The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-05-17


~ which no could retire to the tent OF
JLYssgs alter his term OF Office With n sal |
Try by way OF Interest on bonds equal TO
ala paw es general. But judges have no
,uch provision made for them, and II 10
sheer folly to expect the matured lawyer OF
arge resources aud ample freedom, unhar.
raised by present want, and secure OF the
Iulure TO assun me the harness and drudgery
Of position which not only falls TO supply
his immediate necessities, but ofYerp no
hope for past Official prosperity. The fact
is that long judicial career incapaoitates u
Some NAV say that SO 800 10 a good salary,
bu. when Il 10 considered that home Inter-
eats are neglected.; that different establish
menis have TO be kept mp; that every
bookseller, charity seeker and I'M
poverished friend who has assisted
him In getting Into office; every county
newspaper thst has published his name
When candidate, has bill; that heavy
travelling expenses for visits from the fami-
lice, and innumernble Other incidents 70
high position. are only some OF many riils
constantly running away from that $500,
or salary tank. II becomes very apparent
that the atrlclest economy 10 Necessary to
even live on tho pay. United States judges
have larger salaries, travelling expenses
paid and certainty provided by continued
nay after their term OF Office expires. New
York pays her chief justice $l6,5 and as
10 lab In divided
among much larger number. Louisiana
pays 5000, Georgia, 5000; California
larger still, and the work performed by tbs
appellate judges oil those states. II is safe to
say, Is not one.fourth to the jucge OIL what
Is required Of our judiciary.
These things should not be. The expens
necessary TO change the constitution rom
its piggardIy limitation and suitable pay
for such service would be iniini,eslmGlly
small, whilst the benefits to be derived
rom n more enlarged and liberal pol.
icy would be great beyond expression.
We do not deem this state OF affairs credit
able 10 state claiming TO be the empire
state. Tho blood, brains and muscle OF her
gifted Sons should be ~ dear to her as that
OF her other sons OF toll. The service they
render Is incidentally great, not only to the
present population OF the state, bu, reaches
In its benencent influences dietan. pos
teriiy. The present mode of dealing with
these hopored aud learned men, we cay, is
far from hon reble or equitable. and IL
clips Texans boas.iul pinions to the very
pin feathers when he hears OF her most
elevated sons being compelled in the dog
days TO fight flies and mosquitoes, whilst
they spend tho days and nights necessary
To health's restoration In toilsome effort to
coin from their brains the means 10 supply
their families with the necetsaries OF life.
Nor should the spirit OF smeioration
stop here. Twenty-Five hundred dollars
psr anuum IL an insufficient salary for u
district judge. There 10 not q district 10
the settled portion of The state where there
are not q score Of lawyers whose practice
amounts TO double that sum. VIII they
consent to beggar themselves by assuming
the duties OF en- Office which keeps them
constantly on the circuit, imposes magniii-
cent labor and heavy travelling e1penses
for position which is Temporary ct
best and entirely unremuDerativeY
We are aware that the multitude are prone
TO cry out for low salaries and smell taxa.
ton, and VIC are also alive 10. the fact that
political demagogues are prone to join and
even swell the popular clamor; but whilst
IL is neither Just, patriotic or wise to pursue
the course now adopted toward the. judi
cisry, il is evident to our minds, that byen-
crse.ic reformation of the system, true
economy could be obtained.
Suppose, for instance, instead.oi one judge
there should be three, aud let them sub
divide the work-changing from one de-
partment to another. Then, on motions Ter
new trial, let them cit IN bank. This would
cut down the number of appeals wonder
fully, and by adopting system agreed on
between the bench and. the attorneys en-.
gagged, the real points OF issue, already |
eliminated, could be briefly trans.
mitted to the highest court OF appeals
and vast saving Of cumbersome and ex.
pensiye transcript record thereby avoided.
But q siill greater saving could DO affected
by compelling the party lIIigant calling for
q jury to pay the actual expenses OF that
Jury. Take our own county, for instance,
where the amount OF jury fees for which the
psop.o have 10 be taxed is over ego. ooo per !,
annum. In one notable case here, known |
IS the CRAVEN case, the ectual jury fees
which the county had to pay waa $50, and |
the subj sct Of litigation was brace OF tur'
keys. Let such parties pay the piper them
sslves, II they desire to dance, and not take
up On involuntary collection on the people |
ut large, when they happen not TO like the
music OF judges fiddle. This system, II
applied to all except felony csses, would
soon reduce expenses to tolerable burden, |
and secure more reliable and substantial
disp snsation Of justice. The pay OF the
Judges under this method might be doubled
and still the state treasury be tubjecl to
less depletion than at present. But this ia
only one OF the many means OF reducing
present expenses, and which might tend to
the popular prejudice against lib
ersl, or even sufficient tslaries, promoting
at once the safety, honor and welfare OF the
state by doing eveu.handed justice to the
opponents OF justice.
THAT wonderful octogenarian, ROBERT |
TooMDs. In a late conversation, remarked
.ha, our country was in most anomalous