Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1879-05-16
OFFICIAL SALARIES.

y very decided opinion seems
to prevail that in order to Sc
cure first class talent, capacity
and integrity in official posi-
tons, very large salaries must
/ be paid. But. the fearful in
crease of public expenditure
I and accommodating taxation has
~ reflective people. who al
IS favor tai, pay, to suggest
these high salaries did not
7 prevent stealing. nor were alb
solutely essential in reducing
public eXpenses-the remedy
sought being too often applied
! in the wrong direction. True,
salaries already small, have
been graded down, until a days
wages for the laboring man is
hardly Sufficient to sustain life,
while the larger sums paid in
salary or perquisites to high Of
ficials have remained unchang-
ed. 1t can then hardly be con-
sidered mere sarcasm when we
hear objectors talk of the gross
injustice done the laboring class
es by the cutting down of the
salaries or pay of working men
and women, while congressman
and legislators look for the
round sums which are to come
to them.
1t is not long since that a con-
gress, whose members had de-
liberately accepted Their posi-
tons with full knowledge of
the stipulated compensation,
actually voted themselves addi-
tional or double pay, RETROSPECT
tive as. well prospective, and
most of them drew it. The
strongest apology for this
strange and unwarranted pro-
ceeding was that many of the
body were eminent in their pro-
fessions, hence could not be ex-
pected to serve the country at
less compensation than could
be obtained in their ordinary
business.
1t is becoming popular the
DRY with all fair-minded people
that it were better to select con-
gressmen hereafter of nearer
the average earning and spend
ing capacity of our citizens,
who would consider the salary
of $1,000 per annum fair pay for
the service rendered, and suffi-
Gent, with due regard to Amer
lean usages, to live on in COM
fort. and responsibility. The
nation might have to tolerate,
in her national councils, such
inferior intellects as Washing
ton,, Hamilton, Jefferson and
the Adamses, Webster, Cal
houn and Franklin; but the VI
-tality. of our institutions are
enormous, and we might as cas-
lily find some escape from their
blunders as we. do from those
of the illustrious and eminent
statesmen whom the nation has
had the fortune to secure as
their successors.
There are people who are said
to possess good common sense
in ordinary matters, who claim
that "a fair days pay for a fair
days work" secures more faith
full service than any figure above
or below that standard; and
that in almost, if not quite, all
instances where salaries have
been raised either by state or
national legislatures an inferior
grade of service has been OBJ
tanned for the larger amount of
pay; that where salaries are
kept at the market rate those
only apply who wish to obtain
fair pay for their labor; that the
inflated salaries, similar to those
paid to some grades of govern
ment employees, concentrate and
engross the attention OF those
whose chief ambition is to draw
their pay, perfectly Indifferent
as to whether it has been earn
ed or not-a class who would
compare with oLd.tashioned Of
hce-holders as tramps do with
solid statesmen.
Such views, however, cannot
prevail as long as our present
school Of bitter partisan poll
ticians hold control Of the reigns
of governmet-when the nkase
went forth "to the victors be-
long the spoils," the death
knell of, purity in American
politics. was tolled, and from
that hour national interests
have been held in allegiance to
personal gain and emolument,
while reference to our national
honor abroad is greeted with a
smile Of contempt and derision. |
The Flatonio Argus after in
vestigating the governors veto
co1-c ssu.a are convinced tb,t tho