The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1877-02-15
EniinrS' krrling.

last week, and passed rcsulotions in
favor of just prices for work, and against
being compelled TO enter into ruinous
competition with irresponsible adven-
turers, having no fixed habitation, and
no permanent interest in the communi-
~. There is an opportunity for them
10 act as well as TO reSolce. There are
at least two bills in some stage of pro-
gress in the legislature, not only reduc-
ing printers fees for legal work one
half, but one of them actually proposes
10 allow them 10 charge for only one half
of two thirds Of the matter they are re-
quired to publish. Those editors who
have any influence with members Of the
legislature, had better look to this mat
tcr.-Troy Chief.
While at Topeka we heard something
of these bills. One was introduced by a
lawyer from FIT. Scott, and the other by
bank from Ottawa.
Ii Mr.. Gilmore, of the Frcdona CItl-
zen, should introduce bill in the house,
of which be is a member, regulating the
fees Of attorneys, and cutting them down
about two thirds, Judge Day, of Fl.
Scott, would pronounce it an outrageous
and understandable inference with the
private business ofcitiZcns.
If Senator Murdoch, of the Walnut
Valley Times, should introduce bill in
thc'scnatc cutting down the legal rates
of interest one half, Mr.. Elder, of Frank
lin county, would probably regard it as
IN outrage.
Yet the principle, in all these cases is
the same. Judge Day has no more bus
mess to attempt to cut down the fees OF
publishers by legislative enactment than
Mr.. Gilmore has to attempt-to regulate
lawyers fees by law.
Every journal in the United States
has !. right to regulate its own prices for
advertising, just as every lawyer has
right to make his own charges for legal
services. Tho man who attempts to
draw distinction between the two cas-
es, and to say that the fees of printers
ought to be regulated by law, while law
ycrs, are permitted TO charge what they
please, does not know what he is talk
Ing about.
1t is very singular that at every
session of the Legislature some lawyer or
banker proposes to go into the the busl-
ness of regulating printers, lees. and IN
varably concludes to reduce them to
about one-third or one half the advertis-
cd, established prices all over the coun-
try. From Maine TO California the fees
for inserting legal advertisements are
very nearly uniform, and are ottencr less
that the established and advertised prices
of newspapers than they are in excess
of such advertised prices. Many of the
prominent journals of the country never
insert legal advertisements because the
prices fixed by law are less than the
rates they have fixed for their advertls-
ing space. The larger the circulation of
a newspaper, the more valuable IS ad-
vertising in its columns.
Great lawyers, like William NJ. Evarts
and Judge Black, are paid enormous
fees, often amounting to thousands of
dollars for single case. Great newspa-
pcrs, like the New York Tribune, or IFS
namesake in Chicago, charge from q
dollar to five dollars line for advertise
ments. The scale OF advertising all over
the country ranges from dollar a
square (nine lines of nonpereiD, TO the
prices charged by the great dailies men
ton above. The Champion charges,
and has right to charge, moro for It's
advertising space than does the Norton
County Bee. But all journals, in this
state and elsewhere, have an undoubted
right to fix their own rates of advertis
ing, just as much as lawyers have q
right TO fix their own charges for legal
services.
No matter what fee lawyer charges,
be can collect it. If client regards the
charge as cxtortionatc, and refuses TO
pay, tho lawyer can collect it in full If
he takes the case TO court. For tho on
ly witnesses whose evidence will be ad-
mitted as competent is tho evidence of
other layers, and there is community
of interest IN the profession that will in
duce every one OF them to sustain the
charges of their brother lawyer as just
and proper. If a lawyer does an hours
work he may charge and collect a hun
drcd dollars or more for il. The thco-
ry is that his services arc not 10 be
measured by the time he was actually
employed on the case; time that 1t re-
quired years Of study and experience
and the expenditure of much money, TO
fit him for his profession; that this
study, experience and expenditure are
equivalent to the Investment of capital
and he has, therefore, a right 10 de-
mand compensation based on his learn
ing and skill, and not on the houses he
actually devotes 10 the case. There is
Justice in this. We enter no complaint
against the charges Of the lawyers. We
concede that they have right TO make
their charges upon this theory. But NC
protest that publishers have the same
right, and when a lawyer attempts to
regulate their fees, he is guilty OF an
outrageous and unwarrantably interior
cnce with business that is quite rs
honorable, just as Independent, and in
every respect entitled 10 just rs much
immunity from arbitrary interference as
his own profession.
We may put the ease in stronger con-
t-ast and ask, who have dono most Tor
tho state, the lawyers or the publishers: 4
Who arc entitled to the most generous
treatment from the people of the state,
tho lawyers or the publishers? Who
have contributed most 10 baild mp the .
interests Of Kansas, TO hasten the growth I
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