The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1874-08-28
ARousp. FREEMRN /

participate in a call for meeting of
the tax payers on next Tuesday.
Some time since number Of citi-
zens, believing from the general
murmurings Of the people that they
were ripe for a reform movement,
began to look round to see where
and how it had best begin. Popular
clamor indicated the Offices Of Re-
ceiver, Collector and Treasurer
We found the Receiver to be draw
ing his commissions mainly from
the State the Collector $577.86
from the county and $3.50, as near
as we could get it, from the State,
making something over 81 200; the
Treasurer 81, 185.45, all from the
county-from taxes Of last year
S55l. 95, and from sale Of bonds last
wear S633,52. The oond sales il is
true are over, but his commissions
must go through them again as they
are paid annually. We were OF the
opinion that these figures were too
high and went to work to bring be-
fore the nominating convention then
about to assemble candidates for
these Offices in harmony with our
We've, good and responsible men
who regarded half the compensation
paid as sufficient for the work to be
done.
Such voluntary action on the part
Of the, Office holders would certainly
be an suspicious inauguration Of the
work of reform and would carry with
il a moral influence beyond the lin
it's of the banner county.
Our work went on swimmingly;
| incumbents candidates and all
parties approached generally acced-
| ing to our views, satisfactorily;
imagine then our astonishment upon
the meeting Of the convention to
find some Of our candidates recant-
ing and the convention itself reius-
ing to hear those that still kept the
faith. Now it is not the object OF
this pen to call in question the mo-
tives of the bulk of that body. We
believe them to be good and honest
men. But we do propose to combat
the logic Of the shrewd ofiice-seeker
that led them astray.
Plea No. THAT it was un-
manly and undignifed for them to
propose to buy Office with pledge
to under bid the law. We have GER
taiuly dressed it up in a garb that
does it full justice.
Now it is little strange that this
plea should have been held by the
convention as satisfactory as to these
minor officers, when the aspirants
for Legislative honors were hunted
up, brought in, and made to take
the dose. A strange consistency,
certainly. The Office Of Legishter
Is one strictly of honor, dignity, and
trust--pledges can be worth but lit
tle--his integrity alone is our guar
antee. The Collector and Treasar
err, on the contrary, are merely en-
ployees upon wages-hirelings OF
the people under specific contract,
to do specific work, at q specific
time and for . specific price, and
this is all Of it. When the job is
done and paid for and new one is
solicited it will not do to say that
the party who is to give out tho work
and foot the bills, shall not have the
right to accept lower price, when
the former one has been too high, or
that it is "unmanly and undignitied"
in the party bidding to offer his SER
vices for Just compensation. The
part that the legislature acts in these
merely local matters is ministerial
only, and only for the conven-
fence and at the behest of the
people. And because the Leg
islature happens not to be at hand
to do our bidding at "a particular
iuncture, are we upon mere pune
tilio to be fleeced and flayed for
years to come when the needed re-
lief is voluntarily offered 10 uss Is
this the way that men manage their
private business Away with such
clap trap and twad6le about the let.
ting down of dignity and the buy
ing of office. The dignity and man
illness that cannot stoop to tender
ones services for all they are worth,
but can intrigue to put them upon
an unwilling constituency at double
their value the people at large
will, we opino, be found too'weak
to appreciate.
The present Ave per cent rate of
compensation was fixed a. time
when but little money was coming
into the public treasury and was
then bare remuneration. But a
new era has dawned upon us in these
latter dsys---the war having very
greatly increased our ability to bear
it, much larger revenues are now
collected and the enactment once
our protection, is construed into
penal statute as it were for our OPP
pression--its spirit must be ignored
and it's letter construed mandatory
the office>seeker as well as the office
holder must be construed to have a
vested right and the people may
manage their own concerns only
urhan he sees ft 10 nlInw il. Now ifl