Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-11-07
HAPPY HOLLOW. TENN.

favored region. In these latter days
If every man who imaeines himself a
Lycurgus had a finger in the law max
ing pie, the old adage, that too many
cooks spoil the broth" would be fully
verified. Apropos of this, we were
somewhat amused at the ideas OF re-
form and retrenchment by your cor
respondent Granville. in late issue
of the CHRONICLE. His first would
like to have" the abolition of the
Office of County Judge, our obtuse in
tellect can't see in that light; the finan-
cial ability and zeal displayed by the
present incumbent In the discharge of
his duties certainly justiiies the wisdom
of the people in still desiring the con-
tinuation Of the Office. Then he would
like to have the Magistrates assess
the taxes" There is nothing in the
present law TO prevent it; or at least
they do assess the taxes in some count
les, so there is nothing in this idea.
And then he would have the Consta-
bles collect the taxes. Well, there is
something in this; but like all other
questions it has two sides. If il is
worth 6 per cent for tar collectors TO
collect the tax, why is ii not worth as
much for Constable. especially when
we consider that what one man now
gets would be divided between from
eight totwenty-fve ditfe rent collectors,
and of course their pay would be pro-
portionally lessened, and as he would
only allow them q per cent. there
would be less than half the amount
that one man now gets TO be divided
among so many that we doubt very
much whether you would get more
competent men in that Office Very
few men would be wiling to assume
the responsibility necessary for SO
small compensation. Then there is
another objection (Which can be OBJ
waited, perhaps, but Granville" offers
no solution of the difficulty The tax
collectors are required. | believe, to
settle with the Comptroller once a
month. We have ninety-three count
les in the State, with from eight to
twenty-five, or perhaps more, Con-
stables. Putting the average at say
sixteen, we have an aggregate of 14SS
Constables. Now the number of clerks
that will be required in the Comptrol-
ler's office to make the 1856 settle
ments that will have to be made, sup
posing that every Constable has to
makeswelve settlements in the year,
my arithmetic fails to inform me.
Query-would these additional clerks
work saving or an extra expense to
the tax-ridden and officer-Oppressed
dear people. 1t is mixed with
grave doubts whether any of them
would be ready to pass in their books
and get their receipts by the first OF
August following the receipt of their
books as was done this year. Then he
would like to have the offices of Trus-
tee, Register and County Clerk merged
in one. Now we can't see any benefit
to be desired from this scheme, or
how it is to be brought about. In the
first place, the salary of but one of
these offices, Trustee, is paid by taxa
ton. What the Register gets is simp-
ly pay for what he does for individual
ly, and if he does nothing he gets moth
ing. The same is true of the County
Clerk, except small sum for ex- officio
services and for making out the tax
books, all other fees being paid by
parties having business in his court,
and we think it is but fair for those
who dance to pay the fiddler So if
you have no work for the Register or
Clerk to do you pay nothing or but
very little TO the Clerk. Then we can
see no saving in this. And second,
how is this mixture to be brought
about? Has this modern Scion con-
sidered how much it would cost to
| affect this Ito him at leasD much de-
sired change? Two of these, Trustee
and Register, are constitutional officers,
and the County Clerk is recognized,
| if not specially required, by the or
ganic law of the land. Then how is
the medley to be formed without a
change of the Constitution, and will
the object justify the outlay necessary
| to have a constitutional convention ?
Is the game worth the'amunition Is
anybody to be benefited or any tax 10
! be saved when the change is affected ?
Then he wants as many of the offices
| filed by appointment as possible. In
this he hits the constitution again, for
that provides how nearly, or quite, all
the Offices shall be filled, and then for
fear some might be left unprovided
for, says, mo county office created by
the Legislature shall be filled other
wise than by the people or the County
Court" Now which one will you
have filed by appointment? Granville
is for stopping perquisities and giving
each officer a stipulated salary, and
when he gets that his services are
paid for. Well, when he gets his per-
quisites are not his services paid for as
well as when he gets his salary? With
this difference, when he gets his salary
it is paid for by taxation, paid by the
people, whether they need the services
of the particular officer or not, but
when paid for by perquisites. his ser
vices are paid for by those who require
them, and not by the body of the
people. Adopt "Granville's" theory of
paying all the officers by stipulated
salaries and instead of having two or
three county officers who are paid by
taxation, you would have little army
feasting at the public crib. For in
stance, your Sheriff, Register, Coroner,
Ranger, three clerks, and their depu-
ties, thirty-nine Magistrates. twenty
Constables, meme of whom are paid by