Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-03-31
the CORRUPT FEE SYSTEM
Exposed by Mr.. Gibson in Arguing
For His Bill
TO FIX THE SALARIES OF OFFICERS
OF the United States Who Enrich Them
selves at the Country's Expense
General Washington News.
Special % he ReaiStn.

Special 10 the Re0iSty.
WASHINGTON, March 30.-The House tc-
day had under consideration the bill in
troduced by Eustace Gibson to make the
salaries OF United States District Attorneys
and United States Marshals uniform OF
$4,000 per snnum:
Mr.. Gibson made speech arguing that
the passage Of the bill by Congress would
result in a saving to the Government Of
nearly 100000 per year. He also made
a point by saying that a great many Of
these officers had grown rich in abusing the
fee system now in force.
EXAMPLES.
"As an illustration" Mr. Gibson said, ITO
illustrate how terrible this thing can be,
sometimes I have seen in one city in my
own little State, composed Of but one fourth
of the judicial business Of that SAFE, the
people csmped in the streets aud settling
upon the sidewalks by the thousands in at
tendance upon the court. l have seen in
one session ofthat court over 900 indict-
meuts made and carried forward from court
to court until aftertwo or three terms with
thousands Of parties and witnesses there in
attendance, over 700 Of them we're dis
missed with one sweep of the pen.
Il have seen carried on in that State,
having an average OF only about $4,000
population within the last ten years as high
as one sixth and never less than onetenth,
Of all the criminal prosecutions that have
been carried on in all of thu courts togeth-
er in all of the States and Territories ofthis
great land. And still, with this showing of
prosecutions, you may take up the report
of the Attorney General and the Commits.
sioner OF Internal Revenue aud you will
find that there has not been money enough
collected in the prosecutions carried on in
that State 10 have paid for one single wit.
meas that ATTENDED the court during
the year. During all those years
there have been only twenty or
thirty convictions for any olfenses against
the revenue laws, and yet for the purpose
eff swelling the fees ofthese court officers
this enormous amount oi prosecution was
carried on.
There are
OTHER THINGS
TO which | might allude. | might tell you
to your utter Rstonishmen. that United
States Commissioners, mere Justices OF the
Peace, living in little out.of the-waY towns,
have by this system OF prosecution and
fees succeeded in SWeil.nG their salaries in
some cases as high as $4,000 year and
in some instances even to the enormous
sums of $4,000 to $4,000 The way it
is done is to send blank afiidAvits 10 hunt
up and work up business, and this has been
carried on not only in the South but also
in the North.
Why, in some states the clerk IS
allowed FIVE dollars day from the COM
mencement of the year to the end of it, ex.
cept on holidays. The same course has
been found in ap2 o, the illinois districts,
and these abRses ara being carried on oil
over the country, which is being tax.ridden
and burdened by this spirit Of fraud.
The First Comptroller Of the Treasury
told me that under this late decisien o. the
Court Of Claims allowing commissioners
TO docket their fees, he had no doubt the
United States would have to pay over
million of dollars in arresges for fees
claimed By these United States CopRis'
sio,epE,