Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-11-29
SALARIES VS.. FEES.
Relief for the Taxpayers, or Repudia-
ton Of RadicaI.Made Debts.

Editors Appeal-It cannot be denied that a
feeling in favor of repudiating the carpetbag
part of the public debt of the southern States
is fast gaining ground. II seems inevitable I'M
less a remedy is suggested other than taxation.
The people of Tennessee, unjust and villain
GUS as is the load of debt heaped upon them
by the irresponsible and INSCRIPTIONS adven-
turers late in power, Will resort to every lust
and proper expedient before consenting to
this apparent dishonor upon her spotless es-
cutcheOn. Hence the loud cry of retrench-
ment which goes up from every section of the
State until our Legislators, having caught the
universal Injection, have gone to work to cut
down the salaries Of all public officers to a fair
living compensation. Our lawmakers will
are only receiving a fair, just, liberal pay for
their services, then there will be no change ex-
pected In the law regulating ''fees" and per-
guts1tes, but II they are getting more than
equally industrious, competent and worthy
citizens are realizing IN legitimate, hon
orable private avocattons, then the tax
ridden people will de1a9nd of their represenLd-
tue, a proper retrenchment in every depart
mentunderl Legislative control before the brand
Of repudiator shall be burned ineraseably into
the fair brow of Tennessee.
The generous, fair-minded people of this
State would not ask their public officers TO
serve them for a niggardly compensation /;
neither do they propose to keep an official crib
for the purpose of fattening with wealth all
who may get into It. Live and let live is a
good motto in public, as well as private deal
ings. o Citizen" which of course, means
good, BETTER, BEST in the world, in sun
days APPEAL In reply TO a previous commu-
nication TO yoor paper upon this subject, tells
US that hOnors are easy, so far as pay and
expenses are concerned, asconsidered between
the oficerln McNairy and shelby counties, be-
cause, while they receive the same fees for the
same service, If the Shelby officer does get so
much more money, he has to pay to live In the
same proportion, to-wit: $50 10 support in
McNairy, and 5000 in Shelby. But we don't
wantany of the S500O-sort of officers in Shelby.
Nlne-tenths Of our worthiest citizens in
Shelby county, including the city Of Memphis,
live comfortably and genteelly on less than
half that amount, and I'll venture that, If
half Of them tell you EhOnest1y that before
their election to office they lived on one-fourih
Of S5OOOl Their house rent, If they were rent
ers, cost from So 10 $50 or $50 per month;
balance on victuals and clothes. The State of
Tennessee can't afford, in her present embar-
raised condition, the luxury of officials with
rich mems notions, with uVeried servants,
line carriages, ummGrs spent at fashionable
watering places and winters at New Orleans,
etc. This smIrks rather strong of "rammany"
for the plain PSe of Tennessee. Extrava-
CANT living, more ND anything else is ruin
ing this country and mustSe stopped one way
or another. The Idea ISL suppose, as an office
holder gets rich and still richer, his ideas of
high-prtced living must expand, and with il
salaries shouldhuerease until, as 20. C." tells
US, in New York, some of them pocket tue
neat little sum OF 100000 per annum. Hon.
much do you get a day Mr.. Legislator? Four
dollars isn't il? Well, you would like to take
WIZ I1gb Va n A1N a. AAaA HAACC III IA
ance Of your life, wouldn't you? And if that
be 50, you wouldn't object to giving that up
for a "better thing" Of executing them at
from thirty TO nifty dollar per day, would
you?
don't know about the officers in other
counties, but we don't want any better than
We lave In Shelby, and so far as /
am concerned, II they continue AS faith
ful and efficient SIS heretofore, I would
be perfectly willing to see them
occupy "till death or during good behavior"
as It used to be in old times And TO make
sure of their services, and to guard them from
office" wouldn't The best for all concerned to
fix their salaries at a fair living sum, so that
the temptation Of real OF imagined wealth OF
office would no longer serve to lure on and
whet the appetites Of so many hungry aspir-
ants, and save our excellent inoumbents the
heavy per cent. for corruption fund" which
nowadays we have so much of, TO be used st
next election.
Much as we would regret losing the valuable
services Of any Of our very excellent officials
in shelby county, still we have no fear but
that equally honorable and capable-but no
bet~ter-gentlemen could be found to take their
places; should our legislature, in Its wisdom,
see ut to limit the salaries to be receiyed-and
the same no doubt could be said for Davidson,
Knox and other populous and wealthy coun-
ties IN the State.
But II, as we are told, no new law upon that
subject could AFFECT the present tncumbents,
no Injustice can be done anyone In or out of
office by fixing maximum salaries, because
when their terms expire there can be no law
made compelling those now occupying to con
CITIZEN, NOT VERY OLD.