The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-01-21
zAnd fees.

anu iSSN-
A family can be housed, fed and
clothed on as small a sum of money
now as at any time within thirty years.
Never was it harder to pay taxes. New
er could deserving men in greater num-
bers be found to perform official duties
upon small salaries than now. Good
carpenters accept work in Columbus
gladly at one dollar and twenty-five
cents per day. The average mans fam
lily in the State of Ohio is supported
upon less than eight dollars a week. To
pay 50, 900 for the performance of the
dnties of an office which should COM
mand but 81 900 upon the basis upon
which private individuals pay for like
services, is but to create a corruption
fund of 81 900 and to put the Office into
the hands of political hummer, if the
pay of an Office is but fair compensa-
tion for the work to be done, honest
men-men who expect and desire to
earn what they get-will compete for
the place. While if pay is double what
it is worth to do the work, bummers
will discount the excess and seek to Sc
cure the position through corruption;
and as honorable men have no appetite
for that kind of strife, the thieves, as a
rule, will have the field to themselves.
The first work now to be done is the re-
duction of all salaries to the figures of
1855. And don't be squeamish about,
the Judiciary. Better men were on the
bench at 81 800 than we have now at 81,
900. The place is more scrambled for
as a soft thing. 1t was once sought as
an honorable trust. As to county off,
cers, their pay should be reduced from
fifty to seventyfve per cent. Better
service and far less stealing will be the
in .vitable result OF such reduction. As
things now are, shirtless men within a
month after their election to comfy off
ces begin to feel that they are capitalists,
and with speculative investments to look
after, lose interest in their positions ex
cept to work them as they would gold
mines. Justices and Constables' fee will
bear bringing back also to the old figures
Probably the most perDicious, demor-
alizing, contemplate stealing that is
done by any class of thieves to be found
in the whole country is that uniformly
practiced by our county officials in the
bestowing Of the patronage incident to
their offices. Sheriffs rob the unfortu-
nate to buy political pre- ferment, and to
the crime of theft add that of perjury;
and their case is about the case of the
whole ring of county officials. The
ends sought to be attained through legal
advertising, the affnrding of effective
notification to interested parties, is de-
feated; the expense is quadrupled, and
the press, the peoples Legitimate source
of information, falsified. If this Legis
lature follows in the footsteps Of its pre-
decessors and refuse to require all legal
advertising of county tobe let to one
paper, and that the one bidding the low
est, it can justly be charged with con
niving at theft and perjury. And the
legal advertising of the State should be
required to be published in but one pa
par in the State, and that one the one
bidding the lowest. With this arrange
ment contractors, property owners, law
yers, and others whose interest it is ia
keep track of the legal advertising,
could do so; but as the law is at present
administered an immense amount OF
money is sqnandered and no purpose but
that of theft served. Now an architect
secures charge of pnblic building, and