The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-05-10

THE Philadelphia Times with the other
Philadelphia papers, an earnest aud un-
wearving advocate of the judicial pen
sion scheme, Is at last forced to concede
that 1.-The bill is hopelessly dead. .
The bill passed the house a couple of
weeks ago bv a meager majority OF three
votes over the constitutional number
necessary to pass bill. 1t got this
scant lead in the expectation IL would he
defeated in the senate. Tue senat -
have been hearing from the people, ana
the Times comedies it is as dead as d
mackeral in that branch. Governor
Hastings has also had a revelation, and
the Philadelphia paper says me leeis
that il would be most perllous thing
for him to approve the bill in the face OF
the intense and growing opp siuon to
il F" 1t IS even said If the bill h al
pass d the senate the govern. would
probably have vetoed it.
The proposition to pension our judges
had its origin some 20 years ago with
the editor of the Philadelphia Times,
and the historic facts are stated as fol-
lows by that paper;
The proposition to retire judges who
have given the best years of their life to
judicial service was first proposed 10y
Senator Mcclure, then representing Phil
adelphia, more than 20 years ago. 1t
was defeated the first year, but the Sec
ond year he renewed it, passed it in the
senate, and toward the close of the ses
sion it passed the house up to the third
reading by full two-thirds vote. 1t
was then possible to suspend the rules
and pass bill finally on the same day
On a motion to suspend the rules 1t was
lost, lacking two votes, and, on sub
Sequent motion to reconsider, 1t was
again lost, which ended the effort, for
the bill could not be reached that session
on third reading. That measure pro
posed the retirement: of judges ON halt
judicial salary. Since then a like mea
SNt4t ittlo bCClI 'lbpDSttl Ut ~ vi 'lullt
every session of the legislature, bat al
ways failed of success, and we believe
never passed either branch until this
year.
The Times regrets the defeat of the
| bill, and asserts it will have a bad effec
| on the Judiciary Of the state. We fail Il
I 4,
stand how a pension system for Judge
might be attended by disastrous conse
quences, in impairing popular conf
| dence in the judiciary. 1t was not the
money question that defeated the bill
| The money involved is a mere bagatellt
| for great state like Pennsylvania. Tn,
people were stirred to anger by the sug
| gestion of a civil pension list, and re
! garded the judicial pension bill as O
| precisely that character. 1t was una
merican and in opposition to the bes
traditions of Republican government
| If the salaries of the judges are not suf
| ticient, let them be increased. There
| should be no federation of a civil pen
sion list. But we hardly think the judi.
cial salaries, considering the long tenure
of office, are insufficient. The fact Is
as everything in this country is gettin.
down to hard pan, we believe it woul,
be sound policy to raze the salaries an,
fees of public officials generally, anc
| -
county and municipal officers.
The Legislature does not deserve mucl
credit for defeating the judicial pension
bill, for the princial reason it has in
creased offices and salaries to the exten
of about $3.50, 600 a year. But for tn
protests that went up from the people
would have swallowed the starter for
civil pension list.