The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-05-15

other peoples benefit; and it all comes
out of our pockets"
Let us see what this administration
OF justice costs US, in Dakota county.
according to the little green look.
Justices fees. $4,000
Coastal le's fees. .............. 62O.57
Witness fees, District court. 6O2 SO
Witness fees, Justices court. 357 O6
Jurors fees, District court. :. 1,47l.O4
Jurors fees, Justices court. 5000
$4,000!
OF this probably three-fourths arise
from civil actions, for the collection
of debts: so that the taxpayers Of the
county are out Of pocket about s., OO0
each year, to enable creditors to force
their debtors to pay them. And as
there are but $765.42 left Of the coun,
ty revenue this $4,000 is perhaps part"
ly paid by the 1856 collected for
liquor licenses. 1t is bad emo ugh to
make money out of the vices Of the
community, but ten times worse
when the money is thrown away upon
people who should pay the expense of
collecting their own claims out OF
their own pockets.
Now suppose our whole county gov
eminent was abolished how MUCK
worse off would our people be-?
A very nice set of gentleman would
be out of good fat Jobs; and theiI
salaries of from $1,000 to $3.50, would
no longer be paid, by the people; and
they would have to fall back into the
ranks and "hustle" with the rest OF
us; and instead of So, 900 salary If they
made $500 year they would be doing
better than the average. We are not
attacking the county officers Of Da.
kota county; If the system is to pre-
vail the men are all right; but we are
protesting against system which
levies taxes on the people, and then
consumes the whole levy in keeping
the accounts of the levy. 1t jumps
down its own throat, disappears, and
leaves nothing behind it but a bad
smell. But it will be said that we
must have system to probate the
estates of deceased persons Very
true; but why should a poor devil in
Greenvale or huntsville be taxed to
settle the estate Of rich wheat-buyer
in Hastings? Why should not the es-
tates pay for their own probating? II
is poor pig that will not afford fat
enough to fry itself. It isn't worth
cooking.
But how about the protection of the
people from violence? Well every
township has its own constable and
justices of the peace now; and ii
deemed necessary a sheriff might be
elected and paid small salary. Our
present sheriff, in Dakota county, gets
$2,34291 a year. He is a very nice
gentleman, but ii he was ouS of the
office no one in the county would hire
him for 800 per annum. II Dakota
county was to put an. advertisement
in the papers like his:-"Wanted-
twenty fairly educated men. to per-
form light and pleasant clerical work,
for $500 year." it would have two
thousand applicants; and among them
would be nearly every ex-county officer
now alive in the county; with swarms
of intelligent men from Ramsey and
Hennepin counties; and il the adver-
tisement was inserted in the Chicago
and New York papers they would
have 100000 applicants, who would
take the court house by storm.
Now our system is simply to tax the
people $21, 402.04 a year, and spend
$40, 1868 a year for running the
threshing machine; and about $4,000
year more for collecting other peo-
PIES debts. The whole thing is an
absurdity. The people contribute out
of their poverty $21 ,492, year to pay
big salaries to politicians. and then
the politicians muddy the pool of pub
lie affairs in their desperate efforts to
get or hold the glittering and extraor-
binary prizes. So that the eople are
not only out Of pocket that much. but
they pay for their own demoraliza-
ton; and the railroads and the rings
come in, with their money-bags, to
make trades with the office-seekers,
and hurl the people down into help
lessness. And SO our children are
hardly out of their swaddling clothes
and through the kintergarden, before
they want to steal something!
Well; 1t will be said-how would you
remedy all this.
i. Have the register Of deeds paid
by the fees of those who have instru-
ments to register.
2. Have the probate judge paid by
fees, levied upon the estates that pass
through his hands.
3. A jury fee of s. is now charged
to the plaintiff in every civil suit. Ex-
tend this system. Estimate the cost
of the court, clerk. jury deputies, etc.,
per day, and collect that sum at the