Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-10-27
Voluntary Retronohmeiit.

ficcs i'll tho State Government, and tho OK.
trayagant salaries and perquisitcs annexed to
them. few incumbcnts there arc who fbsscss
the unscliish patriotism to curtail these bur-
dcnsomc expenses by voluntary rctrcnch-
mcnt at homo. Charity, it is said, begins at
home, and through this saving adage, seldom
gets abroad. Rctrcnchmcnt, on the other
hand, is great wandcrcr aud scarcher for
outside evils, seldom beginning at home. Thc
dIsintcvcstcd public regard the pay Of county
officers cxtravagant, but once elected and in
stalled into office, the individual secs no wrong
IN what the law justifics. The Office is sought
and exercised for tho perquisitcs Past con-
domination is swallowed up in the justification,
that elf | do not receive the pcrquisitcs 9th
crs WILL" and the heretofore iniquitous law
| is enforced In case Of officers whgsc saa-
| rlcs arc paid by the State Government, n re-
fusal to receive tho full salary would operate
no benefit to the county Of such officer The
money, if left i'll tho treasury, would perhaps
be squandcrcd, while, by drawing it, the
amount is returned to tho county tobc used
by the office holder for somc good purpose,
even if it be the improvement ofNhis own
possessions. The samo is not true of officers
Whose salaries or fees arc paid frouyc treas.
ury of the county. A refusal in thYcas to
draw from the treasury of tho county tho full
pay allowed by law, lessons tho county cxpcn-
scs and thereby reduces the county taxes
The law allows as pay to county commission.
ers three dollars per day and mileage, but it
does not require them to charge and receive
that amount. 1t is optional whether any and
what charge for services is made, provided it
docs not exceed as to per diem and number
of days, the amount stated in the act. "hc
Office of county commissioner, as paid oince
is an innovation on the law of South Carroll.
M, which has met with general condcmna
ton. In some of the counties of the State,
it is made source of great profit to the hold :,
or, resulting in corresponding oppression to
the taxpayers. The pay is said to be too
high, often amounting to from eight is fifteen
hundred dollars against the county annually
In view Of this, the Columbia Union propo
ses as one step towards rctrcnchmcnt, the
reduction of the pay of county commissi6n
crs. The duties of these officers were former
ly performed gratuitously by tho best citizens
of the counties While the old law was bur.
dcnsomc to tho appointcc, the present law is
unjust and too expensive to the taxpayers.
1t is true, by reason of our elective majority
VIC have secured honest, competent and eco.
nomical men to fill these positions, and, as IL
consequence, have suffered little injury from
the law. But tho question is, els the pres
ent law oppressive to tho taxpayer? Is the
pay too high ?" If yea, then as Democrats
oondcmning in spirit, with power tqEcgulatc
in practice by voluntary rctrsncha, have
we oxompli(icd our virtue BY our pFSeticc !?
1t is hard nut to crack, but how can VIC
condemn law Which we voluntarily practice !?
Commissioners arc not the appointccs Of Rad
ical authority. They arc part Of the voters
of each county, and in the upper counties
they arc Democrats They draw their pay
from the pockets Of their fellow citizens -
The amount, under three dollars per day, is
optional. If their pay was drawn from the
State treasury, in self defense, they should
have it all. This is no strife between the
counties of the State for their just proper
ton of tho public plundcr. 1t is a local mat.
ter. We find no fault with our county COM
missioncrs. They arc honest, competent and
economical in all their dealings, but while
the people of the State arc groaning under
taxation and calling for reform, would it not
DC well for the Democratic county officials of
the upper counties to set a practical example
of rctrcnchmcnt, by a practical cxcmpllica
ton of their principles? Would it not be an
honor to them, and if it should prove as good
seed sown on good soil, spreading practical
reform, from tho mountains to the scaboard
would it not as victory of patriotism over
sclfishncss, be Of more Importance than any
party triumph. Wo arc glad to sec that our
old friend JOHN Il. GossETr, of Pickcns,
has inausuratcd this practical reform, charg-
ing for his services, as county commissioner,
81 per day. This is crcditablc to tho man
and an honor to tho Democratic party. Wo
know tho man and know him to bo no Office
seeker or popularity hunter. His act is the
virtuous fruit of virtuous heart and deserves
commcndation. Arc there not others in up
per Carolina?
s1-Cx,