, 1860-09-29
HIGH SALARIES AND THE MIS-
CHIEF THEY MAKE.

HIGH SALARIES AND THE MIS-
CHIEF THEY MAKE.
II any one has doubted the prop1iety Of re-
ducing tho emo}un,euts attached to some ef
our county Offices, the everts Of tic Inst fort-
night should remove his opposition. Ths
number OF soro.heads the talk of boiling, tho
err Of "ceurt house clique" have all pro-
cosded from the supposed high compensation
to be derived from the c1etkship held by
Church and tbs shenffalty exercised by Gray.
Men 60. the idea into their heads that eno1-
nous fortunes were connected with The pos
session Of these, and two or three osher county
Offices Hence there has beon keen and
acrimonious contest for the Republican nomi.
nations for those places. A dozen sharp-stt
competitors entered tho lsts fer Clerk, and
another dozea fer Sheriff, each animated with
tbs notion that here was short cut to wealth,
and the fame and felicity that riches arc sup
posed to confer.
The competition fer the other otIcss was
not immoderate or undignided. aud the upsuc-
eeSsful candidates acquiesced with good grace.
There was 70 unseemly scramble for Senatjr
or Representatives, -oficas Of honor and re-
aporsibility, but OILY paying s. per day ftr
six weekr. There was no rush fur Coroner or
District Prosecutor, because tho compensation
attached to each was hut moderate and
reasonable recompense for the services per-
formed.
But when it came to Circuit Clerk and Sher:fE,
the elbowing and crowding forward comrnenc-
ed in earnest They were golden priz.s to
be obtained at al hazards. 4 dozea candid
ates for each effice made dive. 4 dozan
pereons stood behind each candidate expect
ing comfortable berths as deputy sherfIs or
aub.clerks, il their respective principles chr.
ried off nomination. Eleven Of tho twelge
competitors for each office failed to make
connections, and forthwith the twenty-five
applicants who drew blanks aud the 264 e1-
poctants Of deputy-ahips, all unite in Rympa-
thetic donunc:ation Of the two individuals who
drew Tue prizes. 4 and B got nominations,
but c, D, E, aud clear down toZ got nothing
but disappointment aLd.vexation Of spirit.
But ia 1t fair to lay the blame en- the fortunate
coupler Had they missed the prizea, only
tvo others could have been lucky, and there
still would hare remained full score Of un.
lucky ozes, who, with tteir 240 deputy NAL
contents, would hare raised the CITY Of Court
house clique" "made-up sla:es," and "pack-
I'd convention just as vigorously Al it is now
llosrd. No matter who got thu two nomina-
tons, tho number Of mourners would be SUBJ
stantially the came, and the charge Of unfair
ness or partiality would not be materially les
sened.
The pe&ca fellowship and well-being Of the
Republican party require Tho abatement Of
these feattburnipgs and ravoaoua scramb1es
for odlce. And there is only one infallible
remedy Tor this evil, and that ID. to cut down
the emoluments Of all tho county Offices for
which there is quar1clsome competition. It
viii be one Of the most importaotlocai duties Of
Our Cook county delegation in tie next Legis1a-
ture to fe-az1augc the 'ecale Of fees allowed to
county officers. They must be pared down
to the point where they will cease to bo re-
gardcd as places from which fortunes can be
extracted in few years. When this is done,
tho desperate competition for them will end.
We shall then hear no more about "Court
house cliques" and there Will be no moro sore
heads and bolters. =
The troubles growing out Of grabbing for