River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-11-28
The salary Grab.

peWd Herald. We gave them some
rough knocks at the time, and predict
ed its severe rebuke at the hands of
the electors. That it has been most
emphatically condemned at the ballot
box will be conceded; and, that the
very leaders who justified the steal, and
apologized for the perpetrators, will
now advocate the repeal of the law
authorizing il, We have not a doubt.
Their sense of justice is seldom reach
ed till danger is appreheuded, and then
their fer will know no bounds.
Sens or Carpenter, the great ex.
FOUNDER, after trying all summer to
frame some plausible excuse in defense
of the act, has at length given it up as
bad job To him it still seems to be
all right, but he is satisfied that the
people take different view of it. Now
if the Senator sticks to his proposition
to repeal the law, and actually secures
such result, the "people" ought to
give him due credit. But we appre-
bend that this will be "a difficult job
There are too many interests at stake;
too many obstacles to encounter, too
many fires to quench, aud too many
evils to palliate. The President is in
the way-there are too many hungry
Judges and quite too many greedy
Congressman.
Still we hope the law will be repealed,
since there are many good reasons why
it should be, and no good reason Why
it should not be- Financially the PEG.
pie of the country as well as the coun ny
itself, are passing through financia !
crisis, aud this is good relsJn for re
trenchment.
Then, too, in our opinion those sala-
ries were high enough before. 1t is
folly to tell US that the salaries Of pub
lie officers should be commensurate with
the fees Of professional men. No
nation under heaven could support its
government, and long remain in pros
porous condition, financially, were this
the rule. Nor reed you tell us that
good, faithful aud efficient men cannot
be found to discharge the duties requir-
ed Of them, at low rates of compensa-
ton. Experience teaches just the re-
verse.
Take for, instance, our postal depart
ment, and what is more complete in all
its machinery? What has so nearly ap.
proximated perfection? And yet there
are not a set of aborers IN America
who work so cheap in proportion to
the amount performed, as the clerks,
mail agents, postmasters and subordi-
mates connected with the postal depart
ment. Then, too, the mail service is
performed at rates lower in proportion
than any other transportation in the
country. Who does not know these
facts?
This is not the only instance we
might cite, though it is sufli cient for
our purpose, since none will deny that
the duties Of these officers are just as
onerous just as important as the du-
ties of the officers and statesmen even,
of any other governmental department.
Experience has farther shown us
that men Of talent and worth are
everywhere to be found who are ready
to make a sacrifice, if need be, to serve
the government in almost any of its
branches. Quite too many designing
men are found already, who are aspir-
ing to offices of honor aud trust. Why
then should we present additional temp
tation?
Aspirants have never been wanting
for any official position in the country,
whether the pay was sufficient or Insult
ficient Now if honor is taken in part
payment for duties performed, or to be
performed let "honor' make up as large
a share of the compensation as man
may be willing to accept, since the
more "honor" the better for the treasu-
ry. While we would not advocate the
fixing Of salaries at rates absolutely
ruinous, we venture the assertion that
decidedly the more competent, faithful
and efficient officers, clerks, and even
legislators found in the United States,
are among these who receive tho least