Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1873-01-11
Boy Has OUR LEGISLATURE ACTED

when we inquire into the act OF the
Legislature reducing the fees of certain
officers, including the Circuit and Coun-
ty Clerks, Sheriffs, Justices, Prosecuting
Attorney, ana other County officers.
The fees of those officers have, by an
act of tie Legislature to take effect the
lst day of January, 1878, been reduced
at least 40 per cent, and in some cases
more than hundred per cent. Has
our Legislature acted wisely? We an
swer 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 re-
spectre duties they had to perform
The people, as county, never had to
pay the Circuit and County Clerks and
portion of the Sheriff's income, conse-
quently by reducing their fees, taxes are
not reduced. 1t requires competent and
responsible men to fill these offices and
they must be paid a living, or good
men, such as we want, will never seek
them. Ability can always command a
support, and those important Offices
must give a support, Or ability will new
er seek them, The injustice Of this re-
duction shows itself most in that OF the
justices of the peace and Prosecuting
Attorney The former Of these, holds a
position that, besides leiIg troublesome
and Improbable, has 30 little amount OF
responsibility which comes with the or
flee. II has been very hard matter
heretofore to get competent men to MI
the Office, and now since the fees, which
were heretofore inadequate, are cut
down, it will be next thing to impossl-
bic to fill the position.
The Prosecuting Attorney OF this
County has, heretofore, only received
for his services, the sum Of 5000, and
office rent, &c This was little enough
Now by this late act, he gets the inslg-
nifcant sum of $3.50. Would it not
have been better to have made the Of
fee one Of honor, than to insult man
by offering this sum. The Importance
of this Office certainly could not have
been appreciated by the men OF our
Legislature We know Of no position
where a man can be Of greater good to
the County in Furnishing crime and en-
forcing the laws, than good, efficient
and active attorney, He has it in his
power to search cut and expose offenses
by bringing all offenders before the pro
per tribunal, or he may be silent and
over look them. VIII good men take
this responsibility when it has been re-
duced to reproach. Will good law
yer take $3.50 year for his services for
the State, and thereby exclude himself
from the opportunity of making twice,
yea-lour times as much in the defense
of criminals. This change in the law
has fallen harder upon this class O.. 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 exam
pie, in the County of Washington, ad-
Joining us, we are told, the Prosecuting
Attorney gets S250O, not one cent too
much. In this County we can well pay
$500, and more, and no reasonable man
object. For the dignity of old Jefferson,
let not it be said that she pays this,
one of the most important of her Off
GERS, the tritiing sumof $3.50.
Berkeley County has taken steps to
petition the Legislature to pay greater
sum, land we earnestly call upon the peo-
pie 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
compensation of any public officer be
increased or diminished during his term
OF Office. Does it not occur to you that
the men who now fill these offices have
had fraud practiced upon them. 1t IS
true. that this act does not 60 into eft
feet until January LIST, 1873. still the
men who became candidates and were
elected expected, certainly that this
time would be paid for. 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 1t is
mistaken policy to badly pay officers
Experience has taught us that men must
be compensated for their time, and this
rule applies equally as well TO public as
/ to private relations of life. We say our
Legislature has not acted wisely. We
want to see letrenchment and reduction.
and hope it may be accomplished, but
not at the expense Of the public interest
and the filing of our County Offices