The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-04-19

| compensation 10 De allowed Tor service ID
the several departments of the govern.
ment was fixed, and 1t could not be In
creased nor diminished; but every officer
Of the State. notwithstanding the fixed
and unalterable compensation provision
of the supreme law, became lobbyist,
and even the ermine was tainted with the
suspicion Of corruption. The governor
put his arm into the treasury through his
garden, and the Judges and other officers
through fee clauses OF laws that the
lobby passed and changed with INDUS
trious and thrifty regularity.
HOW COULD THIS EVIL RE REMEDIED?
II salaries fixed in the constitution
salaries which could be lie ther increased
| nor diminished-did not prevent the
money OF the people from flowing from
rapid stream OF great volume into The
pockets OF pubic officers, what plan
could be devised that would? Mr.. Scho-
field, then member OF the convention
from Clark county, now one OF the SUI
preme Judges of this state, suggested the
remedy and it was adopted. The legis-
lative article being under discussion. the
question was upon the proposition To fix
salaries in the constitution. MIR. SchO-
| tield said
IF the report of the committee on the
legislative department Is adopted, il will
he necessary to change the report which
has been agreed upon by the committee
on the judiciary. That committee has
come to the conclusion that it is unwise
and impoitic to fix unchsngeably a svs-
tenn OF salaries in the constitution.
am not willing, however. as has been
said by some, to say that the legislature
shall fix Its own pay. am not willing
| Int n 90 nor. n nltsfl
or an auditor, or any officer OF the gov
eminent shall have ii in his power TO be-
come a lobbyist for his own benefit.
! propose that the constitution shall be 40
| amended that we ourselves shall fix the
compensation for the first legislature. |
That legislature shall fix the compcnsa- |
ton for its successor, and so on, each |
legislature fixing the compensation of |
Of the legislature succeeding il. pro.
pose that we shall provide that the first |
legislature shall fix the salaries of the |
officers who shall be elected |
after the adoption OF this
constitution and that these sal
aries shall not be increased nor dimin-
ished during their term Of Office so that
it will be utterly impossible tor the state
to be cursed with that which has been
30 offensive to some conference.-the
idea Of governors, judges, and other Of
iicers becoming lobbyists. No officer
will be lobbyist with a view of raising
his own salary Tor preventing 1t from
being rsduced) because his term OF Of
flee will expire before any increase Tor
reduction) can be made in his salary"
THE INTENTION OF THE CONVENTION.
That a large majority of tie trainers
o, the constitution had the same inten-
ton in reference TO the salary question |
that Mr.. Schoiield had must be
evident to every one VINO
will read the proceedings of the conven-
ton aud that the convention, alter it !
had completed its work, believed That it |
had made the principle that the salary |
OF no public officer should he increased |
OF diminished during his term OF Office
universally applicable to all officers
elected or appointed under or in pursu-
| ance OF the constitution or laws of the
state, is susceptible OF clear proof The
intention of a deliberativc BODY cannot
always be ascertained from the express
ion of its individual members.
| Each member acts for HIM
self, aud "thc motion and debates
do not it has been truthtully said
unnecessarily indicate the purpose OF
a Majority Of the convention in adopting
a particular clause but when after the
| 6uODllOll VI u CldiSt vi dli tHt
convention, by formal action, declares
what its purpose was in adopting such
clause al ii.iu, doubt il driven "-,ay
and the declaration must be accepted
without hesitation. With reference To
its actiom on what Attorney General
Edsall calls the principle of not lncreas.
ing or reducing salaries during the Of
fetal term of public officers. the cOnsti-
tutional convention made most eX-
oil dnpl DIV,
that convention adopted an address pre-.
pared by its order explaining the most
important provisions OF the constitution
it was about to submit to the people. In
| this address the convention said
ave have provided that the fees and
salaries of all officers under the cOnstitu-
| ton shall not be increased nor diminish
ed during their terms"
Is not this conclusive? Does it not
clearly show that the intention OF the
trainers of the constitution was to pre-
vent the increasing or decreasing of pub.
| lie salaries during their terms of office?
THE SACRED SALARY OF LITTLE PEDLING-
TONS POUND KEEIER.
| But there is another argument which,
TO my mind, Is more conclusive than this
even. The general assembly has enact
ed law providing for the incorporation
of cities, towns and villages. BY this act
certain municipal Offices have been Gre
ated, and the municipal council is au-
| thuriZed to create such other
| offices as it ma deem
necessary or expedient. Under
this authority, the council of the
village Of Little Pedlington may by ordi-
nance, create the office OF dog-pouud
keeper, with a salary OF say fifty dollars
| year and necessary expenses while in
the discharge OF duty. Ii the council of
| Little Pedlington should create this Of
flee, and then should attempt to diminish
the salary during the officers term, the
constitution would step in and say: you
shall not do this. the dog keepers salary
is sacred during his term of office. Ii can
not be increased nor diminished, Can
it be possible that the trainers of the
constitution, with thoughtful wisdom.
hedged IN, as a sacred thug, the salary
of the dog keeper ofLittle Pedlington.
and, with intention. left the salaries OF ali
cray. -2r"@tnh by state law-salaries
or diminished during The terms OF office:
10 ask this question is to answer it, The
| constitutional convention intended, be-
You'd all doubt TO embrace all law created
offices within the general rule that pro-
tects even the salary of the official dog
keeper from the salary diminishing legis-
lation of village council that creates his
office
That II was the intention OF the
trainers OF the constitution to make the
salaries OF all oiiic ,rs in this state I'M
changeable during their official terms,