The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-01-07
FEES AND
A Peru Democrat Ra ses His Voice for Re.
firm.

form.
To II EDIToR-Sir: | noticed a few
days ago In extract in your paper from
the Marion Democrat. 1t is as follows:
The fee aud salary bill is all right. The peo-
pie want it passed; but let it take effect on the
next set Of officers elected in indiana, not on
the present incumbeuts. IL il Is attempted TO
be pushed through TO take effect Immediately
after its passage, such a bill will never pass,
and the entire session of the legislature will be
consumed in useless wrangllng ami important
Legislation will be impeded. Mark well our
predictions.
The above indicates an impending
storm. 1t Will tie claimed that the legis-
lature has not the constitutional right to
change or diminish the compensation
xed by law for a county officer after one
has once been elected. and no sooner will
the legislature meet than a terrifi hue and
cry will be raised that the democrats are
proposing to 60 back on The solemn con-
tract made with ali the county officers re-
Gently elected by them. And we seriously
doubt wheter any aid can be got from re-
publican members looking toward this re-
form. AS to the constitutional question,
we think there is no good lawyer in In
diana that will risk his reputation by as
sorting that 1t is not within the power and
HCiANtb il[hl VI II ANSiGobuAR dh any AAAO
to change the uncertain fees of any county
officer and substitute therefor a fixed sal
airy, and to put the same in force at once.
1t is within the perfect right and consti-
tutional power of the legislature 10 tighten
or increase the burdens of any county Off
Ger and TO increase or diminish the fees
thereof for services not already performed
but TO be performed after the taking effect
of such an act.
The legislature can even abolish any
office in the midst of any incumbent's
term, and transfer the business thereof to
anv other department.
Not many years ago a much higher Of
fee, TO wit, the common pleas court, was
abolished, and the law took efiert at once,
and it legislated out OF office many ON
mon pleas Judges. And the right OF the
legis allure so TO do was fully confirmed by
the Indiana supreme court.
1t is a well known fact that for twenty
years past the legislature has been passing
fee tables, and has at almost every session
been compel ed to throw guards aud
checks around them so that they might
not be misconstrued or enlarg d by con-
struction. But IL has not hitherto been
within the power of any legislature TO so
guard and fence around these fee tables
as 60 eludc construction fees. You may
travel the state over and you will hardly
find two clerks or auditors taxing aud
collecting the same amount OF fees and
cost for the same kind OF services.
All decedents' es atcg and all estates OF
minors have 10 be sifted through the
courts, and in some instances IL is amazing
what amount fails 10 get through the
sieve, by reason Of fee tables, taxable costs
construed and applied 10y interested OIL.
GERS dependent thereon for the profits OF
their Office.
tt IL n pre- ~ %wcll.known fact that nm
auditor aud clerk In an average county
get In the wayIot fees from $4,000 TO s1,0O0
per annuni. The fee tables as now fixed
In many instances give double or treble
coinpensHtt on for services actually rend.
cred, and thus, together with the iinpossi.
hility Of guarding what Is commonly
known as constructive fees, In now, aud
hnH been lor years past, one OF the crying
evils of the land. The substituting ct a
fixed salary 40 a compensation for county
officers has been attempted 10y nearly
every legislature for tho last fifteen years,
but The numerous county officers being
local politicians, have hitherto beeh TOD
much for tie Legislature. and have foiled
any such attempted reform,
Wn hiplosn that tho democrats have
about thrteIihhs of all the county offices
IN Indiana, aud the question is will ihe
f0mlnH Legislature bH able ~ brook thit
formidable array of county oiiioefs wh6
have exalted Ideas uf hig money for them
II they can suppress this muchheeded TO-
tofmY
Now w regard the danger 20 democratic
HueenaH az arise ~ ilH own leeeheHl II
generally holds good oil over Indiana that
the great profit Ia obtaining u eeuaty office
inspires candidates 10 spend q large amount
81 money ~ SECURING u nomination bnl
once obtained, they fall back thinking
they have Hpent money enough aud vii
allow their partysfripnda 10 fight the
batt Ies of the party from that on, aRdihey
thus become dead freight ~ their pafiy'r
boat, The democratic party has passed
the sehoolrboik law. and the election law
and II 10 will ~ come "a the scratch and
pass q law giving 10 each county officer a
reasonable and lair, and 0niy a reasonable
aud fair, fixed salary ior services per-
formed, then In u not apparent that lhe
democratic party Will be the controlling
party OF Indiana lor years 90 come
Peru, Jan = Tb'