Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1865-01-13

cry officer Of the State ooVefnment should re-
main at his post in the discharge of onorous
and responsible duties. when be is compelled
to draw upon other means than his salary for
his actual support Il is q fact universally
known and recognized, that there is not sim
gle State officer who can clothe his family. and
pay his board in q respectable private house,
from the salary that is allotted him. This should
not be 50. Itisilliberal ON the part of State.
and unjust to the officer r- .,ef s
Our scale Of salaries was adopted under q very
different state Of things than exists at the pres
ent time. Even then It was said that none but
the wealthy or the very poor could afford to
hold Office. We have passed the point as to
the latter; for the man whose circumstances re.
quired him 10 rely on the compensation of the
best Of your ofices would Be compelled to
abandon his position. There are clerks In the
public Offices, without care and responsibility,
who are receiving equal, and, in one or two
cases, better salaries than the Heads of Depart
ments who employ them. This is a stern ne
cessity, that cannot be avoided. Without It
the public interests would suffer. gi
It is common argument that there are seek.
ers enough after the Offices; and he who is cho-
sen, understands what the salary is and has no
rightto complain. There is such thing, espe.i
ciaIlv in times like these, as men consenting to
assume important positions from higher consid-
erations than those of q pecuniary character; and
it has been true, and may be true again, that
men VIII consent to take State Offices, even at
pecuniary sacrifice, in order to make them STEP
ping-stones to higher and better positions. In
the first case it is unjust to impose upon patri-
otic impulses 50 severe sacrifice; and, in the
last, it has been amply demonstrated that the
public interest is not promoted by making Of
your Offices mere hotbeds for the growth and
advancement of political ambition. There is
dignity and character about the condensation
as there is arising from the honors of the Office.
The more respectable your salaries, the better
able viii you be to attract men of the highest
character and ability from the other avocations
of life, to serve the State. As it is now, the |
smallest railroad corporation within its limits |
offers more solid inducements to its President
or Superintendent, than the State does its Gov |
ernor or Chief Justice. The result is that un- |
der ordinary circumstances, with all your hon. |
Ors thrown in, your corporations have the choice
of men of business talent and integrity.
l have been, for the last ffeen years, In posi-
rion where was enabled to, and have thor l
Oughly tested this principle; and my unvarying |
experience has been that there was no economy |
so poor as thst of low wages and cheap men,. / |
have always found that when l made my SER
vice attractive, and its positions valuable |
commanded class of men whose skill devo- /
ton and integrity returned four-fold the liberal
compensation allowed them. What is true of /
corporation is true of State; and we will do /
wel to profit by the lessons that our corpora
tions are afording us.
Apart from the considerations of public poll I
ey, the character of State is always inluriously
affected by the manifestation of apirit of illib-
erality and injustice towards its servants. In /
population and wealth Ohio ranks az the third /
State in the Union, yet, in point of compensa- /
tion to her public officers she stands almost at /
the foot of the list. l beg leave to present you
acomparison with the two States above, and /
u Il - 20
ernor, which holds relitive position to all 9TH
ers. asse
New York s., 900 90, and furnished house.
Pennsylvania 1000 90,
Ohio. 800 90 -,tl.a.
Indiana. 5000 90, and furnished house
Massachusetts, $500 90. in 1866, S5,0O000.
New jersey. 100000
. Maryland 10000 and furnished house.
The comparison is about the same with the
Judicial, and all other State officers. In scan
ming it we must either charge our sister States
with gross extravaganza or admit our own illib-
erality and injustice.
The labors of all our Departments are not on
ly much heavier on account Of the war, but they |
are constantly increasing, in the natural order
of things, / speak from personal knowledge when
say that the labors and responsibilities of the
State Auditors department aretw if not three
fold what they we're when / filed that position
twenty years ago; while the salary-then very
lows increased only thirty y-three per cent
While the treasury then receive and disbursed
from two and one-half to three millions annual |
ly, the Treasurer now passes through his hands
from eight to nine millions of dollars; and the
salery of that Office has been increased twenty
five per cent. All the gain that has been made
by this process of economy, does not amount to I
a respectable fraction of mill on the dollar of
your duplicate; and has been several times
squandered in Legislative debates and action up
on the subject of economey in the reduction of
salaries.
This topic is not pleasant one to present; but
| have felt that could consistently and proper. [
" speak oft; for, so far as my own wishes or i
aspirations in the future are concerned / have I
not the slightest pecuniary interest it. / feel /,
that justice to public officers. and the character
and dignity of the State, require the inaugura- Z
ton of more liberal policy in this particular I
think it should be DONE as TO the officers elect
ed this fall. which you have the power to accom-
plish It before they assume their official posi-
lions. am confident the people viii approve I
the act, for they will see the reason and appre !
ciate the Justice oft.
MILITARY CLAIMS. !
There are great many claims, growing out Of i
military operations, that require some action
They originate from various causes and are of I
character not recognized or provided for by ex-
D. II
The officers of the general government. 1t is j
difficult to draw the proper line Of distinction,
and yet many of them are serious grievances 9
and infiet severe injury upon the complaining | j
parties. Among them are claims for damages {
sustained in the vicinity of camps ofrendezvous
1f the National Guard while organizing for SER
vice, and after returning therefrom; and also
claims for services and transportation under the
lraft of 1862. 1t occurs to me that certain |
,ral rules to be established must necessarily be
adjusted and assumed by the State, looking to {
he general government to refund the amount | Z
hereafter. IL that fails, and the government re-
uses to recognize them, it is more equitable, in
,ases where the claims are honest and meritor- o
,us, that the whole people Of the State should '
bear them, than that a few individuals should Q
uffer the loss. Is
We have had for two years past, Board of
Claims, but it has been restricted as to the class
# cases within its jurisdiction, and its labors
levolved upon State officers with the military v
departments, and whose proper official duties n
.ncross their entire time aud attention. / sug- 4
rest that permanent board be created, consist
ng of the Adjutant- General, Quartermaster- Z
General and Attorney General, with complete q
Jurisdiction of all claims arising out Of military
operations not Immediately connected with gov. b
rnment service. That this board be required O
hold at least monthly meetings; that IL be em. Il
,owdered to take testimony when necessary, as
o the Justice or reasonableness of the claims,
With the penalty of perjury attached for false
wearing before it. That the Board makes v
nonthly reports to the Governor or Auditor;
nd its allowances be paid, within the limits Of n
preparations made. from time to time, by the 4
legislature. This amount of confidence ca0 81
ertainly be reposed in this body Of State Off n
ers; and they can more carefully and safely
'ass upon these claims than committees or mem.
,ers of your bodies, under the pressure of legis-
ative duties. Unless some provision Of this
haracter is made, they will press upon you in
be form of petitions and demand Legislative Sc
ION.
REeIMENT1AL FLAGS.
A large number of Ohio regiments have pre-
ented their old battle flags to the State These
re part Of our history. They constitute an -
,f. i ~