The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-12-04
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVEN-
TION.

TION.
The conclusion Of our last article
left US at the threshold of the aues-
|tion--how much can the present sal
aries be reduced?
We surely can reduce them as low
as they were in 1858, without incur
ring any of the dangers or evils
which some apprehend from salaries
too low. We know of no instance at
that time, of any one refusing office
on account of insufficient salary, and
it is no disparagement to say that
that those in Office at that time, were
quite equal to the present incums
bents. But there are some reasons
why salaries should be even lower.
The cost of living is lower, and all
branches Of business are less renu-
& L z = AZ Il =
nerative than in 1858. There is an
other reason, more cogent than all
Others: the difference 10 our condi-
ton. We we're then prosperous and
wealthy, we are now poor and in the
midst Of adversely.
But there is an evil which has
grown up around high salaries which
is greater than the salaries them
selves; sort of fungi which seems
to exude from its diseased stem and
row in distorted folds until all is re-
pulsive with disease. Anyone who will
look over the appropriations or reve-
nue. bills from 1869 to 1878 inclusive,
aud compare them with the same
bills prior to the war, will rea lily
guess what we mean. Under the
guise Of contingent expenses, the SAL
ary Of every Executive officer has
been increased more than thirty per
cent. AS if this increase of salary
had disqualified them for all labor
clerks, messengers and porters were
added until these offices must resem-
Bile the sanctum Of an Eastern Po-
tentate rather than the simplicity Of
Of a Republic. Let US take one IL
lustration--the Auditor At $4,000. II
1858 he had two clerks and $500 con
tingen5 expenses; in 1873 fonr book
keepers, three clerks. a messenger
aud porter, aud $4,000 contingent ex-
penses. There can be nothing more
to do in his Office than there was in
1858. 1t must be borne in mind
that the Auditor, Notwithstanding
his enormous salary, has been given
a fee oftwo dollars for all titles .un-
der tax sales, and to our knowledge
the Tax Collector in Caido exactc,l
this fee whenever the taxpayer was
put on the Delinquent list. In 1875
$4,000 was given as contingent ex-
penses to that useless functlonary.
Tie Lieutenant Governor, ANOTHER
species of the same fungi grew mp
around tue per diem Of The General
Assembly. Under tue Constitution
it was to be S. per day during their
attendance, and in going and return
ing home, under fiction that it re
quired a day to go thirty miles;
every thirty miles distant the mem
ber's residence was from New Or
leans, was counted as two days, adj
ded to his per diem. Under this in
genious fiction the members paid
themselves an average of $l2 per
day. 1t would not only be unpleas-
ant to trace the growth and develop.
ment Of these evils from 1868, but
painful to point out some Of their
worst features. They are such evils
that our ancestors dreamed OF, and
we have pointed them out that We
may ask the question, whether they
stould not be guarded against in our
anticipated Constitution. If our lib
critics can be destroyed by taxation,
or what is the same in result by leg
islative profligacy, is it not as i'm
+perative to guard this great domain
of our liberty BY the Constitution as
it is the other-namely, the security
Of person?
With these evils guarded, and with
the tabular expenses Of 1858 as q
basis, our readers may approximate
how much the expenses Of the Exec
utive and Judiciary Departments
may be reduced $4,000; the salaries
of the Parish Judges will be dis,
pensed with; the salaries of the Dis
trict Judges can be reduced from
$4,000 to $2500, without increasing
their number; the salaries Of the Sn-
preme Judges from $1,000 to $4,000.
The salaries and numbers Of book
keepers and clerks of the Auditor.
hava each hoon rriunn and IL