The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-02-28
OffiCarIS Fees.

Officers Fees.
Mr.. Malone, of Shelby. has intro
duced a bill in the House, by which
he doubtless intends to save the
people some money by reducing the
fees of Clerk, District Attorneys,
Trustees, etc, but it strikes US Mr..
Malone shoots very wide Of his mark.
In the larger cOunties-the counties
Of Shelby, Davidson, Hamilton and
Knox, the bill would be only a par
tiaI success, and out of these counties
or districts it would be to'al failure.
In the larger counties above men
toned the salaries of the Clerks
would be greatly reduced, but the
allowance made for Deputies is so
great that the result would be mere
ly transferring the peoples money
from the pocket of the Clerk into the
pockets of his deputies.
In the counties and districts of the
average class, and in all under the
average, without having the figures
before us we hazard the statement
there would be no saving at all. We
question even if the Clerks and their
deputies make as much now as they
would then. In a county like Maury,
for instance, under the provisions of
the proposed bill the Clerk would get
two thousand dollars a year and be
allowed deputy at nine hundred
We doubt il they make that much
clear money now.
If M. MaIone's' idea is to cut
down the income from these Offices,
his idea is good one, but he must
materially amend his bill before he
will accomplish the end he seeks.
There is no doubt ths ajority Of
these officers are paid two or three,
and sometimes five or ten times a.
much as they are worth. In mO1t OF
the counties in the State men are IN
office aud receiving all the way from
81 800 up to 10000, who, before cleo
ton would have thought themselves
fortunate to have secured $75 job.
We do not say this as reflection or
to cast any discredit upon the men in
office, for $75 a month will secure the
services of first rate business man
these hard times. We mention the
fact and make the illustration merely
to show how unju5tly aud unneces-
sarily the people are being taxed.
That part of the bill that puts the
District Attorneys on a salary, il
right in principle and an economic
move as well. The cupidity of man
ought not to be tempted by "contin-
gent fees" When it is, that cupidity
is likely to hatch out nest of frivO-
lOus cases that should never have
been Matched at all. And for these
frivolous cases the people are not on
Iy compelled to pay the Attorney
General his fees, but are compelled
to pay as well, Jail fees piled up
mountain high. The Attorney Gener-
II ought to be like the Judge, with a
salary to do his duty and with no fees
TO warp him in the discharge of that
duty.
But of all the institutions the State
and county keeps up, the Jail is the
most expensive. The Jailor or
Sheriff is given the building free OF
all rent, taxes and repairs, and al
lowed 40 cents a day to board a
prisoner. While the average hotel
md first class boarding houses of
Tennessee pay rent, or taxes and
repairs, and board anybody at about
ten cents more per day than it costs
80 board in Jail. The Jail fees ought
TO be cut half In two.
Not only ought the fees to be cut
Town, but there is another saving the
legislature could make, and at the
same time correct a serious and grow
ing evil. And that is to prohibit, in
some way, the long confinement of
persons charged with trifling mis-
lemeanors. To Illustrate, indict-
ments are found against twenty
negroes for crap shooting; the
officers are busy attending upon the
Court and cannot find the negroes
and make the arrests until after
Court adjourns. Immediately upon
the adjournment of Court, however,
the arrests are made. The negroes
are put in Jail to await trial at next
term; they remain there ninety days,
at 40 cents per day; each crap player
therefore costs the county $50; twenty
IF them costs 1920. A very nice little
game of craps, for which the offender,
when She is called upon, pleads guilty
q nd isItined the enormOusIsum of $3.50,
which reverts to the state and county.
Expensive justice? Rather!
These cases ought all to be tried be-
ore a magistrate and tried i'm
nediately upon arrest. This Is only
one illustration out of many that
could be given. Cases of assault, or
assault and battery where no ser ious
lurt was done, and hundred others
that the b oks willishow.
There is indeed plenty of room for
retrenchmeut and reform. But here
totore the Clerks aud Sheriffs and
District Attorneys and their immedi-
ate allies and special friends have
gotten close to the Legislators and
lobbied their way through, and the
people have suffered thereby; and we
very much fear it will be now and
hereafter as ii has been before.
An Eloquent Negro.
In speech OH the race question re-
.entIy:Prof. Council, colored, Presi-
dent of the Colored Normal school at