Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1852-06-03
INDIANA STATE SENTINEL.
SPEECH OF MR.. OWEN,

If there were nothng involved in the question before
US except a decision whether fifteen or twenty
out Of the million OF persons composing the Inhabitants
Of our State should have each three four hundred
dollars less Of annual income, should not think
it worth spending five minutes But is, in truth
great question Of public policy, intimately connected
with the efficient administration Of our State Govern
ment.
We speak Of EcoNoMY That is we'll Bnt what is
econOmyl II is derived from two Greek words, the
signying AOase, the other lasc government Econ
omy, then, in its original sense, the government
or management of q household, family; and may
apply also TO that large family, the State.
But as, By many, dollars and cents are regarded as
the end and aim OF mans being economy has come TO
be commonly restricted in its meaning, to the keeping
saving Of money. it has often been taken as synon-
ymous with parsi1Ony, word derived from root sig
nilying to keep, 70
Parsimony, says Webster is Called to covetousness,
and implies want Of honorable liberality" Yet there
circumstances, in which Parsmony may almost
rise to a virtue. Such circumstances existed, IN tins
State in 1343- Indiana was then insolvent debtor
For some years she had paid interest on her debt
Her creditors knocked the door and knocked In vaih
Thus situated she did we'll to reduce public salaries
to the lowest living rate She did well show TO the
world that there was no item unmportant but that
she noticed and curtaied it. She called upon 10
carry ont the maxim honesty hrst, hberality AFTER
wards" And accordingly she put the salaries esPe-
eially OF her Governor and Judges down to the living
point, If not below IL. =,
But circumstances have since changed. We pay all
Just demands against and have surplus IN the trea
afford 70 90 justice to our own citizens
And here let me premise, that TO this question oil
State salaries have personal interest," direct or IN
direct to subserve. expect while live, TO ask
or accept State Office. / have relation IN the
world who belongs the legal profession is IN the
least likely 10 become a candidate, or hereafter.
mine WILL in all probability never have any thing to
do with State salares-except to help to pay them
But yet have-as every citizen has-an abiding IN
the question earnestly desire to see the al
fairs of the State administered with vgor with honesty
with talent.
Sir, in a general way in this world man gets Just
what he pays for. If he wants good thing, ne must
give good price. II he will not give 1t, ne must COM
moaly put mp with bad one.
Talent is no exception to this rule. In occasional
cases, you may get it without adequate pay Asa gen
eral rule. you cannot. Money does not always bring
talent, any more than high price ensure: gooa ar
ele You may sometimes bid for It and iai to get IT.
But unless you do bid for it-and bid fary Ioeraly,-
yOu can expect nothing else than to lose It, Others
Who do bid, will secure and command It.
The sagacity Of individual interest teaches that no.
thing is expensive IN the end, than poor talent,
poorly paid Corporations wiser in their generation
than we, act upon the knowledge oil this Ihey bid
thousand twenty five hundred, three, four, hve,
even six thousand year to secure the highest order OF
financial talent IN their presiding ofncers. Ihey DO
this, not certainly, by way OF creating lat otces lor
the money comes out oil the pockets oil the
They do it, because they by 1t; because It Is true
economy. The talent they purchase repays the Pur-
chase money tenfold.
Let US beware! Talent rules the world. They who
Of this State growing, with every day. Each
year their influence greater reaches further
may become overshadowIng, dangerous. iou add nm
mensey the danger If you put public salaries so low
as to drive talent from your executive and administrative
and judicial Offices, and it in corporations. you
do this you give the State chance against the crea
lures Of her own making.
We sometimes told in reply, that even we were
put down the salaries of State offices to half what
they are we should still have host of candidates
aspiring to I'LL them Undoubtedly. And they would
xhr hol1 al
We get cheap goods Miserable things they
are cheating men out Of more money than any other
Of the worlds thousand humbugs.
Now and them doubtless, get for the present SAL
aries, excellent men Just extraordinary bargains
easonally fall in our way. But should guide our
conduct BY rules, not by their exceptions.
Some will tell you, that talent is not neees
sary IN State officer. No greater or more fatal mis-
take than this Take your Governor, for example
There is year of his Administration, that he may
not by careful supervision Of the States interest, by
judicious recommendations State policy, save, in
dollars and cents, times the amount of his salary
Our present Governor by energy and prompness in the
management of our Swamp lands, saved to the State
twenty thousand dollars which, had he delayed
action other Governors throughout the Union did
would have been lost to rs, irrcvocsbly.'
So Of your State officers, Auditor Treasurer, and
Secretary. The interests cOn6ded to their up
10 hundreds Of thousands of dollars annually They will
IN addition hereafter have the gradual liquidation OF the
public debt in charge task requiring little financial
ability On the wise and careful careless and inu
deious administration of their respective departments
thousands Of dollars yearly depend
The State Of Indiana lost, some twelve fourteen
years ago, for lack Of sound Judgment and financial
talent in two three Of her officers sum- the annual
interest on which would overpay twice the expenses Of
our whole State government. Our fund commissioners
lost, TO the State Of Indiana than three millions ell
dollars. dare say they did their best But they
wholly incompetent to fill the position they occupied
unit to cope with the sharp wits and shrewd cacuators
OF Wall street, | should be to teach the Hebrew
tongue The highest order of financial talent cannot be
had for less than four five thousand We paid
these men three dollars day, went home plumng
selves, and Boosting TO constituents of rigid
economyj and the wretched parsmony which digni.
led with the name, entailed upon and our descen
dants burden of more than hundred and ninety thou
sand year for Talk Of the burdens Of taxation
That bunder alone-that single fit of paltry ggardl
ness-that refusal TO pay for adequate talent-cos
the people Of this State sum, that would have paid
for at the highest rate Of salary proposed, you
Governor, Judges, State officers members OF the Legs
ature State printing and every other expense whatever
connected with the administration of State affairs ant
have left over, besides, annual sum Of hundre'
thousand dollarsi
fever State in this world had signal warning Of tn
disastrous effects Of poor talent poorly paid that Stat
IS Indiana. She refuses learn by experience if tn
terrible lesson Is lost upon her.
But turn, pray you, 10 another department of tn
government the judiciary. Life and health depend Of
their fat. Hundreds Of thousands Of dollars hang upo
their decisions. From the decisions Of our Suprem
judges there the great majority OF cases, ap
peal upon EARTH From the decision OF our Circui
Judges there is appeal and such appeals. carryn:
with them heavy costs, will be Just in proper
ton to lack Of confidence in the ability OF the Cir
cult Judge. I we consider him man Of the first orde
OF legal talent likely to err shall be disposed 4
abide his decisions and press the matter further II
the contrary he be inferior in experience
ability to the counsel who plead before him. appeals from
his opinion will be frequent: and amounting te
HE ao1a L. al