Does he mean to as
sert that they wore parties to the base
act Ifso, why not say so plainly I We
assert that the above extract from his ar.
ticle of the Gath will bear the construc-
tion, snd do no violence to the most ordi.
nary rules governing the language:
There is tendency to Capitalization
imperceptibly in the mind of til Ameri-
can people, growing, as we naturally sup,
| pose, out of tho late war, and the sooner
and more decidedly we set our faces
against such tendencies, the more hope
there will be for our institutions to settle
down into their former condition"
Why did not the sapient editor of the
Statesman sound this note of warning be-
fore he failed to, secure the printing con-
tract, or at the time the new bill was be-
fore the Housel We venture the asser-
ton that the bill would have been On
excellent one, in his eyes, had the con-
tract been awarded to him. Speak,
ing Of the probable status of the matter
had the Legislature have ret aimed the
awarding, he says:


" Competent parties most probably
have presented themselves, and majori-
ty of the Legislature, upon whom no une
| just influences could have been practiced,
would have made the award.n


Then unjust influences have been po-
tent in swaying the board. This is a
grave charge to be made by a professed
Demo rat, against a Democratic Cover,
nor, and one who holds his position by a
fifty thousand majority, and against
whom calumny in her widest flights
has never hurled dart. 1t would take
more than the statement of the Statesman
backed by the News, to insure hearing
on that count from the masses of Texan
Democracy.


1t would have been the honest bal
lots of Legislators, and not the wire
working of bidders and the dishonesty of
clerks, which would have been brought
into play"


Yes, we believe the wire,workings OF
dishonest bidders and scoundrelly clerks
would have failed to influence the Legis-
lature in the least. No more do we beS
lieve they could have, did, or ever can,
influence the Governor of Texas, his At,
torney General, or his Secretary OF
State.


The members OF the board shrink from
no duty or responsibility that has been
placed upon their shoulders by their
election, selection, or by any enactment
of the Legislature, and will discharge
them to the full fairly and
impartially, the mu.terings of defeated
ambition and greed, to the contrary not
withstanding. The remainder of the ar
ticle we have been considering is the
weakest specimen of special pleading we
ever remember to have seen in print, and
is altogether unworthy of mention.


The Gazette'1 bid being twenty per
cent. below the rate allowed by law, and
the best bid, the board awarded it the
contract, and in doing so, it will be sus--
tanned by every honest man in the State
who examines the subject.


The Statesman goes back to learning
his bread IN the usual way" with about as
bad grace as did the Journal when the
| Statesman succeeded him and in Tho