The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-01-13
DAILY EGIsTEK-
rom the .shepherdaown Register

From the Shepherdsown Register.l
Has Our Legislature Acted Wisely
This question suggest itself when We
inquire into the act Of the Legislature re-
ducing the fees of certain officers, in
Guiding the Circuit and County Clerks,
Sheriff.. J Justices, Prosecuting Attorneys
and other county officers. The fees OF
those officers have, by an act Of the
Legislature to take effect the lst dsy OF
January, 1873, been reduced at least
40 per cent, and in some cases more
than 100 per cent Has our Legislature
acted wisely? We answer no We
have never heard the people complain,
that those officers got too much for their
services, certainly no one who had any
knowledge of the respective duties they
had to perform. The people, as q
county. never had to pay the Circuit
and County Clerks and q portion OF
the Sheriff e income, conseq uently by
reducing their fees, taxes are
not reduced. 1t requires competent and
responsible men to fill these Offices sBd
they mu.t be paid a living, or good
mon, such a. we want will never seek
them. Ability can always command
support, and these important Offices
must give q support, or ability will
never seek them. The injustice Of this
reduction shows itself most in that
OF the Justices OF the peace and Prose.
cutting Attorney. The former OF these,
holds q position that, besides being
troublesome and Improbable, has no
little amount OF responsibility which
comes with the Offices 1t has been
very hard matter heretofore to get com.
petent men 10 FIJI the Office, and now
since the fees, which we're heretofore in
adequate, are cut down, it will be next
thing 10 an impossibi!ity to fill the po-
sirion
The Prosecuting Attorney OF this
county has heretofore only received tor
his services the sum OF 5000 and office
rent, &c. That was little enough. Now
bv this late act he gets the Insignificant
sum OF $3.50. Would it not have been
better TO have made the Office one OF
honor than to insult man BY ofer;ng
this sum. The importance OF this office
certainly could not have been sppre
ciated by the men Of our Legislature.
We know OF no position where q man
can be OF greater good 10 the county in
Furnishing crime and enforcing the laws
than a good, efficent and active attor
pev. He has it in his power 10 search
out and expose offences BY bringing all
offenders before the proper trlbuna', or
ne NAV he silent and overlook them.
Will good men take THE responsibility
when it has been reduced 10 reproach?
Will q good lawyer take $3.50 for his
services from the State, and thereby
exclude himself from the Opportunity
OF making twice, yea-Iour times g.
much in the defense Of criminals? This
change in the law has fallen harder
upon this class OF men than any other,
reducing the pay in this county more
than 100 per cent.
We could well take lesson from our
sister State OF Maryland, where for el-
ample, in the county Of Washington,
adjoining US we are told, the Prosecut-
ing Attorney gets $500, not one cent
too much. In this county we can well
psy 5000, and more, and no reasonable
m an can object. For the dignity OF old
jefferson, let not it be said that she pays
this, one OF The most important OF her
officers, the trifling sum OF $3.50.
Berkeley county has taken steps to
petition the Legislature to pay greater
sum, and we earnestly call upon the
people OF this county TO do the same,
and that at once.
One provision in the act referred to
reads thus Nor shall the salary or
compe nsation OF any public officer be
Increased or diminished during his term
of office" Does it not occur TO you
tina, the men who now fill these othces
have had fraud practiced upon them.
II is true, thst this act does not go into
effect until January lst 1873, still the
men who became candidates and were
elected expected ,certsinly that this time
would be paid TOR. Better if 1t could
have been known to these men. And
we are certain that We could not now
have such good officers as were elected
last August We say that it is mis-
taken policy to badly pay officers. Ex-
perience hiss taught u that men must
be compensated for their time, and this
rule applies equally we'll to public as
to private relations OF lie. We say
our Legislature has not acted wisely.
We want to see retrennh pent and re-
ducron, and hope it may be accomp-
lished, but not at the expense OF the
public interest and the filing OF our
county offices with poorly paid and In
competent men.