Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-09-27
1861.
Raising the Salaries.

We believe we may offer the opinion, with
out being subjected to the charge Of having
a partisan purpose in so doing, that the sala-
ries of our State officers ought to be increased.
and that considerably. The compensation
given our Chief Executive is q disgrace to the
State, and smacks of niggardliness, in our
humble judgement. There is scarcely a Sher-
if or Clerk of our County CoAxts, in the
State, the emoluments of whose Office does
not exceed that of the Governor. We know
it may be urged that the smallness of the sal
airy has not heretofore prevented our ablest
men from filling the Governors Chair, but
is that any argument, that because our ablest
men are willing to serve the State, they shodid
be required to do it at a sacrifice of their
own private means? There are courtesies,
inequalities expected of the occupant of the :
Governors mansion, which he cannot exer-
else without drawing on his own private
purse. He must practice the most rigid econ
omy that would seem to partake of parsfho-
niousness, in order to bring his expenses
within the salary allowed bin. Justices as
well as the character of The State demand
that bis salary should be raised 10 something
like four thousand dollars a year.
The other officers are equally as poorly
paid. Where viii you find a man capable of
filling the Office of State Treasurer, working
for as small a sum as $1,000 a year? His
responsibilities are Eery great, his duties ar
duous, and the labors Of his Office are richly
t worth $1,000 or 81, 500 more than he receives.
So OF the Comptroller and Secretary Of
State. No one who does not visit these Offices
. can form any idea of the immense amount Of
labor performed there. The COmptroller's
settlement with the Sheriffs together with
: the preparation of his Report, are worth ey-
k cry dollar he receives. But these form but
to a 1.-THE of the labors of his Office. $4,000
should be his per annum by all means. The
= present venerable Secretary Of State has filed
" that post for near a half century, and we yen-
re ture there is not a negro o~yerseer in the State,
OF that has been sober and industrious, who has
pr not saved more money than he. And his
re- business keeps him all the time employed il
- his Office, sometimes day and night. Ar,
lie not such arduous services worth $4,000 a year
Surely they are.
is Now, We are not prompted by any persona
m or interested motives in making these n
marks. We are indebted to none Of thes
Officers for any favors-not one of them /
even a subscriber to our paper, nor do W
lu- receive any patronage from them of any d.
en- scription-but a decent respect for our nativ
ro- State, leads us to hope hat this LilcnessS, til
We, injustice to our public servants be done ava
with, and at least something approximate
up, to a fair equivalent for services rendered |
will awarded them.
We would be pleased to see all our brothI
nu- Editors express themselves on this subject
a wings and democrats, literary and religious
| so assured as we are that all must concur in t
Jec- scriptural maxim that the laborer is WORT
sid of his hire. And we fully believe the PeoT
ring will sustain the next Legislature in maxi
can an equitable advancement in these salariC
IS 1t and we hope il will be done.