Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-03-12
Raising the Judges' Salaries.


There has been . bill pending in
the Legislature for some time to in
crease the salary of the Judges of the
Supreme Court. The House passed
a bill increasing their salary 81 900
The Senate was not disposed to be
outdone in liberaIity, so when the
bill got there, they added an addi-
tlonal $500. The salary of Sus
preme Court Judge is hereafter to be
$4,000. the judges agreeing that all
farmers shall hereafter receive at
least 90 cents per bushel for wheat.
20 cents per pound for butter, and
Sl00 per dozen for chickens in the
egg. Should the general market
price fall below these figui es, the
judges arc to take their salary in the
raw produce at a rate-bill fixed by
the Legislature. The alleged reason
Of this advance is that Madison sucks
all the blood out of the veins of the
unfortunate servants of the people
who happen TO eongregate there, and
the Judges are Is helpless rs frog ia
an exhausted air pump, and the law
makers would die with the qdpes. but
for the solace ofpostage stamps. We
give notice TO the gaitinipperS at Mad.
ison, that they do not keep their
bills away from the Legislative and
judicial departments ofthe State Gov
ernment, we will load up the whole
concern on the rcilroad and bring it
here to Lancaster But in truth. we
deprecate such sudden and big in
iiatlon OF salary, unless the Legisla-
ture will pass an act that our subscri-
bers shall pay us so per cent. more
for our paper, and that everybody
shall make as great profit as we did
during the war, and that the expect
ed collapse and return to low prices
for necessarios furnished by the far
mers shall notcome. People that have
had salaries had good times when the
specific gravity of geld kept every
thing down. If they will only exor-
else little patience, the same thing
will occur again. And how did the
Legislature find out that the Judges
of the S. Court are the only officers
serving the people for honors' or pas
triotisms' sake, sans salary? There
IS the State Superintendent, (not to
say anything about the Governor,
&c.,) who spends his time in Madi
son, and does not get better pay
than the judges of the S. Court. nor
as much, and also the Circuit judges,
many of whom have to Swing round
the circle" the year round, aud are oc
casionally exposed to the ravenous ex
actions Of Madison land lords-whose
duties are equally onerous with thai
Of the Supreme judges, and who
should be their equal in legal talent
and experience. Why are they for
gotten by our generous Legislature?
We fear the Legislature wishes to
retire the judges Of the Supreme
Court by making them so rich that
they will resign and leave us without
Il Supreme Court in year or two
Having confidence in these gcntle-
men, We object to any such policy.
If the salary ,s Inadequate it ought
to be raised. Heretofore the Judges
of the Circuit and Supreme Courts re-
ceived the same salary. A jealous
Legislature and people determined
to exclude the idea of caste or supe-
riority from the Wisconsin Judiciary.
But we are now to have big Judges
aud big salaries to cmbelish the cap
itol, while we clodhoppers in tie
country must put up with q poor
half paid $4,000 Judge. Measur
ing him by the ratio Of his salary to
that Of the Madison functionaries. be
ought not &c fine fellow for express
ing contempt toward such one
horse concern. If he had any capac-
ity Fl for MS station, he would and
should put off to Madison, show he
was eating himself up, and get his
salary raised say to $4,000, or SO.
600, and then he could do- something
for the newspapers.