Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-05-15
cIr1zEEs REFORM ASSOCIATION.

must of necessity command respect ana
attention, and for this reason must the
action of the adjourned citizens meet
;ng tomorrow afternoon be worthy OF at
tention. Now, that the smoke has
cleared away, let us see the result OF the
hattie The clerks Of our respective
courts and the Tax Collector have tri-
umphantly refuted all charges OF corrup-
ton, either expressed or implied 1t IS
,dr;tted that these officials in Shelby
comfy receive more fees of Office than
do the officials of many other counties,
for the simple reason that they do more
work. The fees are uniform throughout
the State in accordance with the provi-
sions of the constitution. If A splits
one hundred rails day and FIVE hum
dred. the price per hundred being UNI
form, why is not B entitled to five times
as much pay as Az This formula places
the issue in the clearest light. 1t is adj
voeated to create stipulated salary for
each clerk in Shelby county The laws
must be uniform, and IL the salary OF q
clerk of court is placed say at $4,000 per
annum, II must be made so throughout
the State. Then reform movements
would become as thick az the leaves in
Valambrosa." Under the present con-
stitution you cannot discriminate be-
tween officials holding like offices. The
remedy, then, is to change the constltu-
ton. a work of greater magnitude than
is generally supposed. If clerk IN
Shelby county makes $4,000 per
annum more than his official brother
in Upton, he does that amount OF work
more than the other and is entitled to
the compensation. A Memphis mer-
chant makes thousand times more
than trader in rural village. BY the
same process Of ratiocination, why not
make the city merchant pay the surplus
over to the State2 The thing is absurd
on its face, and will not bear analysis.
Every case commenced in the courts OF
Memphis is taxed with a State fee OF
five dolIars-those cases appealed from
magistrates courts are taxed three dol
lars and fifty cents for the State. The
litigants pay the costs aad the State re-
ceives a large revenue from Che same
Let us take up another branch OF the
subiect-the alleged corruption in the
County Court and misappropriation OF
the public money The difference be-
tween two dollars day allowed by law
to a justice sitting in the County Court
and five dollars as collected by them is
exactly three dollars per day. The last
term of court lasted ten days, the aver.
age number Of magistrates in attendance
being twenty-five, the amount Of alleged
over payment being $3.50, which amount
the justices claim the right to receive.
A three dollar reform movement is too
light to carry any weight, or to create
any wonderful sensation. The Grand
Jury should have found bills OF indiet-
ment and test the question. We have
right to assume that the Grand Jury OF
the Criminal Court did not regard any
Of the thirty-fve magistrates ofthe county
as corrupt or as plunderers, because the
Grand Jurors made no presentments
against them, as it was their sworn duty
to doin the premises did the facts so war
rant. The brochure, called the report,
has been reduced to a mere bit of pleas
antry, sensational, humorous and witty
all Of which reflects credit upon the iE-
genious gentleman who drafted it. The
Reform Association, spriuging from the
called taxpayers meeting, is another
thing of much more importance TO the
public. The good men at the head O
the movement sre not politicians, bu
the politicians are touching the springs
yea, the Radical politicians Of our city
who yearn for power and delight in Thu
supposed breaking-up Of the Cohsssya
tive party. These adroit gentlemen arr
reckoning without fbeir host; no oD'
can be hoodwinked by thsiF profession
of honesty or fairness Whes iheii
brethren were plundering the county
and State not a man Of them said {
word bat now they sing in chorus th'
song Of &" Reform" As Dundreary says
"They are howling for their native fod
der" A negroized Radical can be loya
but he is not a patriot, between which
distiEetion as vide apart as the pole
exists. Washington was patriot tn
Tory was and Che Radical is loyaiis
Patriotism is virtSs, but loyalty Is
crime. We understand abts sentleme
will be present at the meeting to mogsSl
afternoon, and Eih 4isruss with the r.
form advocates al the isszes involve
on legal and constitutional grounds. III
discussion will be interesting, and vi
have the effect of makinE alsar tina
which is now dark and mysts-oas, )
the courts cannot be invoked for redresi
an appeal TO the ballotbox il ths Jas
argument TO which American sovereign
can resort