Arizona silver belt., 1879-01-31
Arizona Silver Belt.
F..laay. January Fl. le59.


 Friday. January 7I, RetS9.
 The following from the Arizona
 Slar, of the 23d, will be approvingiy
 read by nine-tenths of our taxpayers,
 Ne had read the statement that a
 bill had been introduced in which
 It was provided to pay our
 Territorial District Judges l,500
 each. irrespective of the sum paid
 By the Federal Government. but re-
 garding the proposition preposserous
 we then and nos believe thar the Leg
 islature would not give 1T moments
 serious consideration. aad so beIiev-
 ing. passed 1t without comment. The
 proposition to ereate Territorial
 Mmeralosist at cost of 93. 900 per
 anaun to tke TerritOfy, has also our
 hearty disapprovnl. The Star ex-
 presses the opinion that th;s Of6ce Is
 especially intended for the inpross-
 ment of the Governors finances. The
 District Judges were fully informed
 of the sum they uere to got for their services when they were '.lsggins'' for she position, and if they nov find it
 less shan . eaid pro que. they should resign and l.Ot scquiesee n a pat up| job" on she Territorial treasury for their benest:
 The leading republicans of she leg islature appear to have a terrible hankering in favor of large salaries for our FedoraI officers irrespective of lag, judgment or the welfare of their constituents. Last week We noticed Mr. Fgch's bill, giving the district judges salary of 8, ,500 eus of the territorial treas ury. Monday AIr. Bean introduced 1 8 bill to create territorial mineral oglst at salary of $3, ,00o per year ] to be paid out of the territorial treas ury, and to have Gov. Fremont aD- pointed to the office This IS all wroag, while we have no doubt that the Governor by his superior scientific 1 training and large mining experience { would fll the office with great ability | It is neither iI accordance with law, ! nor even handed justice to the peo- pie of the territory that he should be appolnred to the office. The Gov ernor is sent here among US by Fed eral power and authority, and as such he reigns over us. He is paid for this service by the power who ap- points him and Is ansWerable to that power alone, and Re believe he has about all he can well attend to, if he executes the duties of his office. Again, this act could not become a laa without the Governors approval. and 1t Is 8 fundamental principle of good legislation. that no one should legislats himself into office, winch once disTegarded, the result cannot prove otherwise shan fatal. If Gov Fremont can legislate himself into one ofice, what hindrance is there to  adding five or twenty more. He IS now territorial superintendent of pub .ie instruction. Make him territorial and he will then hold three distinct offices, drawing two salaries from the territory and one from the United States. Ne doubt mach if 1t is 5nilct with law for him to hold the office of territoral However on this point the great majority of tue peo- ole are satisfied that he should serve, but they do abhor any precedent which will allow Federal officer to Iegislate money out of the territorial treasury into his own pocket; but Ehe bill is in conflict with law No law of any territorlal legislature shall be made or enforced by which the governor or secretary of s territory < < are paid any compensation oth- er than that provided by the laws of the United States. "-U. $. Revised sec. 1855. This is the United States law as 1t now stands. The secretary however by act of June b, 1878 is exempt from it's proyis- ions. Surely the legislature will not for 3 moment consider such a bil,. If We are to have such an office let t be entirely seperate from any other.
 It has happened under the eompIi- ,,to1 f..- oe as-o tf,of eb. ,s,.,.