The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1891-02-13

Will be Endorsed BY Democrats
\ Generally.
n indianapolis Sentinel
4 The fec and salary bin. which has
been reported by the committee intrusted
with lis preparation. has some very ex-
cellent features. somc that will and
should be carefully scrutinizcd before
/ adoption, and some that are on their
face radically bad. II is the common
misfortune Of al attempted reforms that
they fall under the influence OF extrcm-
lists, and, unless resolutely hold from
such control, are carried to lengths that
make them either odions or utterly i'm
practicable Very frequently they are
shunted off on side tracks that their
origiuators never dreamed Of, and this
not inirequently by designing persons
whose real object Is the practical defeat
OF the movement. From the first The
Sentinel has been the earnest advocate
of the fee and salary reform, aud II still
occupies that position with al the
earnestness that Il can feel on any ques-
ton. II demands that The pledges OF
the dem ocratic platform be carried out
fully and fairly. But il has not advo-
Gated any bastard reform. 1t will not
lend any support 10 the introduction Of
festures into this hill that can only have
the effect Of producing its repeal BY the
next general assembly. II will not
champion any bill ihat will cripple the
state Offices and prevent the proper per-
formsnce Of the duties VI those Offices
II will not advocate any measure that
|, can serve no other end than TO bring
,disrepute on the democratic party.
h The movement for fee and salary re-
form was designed 10 relieve the people
. Of the evils Of the system Of fees aud per-
quisiies By which few lucky aspirants
for Office were enabled 10 secure for
. tunes, and tho public suffered both in
taxation and in the corruption Of voters.
, Ii aimed at the abandonment Of the fee
system. and the Democratic party
| pledged itself to that purpose. II was
, not movement to strike Offices In
; which the fee system had no place, and
cut the remuneration OF The officers to
/. such an extent as to bar competent men
| from accepting employ ment IN them.
| There has been no complaint Of the sala-
, ries paid to employees in the state offices,
> and there should be none. Their COM
! pensalion as now fixed is reasonable and
, proper for the services required. The
a reform was aimed at the officers who
!. receive the fees and perquisiles mot ~
Iibe men and women who are working
for wages under those officers. And yet
the bill reported cuts their wages 10 ~
extent that every business man will
concedc to be improper.
l Take fer example the Office OF stAtisti-
J cian. lie now receives t1.6uO per year
with no fees or perquisiies whatever.
/ This IL very moderate salary for COM
pcscnt statistical service the same
J amount that j. paid 10 clerks under
, chiefs Of divisions In the census bureau.
His salary Il cut 10 81. 500 for no per-
; ccivabe reason. and his assistant 10 cut
from 81 600 to $500. The latter action 10
. simply preposterous. No person who
, would be of auv ulategial service 10 the
|, ,stati~tlcian in HE work can be employed
| at that ratio. Tnis statis'ician aud his
, assistant are expected 10 collect. aDalyze
\ aud tabulate information on All subjects
/, pertaining 10 the business and welfare
,lof the state. Their work furnishes
, practically the only precise information
} from which the prosperity of the state
can be Judged. We are already far be-
hind our sister states in this work. aud
: the effect OF this prov .sion will 10 TO
make Us more so. The same svstesn Of
} cutting the salaries Of subordinatcs has
! been ioIlow wed throughout. Il j. defend
! ed on the ground that other n:ou can be
obtained TO do the work for the amount.
/. fixed. We doubt the ststenent; but
even II il wero true this IL the very
theory that every friend Of labor has
, been lighting tor years. Every corpora
tItion and every employer that has cut
|, wages has answered 10 the protest or Lis
men: III you don't like Il, quit we can
i'm your place At the figures we Offer. =
! There is no more unjust or vicious basis
! for establishing wages, and overv work
ing man in the state knows Il TO bis sOr.
row. II will be an unfortunate day for
lIlabOr In Indiana when the state adopts
llthis principle and sets the example Of
cutting wages IN accordance with Il.
4 A word further: liz Is asserted by
members OF tho legislature that they are
ldelugcd with resolutions aud petitions
from the farmers alliance demanding
extreme measures. What IL the farmers
alliance? 1t has asserted itself as a po-
,llitical organization. II nominated state
and local tickets Ia the last campaign
and will do 90 Ia the next. The present
Legislature was elected By the demo-
cratic party and owes its allegiance 10
that party mot 10 tho farmers alliance.
In some matters tho two orgaixations
agroe, and III Others they difIcr. The
party IL the best friend The
farmer ever had, but il cannot concedc
that the fArsnsrs' alliance and the farmer
arc ono and the same. II Is as rank pre-
sumption for the farmers alliance 10 a.
tempt to dictate the policy OF demo-
cratic legislature as II would be for the
republican party TO do 50. II II not re-
sponsibIc for tho Legislation adopted
here. II will not have 10 boar The odium
OF the mistakes that may &c made.
When Il elects legislature II may do %
it likes. but no democratic member can
afford 10 forget that be was elected as
democrat, aud not ts a representative OF
any other political party.