Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1874-01-30
RE1REKcHMENT IN THE. kloHT d.
REc37oN.

I RE7RENCHAENT IN THE. kEoAT d
REc17ON.
The bills introduced in tho Lowe
House Of tie Legislature by the Hon
Geo. s. Coleman, to merge the Office
Of Sheriff and County Treasurer int
one, and also the Offices Of Probat
Judge and County Clerk, we view a
wise and polite measures. We betev
in giving good, living salaries to on
public servants, that they may be adj
to discharge their official duties. efici
emily and completely, and that sucl
positions may be accepted by men o
first-class capacity-men of integrity
industry and thorough competency
The niggartsly, starve-to-death polio.
il fmpolitic and disgracefal to any com
nunity adopting it. True economy
does not consist in pinching o6icia
salaries and fees until the officer il
forced to consider and treat his pub
lie duties as secondary means OF Oh
tanning a livelihood, and therefore give
but q portion of his time to their con.
sideration and discharge. All county
Offices should in themselves afford a
good, independent living to those fill
ing them, and then it is the business
Of the voters to see that only capable
and responsible men-men who will
give to public duties their undivided
time and attention-are elected to FIJI
them. This is the best guarantee of q
pure and efficient administration of
public affairs. The fees now allowed
to the various county officers do not,
outside Of two or three counties, afford
q decent livelihood. They are SO low
in the judicial departments as to en-
courage litigation-which the policy
Of all enlightened law is against; and
SO low that local magistrates would
not get rich if their dOckets were never
clear-if they were constantly en-
ployed.
Mr.. Coleman is taking hold Of the
question of retrenchment, so far as
official salaries are concerned, in the |
right shape. Instead Of still further
official fees-no contempti-
bly, low-let the number of Offices be
by consolidation. The Pro
'ate Judge could efficiently discharge
he duties Of County Clerk er-c1scio,
md the Sheriff could er-cbic;o dis
'harge the duties of County Treasurer.
t is to provide for these consultations
hat Mr. Coleman's measures have
'een introduced, the new laws to 20
nto effect at the expiration of the
erms of the present incumbents. BY
he new arrangement we would save
4 rent, fuels, lights, ETC., and, for the ,
easons already given, we are confident {
he general result would be a more eff I
cient discharge Of Official duties. The !
X payers themselves do not demand
desire that their public officers .
Mould be inadequately compensated; a
is their wish that they should re- I
i've such salaries as will enable them
} discharge their respective dnties :.
ithfally and independently; and be- q
des, it is unjust for Legislative body Up
reduce the emoluments of a public $
6cer who has accepted the response u
lily Of his position-often by chang
g the entire course of his private !.
lsiness and making great personal q
critics. Son the presumption that it I
i'll yield him, under the law as he p
Ids it on the Statute-books, a certain
come. Snch breach of good faith
private relations would be consid-
ed highly dishenorable. A species g
legislative petifogging is this ever e'
sting carpmg about the exorbitancy 2,
Official Nes, after they have already r.
en- reduced to the lowest living mark; a,
d, in our opinion, it lowers the dig N
" Of the Legislator addicted to it, u
thout accomplishing the sole object :!
has in view-thc increase Of his ~ =,
pularity among the people. There lr
ways of effecting Northumberland Sc
htening the burdens of taxation g
itch are within the purviews of hon ~
'ble craftsmanship, and we would v,
ygest that our law givers and law In
tchers give tho big and unnecessary Of
ks Of the different county treasures IN
'ecial consideration before settling ~
On tho policy Of violating theplight- St,
faith Of the Territory by withhold tic
from ofice-holdlers that compensa- an
n which they were promised by the 40 40
,er and tenor Of the law, when they ~
epte,s the trusts. Under the fee ter
:, as 1t stands, no man can be found re-
iii the Office of Justice of the Peace, pr
side of two or three towns In the ~