The Indianapolis journal., 1891-02-21
THEPRBrRHsE OF PEE AMI SALARY REFORM.

1....-
THE PRETEEsE OF PEE AMI SALARY REFORM.
The people might about as well make
up their minds that they are not going
to have fee and salary reform from this
Legislature. They may possibly get
something thatwill be so labeled, but it
will not be the genuine article, and those
who tender it well know that it is not.
The Legislature-of course we speak of
the majority-docs not show an honest
or sincere purpose in the matter. They
are trying to run with the hare and bark
with the hounds. They want to make q
pretense of keeping their promises and
pledges to the people, and yet they are
constantly lodging the issue.
What the people want is law that
will materially reduce the expenses of
litigation and of administering the
county Offices, thereby reducing their
own burdens. They are satisfied that
this can and ought to be done, and they
have been promised that it shall be
done. They are right in demanding it.
and they have q right to expect
it. Their prime object is to get
relief for themselves, and they want
that as soon as possible. They are not
interested merely in the reduction of
the emoluments of county officers,
though for various reasons it is i'm
portant that that should be done; but
the people want the reduction made in
such manner and form that they will
get the benefit of it. 1t would be poor
sort of fee and salary reform that would
simply reduce the pay of county Off
GERS and leave the fee burden as heavy
as ever. That might hurt the officers.
but would not help the people. The
latter do not want simply to deplete the
pockets of the Office e-holders; they want
their own burdens reduced.
Representative Lindemuth pointed the
way to genuine reform when he report
ed in favor of the reduction of fees as
well as salaries. 1t is not merely the
amount of fees that 60 to the officers
that needs reforming, but the whole fee
system. The fees are too numerous,
too large, too exorbitant, too cumulative,
too abundant. too omnipresent, too vo-
racious, too Unsuitable and too inexorable.
This iswhat the people want relief from.
Many Of the present fees should be abOl-
ished and the rest should be reduced.
As Mr.. Lindemuth said, if 81 is enough
for recording a deed or mortgage in
Ohio it should be enough in this State.
With our short forms it is more than
enough. So of clerks fees, sheriff's fees,
treasurer's fees, auditors fees, Justices
fees. constable's fees, prosecuting attor-
ney's fees. etc.; they should all be cut
down. The people would understand
and appreciate this kind OF reform, and
they would get the benefit of it as soon
as the law went into effect
1t looks very much as if the political
managers of this Legislature were
scheming to secure the passage of a law
that will be either unconstitutional, in
operative or odious. 1t would be quite
in accordance with Democratic methods
to pass law which they knew to be un-
COucoAtutiondi III OiuCi thdt WhCu 81
pronounced by the Supreme Court they
could say: I'VE passed good fee and
salary law and a Republican court
overthrew it.n Most undoubtedly a
Republican court will overthrow an
unconstitutional law if the question is
brought before it. The first bill re-
ported ignored the constitutional pro-
vision which requires the compensation
of officers to be graded according to the
population and necessary services re-
quired. The trainers of thetbill could
hardly have been ignorant of the fact
that it did not comply with this require.
ment. Considerable time was lost il
discussing this bill before it was re.
ferred tn a committee for amendment
in accordance with the foregoing provis
ion. The bill now before the House is
on new basis, but still does not reduce
the fees, either in number or amount
Public attention is likely to be diverted
from that fact by the excited discussion
as to when the bill shall take effect. II
will make very little difference to the
people when it takes effect. or whether il
shall take effect at all, if it does not re-
duce the present fee list. 1t looks very
much as if fee and salary reform by this
Legislature would end just as it began
in false pretenses.