, 1873-01-19
SHALL OU. ALDERMEN BE PAID?

AotHe 4+ust9f q AHe tEtc31o iT7o:Ht:
S1R: It has been Guc.t;ou viii naay,
whether our Adermcn s1osil1 bo paid fer their
services in vulgar graenbac;-s or who:h.- their
compensation should be entirely "ho..ors.y.'
I cute lain no doubts on tho s:ltjec..
Payments in ''hooo- Which u:eaas conzl;-
ments on one sida a'e. ablao 90 tho otaar--c1-
pe.ienco l.as Shown to DO aa utterly fallacioas
and inadequate compouaa-ion~ Such -e,auner:-
tion, general rule, will no: sccsro tho time
and command the elit:ty Of our abIost and most
reliable citizens 4 zeyo.n.io:, therefore, Is IL
dispsnsable. The experiment Of just paymcut
should 10 tried
Our best citizona aro our busiest c:tiza.1
Tho tirae OF such citizens il rnlunh1e. Tino
with t.em il Ino1lcy. Their time, therefore, i1,
devoted useftllly IL tke IuLiic Interests, uLou.l
be, without question, Hlerelly Paid for.
Such payment il; co-EUas:ii Mil, tie Bararcst
economy. Tho sc1yicss OF scrabble lno;, e.a
valuable The aervicc; Of ina.cp End IDIOTS are
extgurasaaco al!otl:l, they o:zc: 10 work w,louk
PAY. Tho cleavet. Thing is god government.
We can scarcely pay too raucil for it, and wo c1a
never got i: without liberal payment.
Now aud ti.en an ab!c and influential citizca
may be willing to sacrifice his tins for the l,ub-
lie welfare. But it is tooli+l, to build unoa so
.weas d foundation In the administration cs
tho a1faira Of city, men Of roaad r4iaIa, OF
character, aad experience, are tho Elen who ara
wanted. Aud s,.eh n1er caaao. be had for noti1.
ing. We pm our tiren1cn, our police. and otter
city oieiul5 a2d- the nczc IhaEa!lv re psy
tleal, the better anl n.uto reliable men yro OBJ
tain.
Depend upon it, the~o in no ecoac7av in getting
men to servo the public fa- nothing. They a.o
pretty cc:tain 10. re1rh.-s3 themselves in eonae
way. Suppose mescssau. OF bank clerk offers
to Sosk without rag, Is j. not re:soyaafv certain
that he will steal? AMI la:o ell our Aldermen
heretofore been nodots OF honesty? And, II
not, why Have not sotae Of them basn in
tnH fDr1 1;+1hart. rrf1 J,ut fnr
charged AID proved against tilclu They we7o
guilty; but l caauo. think that we, who elected
thcse tnau, are cnt;rely inuc:ant. II wo sesk
to obtain tho timo aud Labor OF men for nothing,
they are very apt to chca. US, aud do not know
but wo deserve to be cheated.
We should not subject znon to such tempta-
tion- Temptation IL q dangerous thing. Any
man who affects to bo beyond tho reacl, Of pos-
6ible temptation is not tc 30 trusted he is 4
hypcc1lte. Saints In this century are scarce.
No man Is SO strong but he may fall. Thcrc .ro
weak moments in tho livc3 Of every man, whea
a., unexpected ard fearful burs: OF passion may
carry him to extremes that, it. his cooler mo-
1nents, he would hare doomed impossible.
We all know that this ts truo, and yet We ara
moro Inclined to apply thia fact to others than to
ourselves. II those in our employ defeaud us,
NC may bo az much to blame as tAo:. Justice ia
iAo D two-edscd sword. feel assured that, it
those vino nre employed. whether i'll public or
private service, were we'll paid VIC should hear
much Less OF dishonesty and fraud.
Wrong begets wrong.
AS things now are, it is difficult to get = f.at-
c!ass man to serye in any public capacity. lie
cannot afford to do so- Adventures a:d svin-
ders get Offices, because they afford to serve
without pay; that is, they charge nothing for
their services, but they take, without scrnp1e,
therefore, IS, in ono way or another, stolen Ly
these scoun.zels.
No wonder our taxes arc so high no wonder
that all work done for tho city or county costs
&,-r.o =
formed by any homes. and ontcrprising citizen
for hi5 own beueiit.
But this eome people stylo economy. It is, on
the other hand, to cali it b;- its tr11a uame tho
Widest and moet insano o1travngsnce that could
be devised.
IL it no. timo that this farce should bo ended?
But it will never end nntll the people open their
eyed. aud determine thAt such shameful state
of nff.irs silall endure no longer.
The first move in tho right direction would 30
to 500 that our Mayor atil Aldermen arc ra:d,
not u nominal, but liberal salary. I would re-
epectfriiy call the attenticu of tho press to this
point. Tho press represents the people; what
has it to say7 Ii not this subject worthy OF
your earnest redecttou2
I venture the assertion that tho aggregate ot
fair salaries paid to tiia Aldermen would uoI
amount to ono-luartor OF the sutn tia. il an-
,1ually plundered from tho city.
Besides, under ncw dspenBation, We should.
have m Aoneeter and more faithful City Gov
ernrnent. Stealing would become disreputabla
and rare.
Whenever Aldermen were absent without real
cause, certain euz1 eloulll ba Withdrawn from
their salaries This would secure full and
regular attendance.
Whenever anything Of I. diEhonorablo chsrac-
tor should be proved against any Alderman, he
Bhowsd promptly loao both lia salary aad lis
11ice. mud 10 abandoned to general obloquy-
This would prove most wholesome check. To
be good Alderman, under nuci4 circumstances.
Tould be Il real "hoaor."
WHO can Doubt that such courHe would be
productive OF immense and inc1lcuiablo benefit
10 tho public? Chicago is rapidly attaining to q
iigh rank among tho citlos Of the country, not
onl5 from 4 material, but n moral point Of vicw.
Let US set the example Of u radically sound and
'erfect system OF C;sy Government, by in
system of honest pay for honest
work. Beyond al cur wonderful material
3rogress this would lie the star that would shine
ha brightest throughout tho lard, and reflect
ho greatest credit upon the CITY. The days Of
'raud and raacelity won1d then be numbered,
snd Chicago would be as ga city set upon
ILL.," Yours, respectfully,
J. EsA1As WAnnEs.
CHICAGO, Jan Il, 1873.