The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-01-21
Fees and Salaries.

Fees and Salaries.
A democratic exchange which was in
favor of the democratic platform before
the election but has opposed il since de-
clares that no equitable salary bill can DO
passed, because if a bill makes the total
salaries of the officials in any county
greater than the amount of the aggregate
fees collected by such officials, it will be
unjust to the taxpayers, while if the total
of the fees collected exceeds the amount
of the salaries an injustice will be done
10 l:tigsnts and others who pay these fees.
Our contemporary is in favor of revising"
the present fee schedules and continuing
the present system of compromising Off
GERS with ices instead Of putting them
upon fixed salaries. In other words, it is
against a compliance with the demands of
the democratic state platform, the repub-
lican state platform and the peoples
party" state platform; OF the farmers and
labor organizations throughout the state,
and of a large number of county and dis
trict conventions OF all political parties.
The legislature. we may be certain, will
not thus s%tultify itself. IL will make a law,
fixing a specific salary for every city and
county official, and providing for the col
lection OF fees for special services, as at
present, and for the payment of all fees
so collected into the public treasury. AS
We showed yesterday, there is nc difficulty
about enforcing the collection OF fees
against responsible parties. The .proba-
bility is that under a rigid law requiring
officers to collect all fees. under severe
penalties, a considerably larger per-
centage would be collected than at present.
The suggestion that ii would be unjust,
and perhaps unconstitutional, to tax
against litigants, etc, an amount of fees
for special services in excess of the
amounts paid in salaries to the officers
performing such services, is without
point. No finite intelligence can measure
the exact value Of a given official service
to any person. Not even a close approx
imatiOn can be made TO it. The bulk of
the work in every courthouse con-
sists in the performance OF special serv-
ices for individuals, not in labors in
which the entire community has a direct
interest. Tens of thousands of citizens
never visit a courthouse except to pay
their taxes. Yet the community is taxed
20 build and maintain court-houses, pay
judges and other officials, and to defray a
great variety of other expenses incurred
mainly in the performance of special du-
ties for %litigants; purchasers of real estate,
heirs, administrators executors and as
signs, etc, etc, etc. If fees for these spe-
cial services should be collected in excess
of the amount required to pay official serv-
ices and the balance applied toward the
payment of the other public expenses
mentioned, surely no injustice would be
done those who pay the fees and tor
whose benefit these general Expense are
in such a large degree incurred.
As to the question of constitutionality-
well, there is no such question. In New
York city certain officers are paid specific
salaries, and the fees of their offices,
which are largely in excess OF these sala-
r~ies,are paid into the public treasury. The
New York courts lave held the law estab-
fishing this system constitutional. Mis-
souri, and other states pay county officers
fixed salaries and compel them TO cover
all fees collected into the treasury. We
can find nothing in the constitution OF In
diana prohibiting the adoption Of a sim
liar system.
What the people demand of the legisla.
ture is that it shall provide for the pay
ment OF definite salaries to all state and
county officers; that these salaries shall
be proportional, as nearly as may be, TO
the importance OF the offices and the
character and extent, not only of the work
performed, but of the responsibilities and
liabilities assumed that all fees shall
be paid into the public treasury
and that every possible. provision
shall be made to insure the collection OF
such fees. The people do not want their
public servants TO work for starvation sal.
aries. They are willing and able to pay
fair wages for fair work. They are will.
ing and able, indeed, TO make the stand.
ard of official salaries a little higher than
the standard of earnings for similar serv-
ices in private life. Unless this is lone
honest and capable men will not be will
ing TO abandon their occupations, enter
into campaigns, and take upon themselves
the duties and responsibilities of public
station. And the people, if we mistake
not, want no injustice done to the present
in~cumbents of office and nothing that
savors OF injustice. They are more anx
ious Tor a genuine and a permanent re-
form than they are as to the time of its
taking effect.
But there can be no real reform-nc
real relief to the people, and no prom
Use OF a publication Of our politics-un