Year: 1870

Something About Public Publicas


tiOns.


A bill Is pending in tho House Of Dele
gates which We think deserves favorable
action. II was introduced, VIC believe, by
Mr.. HOWARD Of Mason. It's object Is 10
provide for publishing various kinds Of
information intended for the public. II
is common remark among intelligent
people who come here from other States
TINT West Virginia is fly years behind
the age. We arc not willing TO admit the
Justice Of this remark in general, but in
regard to giving information to the people
touching many kinds Of proceeding and
business in which they nre interested, 1t Is
cnincntly true. II has always seemed to
us especially important that sales Of pro-
perty by sherilfs and constAbles at public
outcry, should be sufficiently advertised
wherever purchasers arc likely TO be
found This Is but the most obvious JUS
tice 10 the party whose property is sold.
AT present Il Is deemed q sufficient alver.
tisrmcnt If the sheriff posts nj the court
house an iIIcgiblc scNwl, which not one
out Of hundred In the county will ever
sec, and which may be torn down an hour
uAer It Is put up. The same Is true of the
written notice given by constables. The
object contemplated by law Is that tho
public shalI have notice Of these transac'
tions. The fact Is that the notice given
is little better than none ut all. There arc
other lcgal proceedings requiring notice
in which tho same farce Of posting Is en-
acted. In the more progressive States
these notices nrc required to he given
where nine.tcnths of the people are sure
to see them, in the public newspapers.


We have not the bill referred to before
MS and cannot speak of ii in detail. We
believe, in addition TO requiring pubIica-
tiOn of shcritE's sales, it requires the super
visors to print their Official acts and de-
tailed statements annually Of the county
receipts and expenditures, to give due no
ticc of tllcir meetings, and to give notice
Of elections


The first objection to all this is the ex-
pcnsc; hut in the first place the cost OF
such publications is not great; and II isa
superficial view to suppose TINT such cost
is an actual expense. There Is no trucr
economy in popular government anywhere
thnn in atEorling the people who support
It the widest information touching all its
operations, in general or in detail, from
highest u lowest. There Is no govchl'
mcnt SO costly, in high places or in subor-
dinatc places, us that which, from motives
Of supposed or pretended economy, keeps
its operations from the popular scrutiny.
The more the people are accustomed to
look into md scrutinize the details Of
their local government tho more surely
will that government be conducted with
both honesty and economy, and the more
surely will improved methods be discOv.
cred wherever they are possible. II Is
rcal economy in the government Of the
counties to keep the people fully advised
whit their supervisors are about. If this
lie done there is very little danger Of mal.
administration and extravaganza. Ol
course, in regard to sheritl's sales and in
all other cases requiring notice, 1t is Mt
once matter Of interest TO the
community and justice TO the par
tics directly interested that the
notice shall he general. Nobody
will pretend TINT the real intent Of no
tice is carried out by the present practice.
If these sales are to be secret, or if the
knowledge of them is TO be confined to a
select few who may take advantage Of
them, do away with the farce Of posting Il
notice altogether. II notice is really to
he given, let It be done so that some con-
siderable number Of people will SEQ it.


But of course this measure and all like
it will bc met with the objection that 1t Is
designed for the benefit of the newspapers
1t would add something TO the advertising
business Of the papers; but If mcritoriOus
in itself, that ought not TO be u fatal OBJ
lection; and We advocate It upon its
own merits. We Arc aware Of no reason
why newspapers should be considered
public enemies, to be lcgislatcd out Of cx'
istcncc wherever possible. They arc nOt
so regarded in other States which have
population, wealth and intelligence
There Is not State in the Northern hall
of the Union whose laws SO Systematically
discourage and discriminate against news
paper literature rs our own. There isnO'
another under whose laws the newspapers
do us little advertising for the public
There il not another where It is hal
as hard to keep newspaper alive
We take up our country exchanges
and look over them. The bulk o
their advertising comes from abroad
and has to be dOnO ut ruinous rates
The information touching the public busi
ness of their countIcs-which ought TO hi
Disseminated through their columns, Is
disseminated by posting ut the Cour
House door, or on n trco ut some cross
roads, perhaps in scrawl which even th'
few who sec 1t cannot read. In Othel