The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-01
COUNTY OFFICERS PAY
ARGUMENT FOR THE OFFICIALS BE-
FORE THE HOUSE COMMITTEE.
President G.. NJ. Fountain and secre-
tary A. II. uckcr Discuss the
Question of Compensation.

IL ilOuSG COfIlUlILLGe OH ices anu SALARIES
of county officers granted a hearing on
Wednesday evening. Mr.. j. NJ. Fountain.
president of the county officers organiza-
tion, appeared in behalf of that body, and
said:
/ am present by invitation to talk with
you in regard TO compensation for county
officers. Ii is a question that has agitated
legislative session for years. and should now
be settled for a long time TO come. | come
to you as. president of the County Officers
the press, but which l hope will soon be
recognized fer its true worth as an assoc
its members. I wish to say to you, gentle
men. that ] have been a newspaper pub
Usher for fifteen years, and am now, ana
have myself, perhaps, been guilty of attacks
on associations and societies, but can say,
with all candor, / have never known q. more
senseless crusade, and without cause, than
that which has been practiced by the press
of this city against the County Officers AS
ISOLATION. This crusade has begun, as have
said, without the shadow OF an excuse. Then
some one handed a reporter a circular sent
out by my friend Mr.. Workman, and from
1t held up a skeleton streaked with gold.
The circular may have been unfortunate in
its wording, but its intentions were all
right, and I believe it is SO taken by all
members of the association, which includes,
l believe, every county officer in the State
(and if not | will be glad to have you name
papers Of this city has stated that Marion
county was not in the association, but such
is not the case, for Marion county was rep
resented at our meeting for organization
and said they were with us and would do
all they could to see that a just and eauit-
able law was enacted, and l firmly believe
that they have been misquoted in saying
they were not in sympathy with and not
members of the association. The circular
of l per cent, which would be a. large sum
If all sent in. but let me say the vast ma
jority threw the notices in the waste bas-
ket. The assessments have been made for
years. AT the biennial meeting held in this
city, Dec. 10, for the election of officers for
fha nClIiy1 NO xnoro fh4 11Ac+ion of ~
pense of officials came up, and members of
the older committee said it was usual to
assess 2 per cent, and some insisted on
this rate. as we are to hold a meeting of
hve days at some point in the State in June,
and they said that there was only $3.50
I objected, and said that 1 believed the same
amount could be raised at 1 per cent, and it
would be ample to defray all expenses of
official attendance, hall rent and other nee.
essary expense, and if not We could collect
enough in June to make up the deficiency,
and then, also, the salary law of 1891 had
been held to be unconstitutional, and I be-
leved IT necessary to have officers look
after at bills introduced call on members of
and II possible have a new law passed that
would be just to all. and the officers grad
justify good and efficient work. My point
was carried.
NO APOLOGIES TO OFFER. !
Now gentlemen, 1 do not offer this as an
apology for the circular. which / never saw
until read it in the papers; the officers
not being expected to pay any expenses.
| have no apology to offer for the associa-
ton; we court investigation from legitimate
sources, but my experience as a newspaper
man has led me to avoid newspaper contro-
versy. Newspapers can do many things
which individuals cannot, for they speak to
thousands while we address each other, and
they are feared for their power. They can
40 nucn good IN the world, yet they often
90 1ncalcuiabie harm unless held in check
by prudent publishers, not SO enterprising
as to publish things to the world and in
v~estigate them afterwards. Now, I wish to
don't care to publish. We had Intended to
give to your consideration a bill which tHe
association thought fair and equitable. and
to let the subcommittee and member Of
our association know what we thought of
doing Meetings We're called in each con-
gressional district as follows:
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Jan. Is, 1895.
Dear sir-Tne executive committee of the
County Officers Association has been act
lively at work looking to the enactment of
a just and equitable law to govern the COM
p tnn aJs If OF acn county 1naIgy of nee and an now, on
desirable that a member of the executive
committee Visit each congressional district
been accomplished, and advise as to further
action. We would urgently request you to
attend. but If it is absolutely impossible for
you to do so, will you confer with your
brother officials and see that all who can
attend this meeting. We want you TO know
what we are doing, and advise as to how
we can act in unison for the benefit of our
selves and for the people we serve.
"The meeting for the.-......District will
o'clock. m. The County Auditor ass' viii III
advise you at what rooms the meeting will
yours respectfully.
81 B. WORKMAN, Secretary,
But enough of this matter, in which men
of intelligence take no more stock than YOU
do when representatives of other assoeia-
tons, societies or business interests come
before you with their expenses paid. You
are not here to be bought and sold. You
represent the people of your localities for
the State, as we do for the counties. No
more, no less.
This association is not an Organization"
Ior py organization would imply that
ures are sni interested foS i'm in pushing forward meas
not lido not want you to understand that we
are entirely unselfsh, for We do want fair
rendered. l am a Arm believer in honesty
IN state and county affairs, and you will
nnu me ready at all times to denounce any
ASSOCIATION or Of any one county, or methods
that will benefit one county to the detriment
OF others. | am here to look after fairness
to all at the expense of none.
/ believe that in the larger counties, where
in caring for funds, and approving bonds
fthe salaries, above expenses, should be from
'$S;WO to 5000, and men of equal intelligence,
AFTER taking into consideration responsible
ltles, should mi somewhere near
equal salaries. For instance, in Allen
county tthe second largest in the STATED. the
clerks entire compensation is Sc, 500 and the
the expense of deputies So, 500, leaving him
a salary of $2,7W The compensation in
Marion is $4,000 and expenses of deputies
5000. leaving S10.500 salary. This latter
sum is probably none too large, but Allen
intelligence. a
WANTS AN HONEST LAW.
To be honest with you, gentlemen, I have
another reason for wanting a fair law. and
one that will stand the test of the courts,
l am a partisan of partisans, and I want q
law passed that will show to the people oil
the State of Indiana that a Republican Leg
islature can enact a constitutional law and
one that will be just to all-the small as
we'll as the large This view may not meet
the approval of my Democratic friends, but
1T is my view, and, whatever law may be
passed, let honesty be the watchword. En-
act a law that will be looked upon with
favor by the people. and let us all bear In
mind that the people do not want either ar
ex~travagant or a niggardly law. We mus
take into consideration the business of the
county and expense incurred by deputy
hire, to properly dispose of business in .
manner pleasing to the people, and also the
fact that in a great number of counties
the paOnla are of TbQ apiDian fhof ~ offioso