The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-01-19
Salary Of Supreme Judges.

In Senate, on Wednesday, Mr..
Pots, Republican, introduced "A bill to
raise the salary Of the Judges OF the
Supreme Court to five thousand dol
lars per annum-being within out
hundred dollars Of three times the
amodnt paid the first Judges elected
by the people under the present Con.
stltution of the State.
The argument in favor of the in
crease is, that good lawyers can make
more than the present salary by the
practice OF their pro ession, and the
increase OF S15U0 per mum to the
present salary, will have the effect to
get better ia ent on the bench.
The experience OF the people of
Ohio Is tue reverse of this. When
Ohio had such men ;s Thurman, Ram
ney, Corwin. Caldwell and Barley as
the Judges OF the Supreme Court : the
salary being then but $1S0U Il year
the Supreme Court of Ohio stood ac-
knowiedged among the ablest in the
Union. Since then the salary paid
the Judges has been increased at Diff
ierent times, until it is now nearly
double what it was when Thurma:,
ltanney, BARLEY, Caldwell, Corwin
and Swan graced the bench OF the
Supreme Court.
The increase Of salary has brought
NJ increase of legal learning-but the
reverse. Many of The decisions of the
Court are OF a character to bring it in
to contempt with the people. Form
stance: The Constitution of Ohio
says that tree tChite made citizens of
the United States shall have the
right OF suffrage. The Supreme Court
in order to make voters of Negroes,
has held that a hall-blood Negro, is a
win e man within the m .aning of t! 9
Constitution. 10 increase the salary or
men who, because the Negro is a ne
cessity to Radicalism, will sanction a
decision so preposterous, is like offer
ing a premium to Ignorance.
With this proposition OF Senator
Potts to give the Judges of the Su-
preme Conrt additional pay, came the
recommendation of Governor HAYES,
to Secure bette: men as Judges men
learned il law, who will administer
justice with more impartial;ty, by
turning the present batch out OF office
and taking from the people the right
to elect their Judiciary. The inaugur-
al of Governor Hayes, on taking the
oath of office, as Chief Magistrate of
the State, was mainly confined to the
fact that that Judges elected by the
people were a failure. 1t is only 4
failure because the dominant party,
by its no %ination and elections of
mere parti>ans, instead of good law
yers, have made it SO.
This attempt tn reform the Judici-
@ry, by a Constitutional provision that
the Judges be appointed by the Gov
ernor, for life, is one of the plans
which Rld:calism has invented-Ir.
Potts proposition to increase their
SALARY Is the other. If the first is en-
dersed and carried into operation, the
second will surely follow-the two
blending with the utmost harmony
Daring the late election campaign.
the Democratic Legislature OF last
winter vas charged with extravaganza
IN the creation o. e Judges, render
ed Necessary in Judiciary Districts by
the press of business. Has Mr.. Potts
forgotten this charge, Or VAS it mere
~ made for pretent effect? The cry
Of economy, raised then, we trust the
Democ 'acyi in the Legislature will COM
mend to the Radicals, and that, when
called upon to endorse the cxtrav:-
CANT recommendation of Gov. Hayes,
that functionary Will he reminded of
the abuse heaped upon the Democracy,
by him, and Ivy party leaders, for
creating offices, on his recommended
ton and personal selection.-States-
man.