The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-08-07
CUT DOWN THE SALARIES.

ESiPoRIA, July S0th, 1874.
EDITOR NEws.-DEAR SIR As
your colHms are open for free dis
cussion, We wish to say something
about officers salaries. The cry all
over the land is "Retrenchment
and Reform" in orr county, state
and national affairs. The people
are claiming that the one great
cause of our present financial diff
Guilty Is extravaganza in the admin
istration of our county, state and
government affairs. This we think
no person with an unprejudiced
mind will deny, 1t is self-eVi-
dent fact that owing 10 the apathy
and inactiOn of the people, in the
last few years, that the reins of
government have been held by a
few designing persons to the great
disadvantage of humanity in gener-
al. Who is to blame for all this ?
We say the people. We have al
lowed it-have suffered it. No one
10 blame but ourselves. What is the
remedy? 1t is simple. We all can
understand it. We need not call
in our family doctor to prescribe
for US. We will give our ideas
how and where reformation should
commence. Let it commence in
our own families, on our farms, in
our workshops and counting
rooms. Let us reduce our family
expenses; use more hog and homi-
ny; be industrious; read and think
more stop going IN debt; never
buy anything because it is cheap
unless we have use for it. Do not
visit saloons and run whiskey and
cigar bills. If you do you will not
prosper. Be kind and affectionate
toward one another. Love your
neighbor and endeavor to be at
peace with all men.
We viii next speak of our public
servants-(some call them masters.)
Will give our opinion in regard to
the amount of salary that should be
paid, &C., &c. Now it is well
known fact that we have school
teachers that teach for $40. to so.
per month, and perhaps will teach
from elk to eight months in the
year. We will suppose they aver
age eight months. This perhaps is
high but we will say eight months
at $50 will be $500. The balance of
his time he will perhaps do moth
ing. He lives, wears good clothes
and seems to be satisfied. Now
what we were going to say is
this, haYe we not got men that are
teachers and have been that can
and wOnId run the Offices of our
county at fifty dollars per month ?
We believe we have. In fact we
know it. They can afford to and
would. By putting in his whole
time his salary would amount to
two hundred dollars more per
year than when he tanhgt school.
Now would not this be saying to
the taxpayers. "Oh, WELL" the
opposition will say, lyon farmers
want to bring everything down to
lerel with the hOd-carrier. This
will never do" they will say. '"Fal-
lent must command respect or peo-
pie will not educate" We believe
talent, competence and honesty
should always take precedence.
But we are inclined to believe there
is too much difference now in the
salary of the educated man and the
day laborer, and always has been.
We believe there is no class of peO-
pie that are so oppressed as this one.
They are the men that build our
railroads and public works. They
are a part of the country. They
are the men or class that are mostly
affected by stringent times. Our
motto is to reduce officers salaries
to correspond with the industries OF
the country. and thereby save
Thousands and tens of thousands OF
dollars to the tax payers. We
know some will call us fool, but
we care not. We believe we are
right in our opinion, and that the
people will hear us out in what We
say. We further say that no ssnt
man, unless he is an Office seeker
or one already holding Office, car
contradict our statements. II sal
aries were reduced to level will
other kinds of labor you would NO
see so many candidates for Office
The money that there is in ofiic
is what we are after. No doub
: about it. This was fully demon
strated q few days since in tn
grand scrabble for the vacancy t
. be filed by the resignation of Nj
4 Covaness OF the county superin
tendency. Eight or nine aplics
. tons in q little less than no tim,
, The commissioners being OF tn
, opinion that the office should see
the man, or woman rather, and nc
the man the Office, have shown thel
faith by their works by appOintin
Miss. Slocum to fill the vacanc.
4 We believe she is competent an
will make an efficient officer.
RURAL.
It We will say to j. Davis, ESQ
and his organ. the Junction Cit
q Tribune. that If thew have nev,