The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-04-19
Talk About Salarles.

i uC THO 1000 SOuiO uuy .
ago suggested not only the propriety,
but the duty, Of La Sale county OF
paying its officers better salaries. Low
salaries generally mean cheap men,
while fair salaries will give the county
the kind of men she ought to have in
her offices from clerkshipS to judges.
The county has been very fortunate
in the past in securing a much better
class of men than the salaries paid
really called for, but 1t Is certain, just
the same, that the salaries are con-
siderably lower than they ought to be.
Both judges and clerks are supposed
generally to do no other professional
work than their official duties; yet
there is hardly man in the court
house to-day, with a family of any size
to support, who can do that and save
any money out of his salary.
The men, for example, who ought TO
sit on the bench of the Probate or
County court cannot, as a rule, afford
to give up practice worthaS much as
or more than the salary paid land only
IA man who is able to earn that much
as a lawyer ought to be in these places
to serve the county for salary of only
s., 400 year.
As a Judge cannot save money at
that rate, and the acceptance of a
judgeship means practically a loss of
his practice. the Judge at the end of
four years must, If not reelected, be-
gin his career as practitioner all
over again, and in the end really pays
handsomely in cash for the mere
''handle" of Judge before his name
which is his only reward.
1t has come indeed to that pass
among practical politicians on both
sides, who do more or less of the pre-
liminary Figuring" to look for judi
cial candidates among lawyers who
are supposed to be well enough
fixed" financially to have an in
come outside of the salary OF the
Office in order to live comfortably.
This is hardly fair, and as at present
the names icing tossed about for the
judicial offices indicate that both par
ties will present very able men as can
didates, the county should be as lib
eral in the way Of salaries as the Cir
cumstances will permit. The tax
payers may then, if they see tit, de-
mand of the officials elected their en-
| tire time in county service: but as the
case stands at present, a county or
probate judge is expected to do some
law busineSs-Of a sort perfectly legit-
innate, and in matters that cannot in
any event come under his own juris-
dictiOn as judge-tO earn money
enough to live on decently.
The Streator Ind. Times, combating
a proposition to increase the pay OF our
judges and county officers, makes this
astounding statement: Larry Morris
sey has been sheriff of La Sale county
a little over three years and out OF the
emoluments of the Office and what he
made before when he bore .aloft trium-
phantly the American flag over the
ramparts of Fort McAllister quarter
of century ago, he has been able to
save enough greenbacks to enable him
to purchase lot in Chicago on a cor
ner that is worth, or will be worth,
800, ZOO for a livery stable" Great
Scott you don't say so And all this
time, while the sheriff's office, perqui-
sites included was not supposed to be
yielding over $500 out of which the
sheriff and family had to live, how he
must have been stealing And not
even Doc Norton, with his keen scent,
have suspicion of it! But the truth
Is that the Ind. Times is building on
air. Thos. Cassidy and Mr.. Morrissey,
it is understood, have lately made a
moderate investment in some livery
stable property in Chicago, but to talk
of hundred of thousands in such con-
nection won't even pass for Joke.
For notable example Of willful,
malicious lying, with despiSable
personal motive behind it, one would
have to go long way before finding
one equal to Roses Screed of Sunday
attacking Mr.. JAS. II. Eckels. If it
had not been known by every man,
women or child in Ottawa that Mr..
Eckels opposed the nomination of
Mr.. Crook, preferring to have the con-
ventiOn pass the nomination entirely
rather than accept Mr.. Crook, the lie
would not be so glazing, however con-
temptible. Its utterances, however,
simply show the barefacedness of this
fellow to deliberately and maliciOusly
mislead the public in order to crafty
his own malice. AS a malicious, con-
temptible liar, as in this very matter
he yesterday confessed himself to be
to Mr.. Hunt when he said to Mr.. Fl.
he intended to make Mr.. Eckels as
disreputable as possible, and as the
defender of gamblers, unprovoked as
saults on peaceable citizens, this fell
low Rose need only now insert few
lines of bawdy house slang and sala-
cious story and he will have repro
duced his infamous Roses Nose and
placed himself in proper form for
another Indictment for sending OBJ
scene matter through the mails for
advertisers.
Don't Whip a Sick Horse. NJ. =.