The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-11
HOW THE BILL Is VIEWED.
The other Side Of the Measure 10 Put
AarshaIs and District Attorneys ON
Salaries


pecially in this section of the country. by |
the bill now pending before congress. the |
object OF which is TO reduce the expendi- |
lures for federal courts. Among other |
things. the bill provides that the marshal I
and district attorney shall be put on a |
salary instead Of receiving fees.
Much has been heard in favor OF the
measure. but the fact that those who are
affected by it have been given no hearing
seems to have been overlooked. The fol-
lowing statement from that point OF view,
viii throw some light on the situation
from that side. and the interest that Is
being taken i'm the matter in this state:
The announced purpose OF the bill is
to reduce the expenditures Of the United
States courts. First, Because these ex-
penses have been doubled in about twelve
years. 1t may be well to reflect how many
states and how many judicial districts
have been created within that period. The
population Of the United States doubles
itself in about twenty-five years. and it
viii be found by inquiry. that the expenses
of every other department have increased
in as large or in greater ratio. With in
creased business, with an enormous mere
ment of litigation and with new topics
comprehended in the jurisdiction of the
United States court with almost every de-
partment of modern progress the expenses
of these courts Will not, of course. remain
at a fixed sum, but viii necessarily be
enlarged to meet thhe enlarged demands
of the country and its litigation
THE corruption of certain United States
officials in certain districts of the country
is suggested as another cause. suppose
il to be conceded that these corrupt con-
ditions exist in certain districts. Is II
Nnrtn n gh "a
appear, from the reports of the depart
ment of justice, have done their duty, In
other words. the vast body OF uprig ~ and
faithful officers of the United States
courts, In order to reach few bad men
for whose punishment the laws already
existing on the statute books are entirely
ample. Take, for instance, the district
of South Carolina, upon which Senator
Tinman dilated so bitterly a few days
since before the Senate of the United
States. These animadversion of that SEN
ator were based upon Illumination IRON
the bench of the district judge OF that
district, in which he denounced the deputy
marshals and commissioners for bringing
trivial and meaningless and expensive
prosecutions. 1t has doubtless occurred
to every judge and lawyer in the country
who understands the law ana VINO
appreciates the duty OF Judge,
that that judicial officer was cataloguelng
for the consideration OF the country mis-
chiefs and evils which Il was his business
to correct, and which he might easily have
corrected He might have removed any
II is competent for him under the revised
statutes TO remove any deputy marshal
at his pleasure. He could then administer
the corrective powers which the law en-
trusted to him in cases where his action
was needed, rather than to proceed ana
blacken the entire body or Cffcials
throughout the United States, or rather
furnish statements about his own district
which enabled Senator Tillman and others
who have been for years devoting their
lives to break down and weaken the in
fIlpnga n
degrade their officers in every way, the
means of accomplishing the purpose of
their lives. In many districts when COM
missioners and deputy marshals have vio-
lated their duty, they have been prompt
ly removed. When they have been guilty
OF oppression which did not deserve re-
moVai they have been tried and fined and
it win be found in every ease where these
wrongs have been practiced upon the
treasury of the United States, that IT is
due to the fact that the Judge Of the cour
has not exercised the powers which are
vested in him by the law, for the protec-
tion of the interests of the people.
But how, then, does the House bill
proceed to furnish the correction for such
an evil as that which Senator T1llman,
upon the evidence Of the South Carolina
judge, describes. The present law which
permits a United States marshal, by the
dilgent performance of his duty, as a
result of the active prosecution OF crimes
against the national law, to make 5000
per annum is repealed, and salaries are
substituted therefor, upon what scheme
rious districts throughout the country are
taken. and those districts where the larg-
est amount of earnings has been naDit-
ually made, the largest amount or fees
have been accumulated by the work OF
the officers. the largest salaries are given
the marshals, and in other districts, where
the marshals have done an immense deal,
and the district attorneys have done an
immense deal of valuable work, which is
not so lucrative in its character 70 them,
their salaries are fixed at minimum. In
other words, 1t is proposed TO reduce ex-
penditures because Of the bad conduct
of certain officers in making large emoi-
uments by an accumulation of trifiing bust
ness and in those very districts the new
bill gives the men who are accused OF DO,
ing these things much larger reward iSi
than in other districts, where no such
complaint has been made. II puts a pre-
MUM upon the crimes which the bill IT.
self purports to terminate.
Take for instance, the southern dlS-
trict of Georgia. An examination OF the
reports of the attorney general VIII dem
pensive districts in the, United States
and yet il comprehends three OF the prin-
cipaI cities OF Georgia-AuBusta, Macon
s sne to@ns and ne sg H IS u the
entire state, with all of its sea coast
For the number of prosecutions brought
age of convictions as anywhere in the
United States The expenses OF deputies
in the Northern district OF Georgia for u
given period was Al,OOO, Il Is reported
and in this district only $1,000, and yet
the marshal of the Northern district is
given 5000 salary, while that of the South
ern is given only $500. In the york he
renders some of the most important GRIM
inal matters ever brought in the United
States courts have been disposed of. In
the case of Kelly VS.. the state, band
of desperate outlaws had resisted arrest,
and when arrested had been rescued by
a mob They had taken to a swamp arm
ed to the teeth, threatening TO put to
death any marshal or deputy marshal of
the United States court who came to ar
rest them. The department organ
lied special expedition for
that purpose, in charge of Mar
shall Harrell. In the freezing
cold of winter, and when the rivers
were out of their banks they went on this
expedition, and were engaged in it days
and nights, wading through the water up
TO their waists and experienced great
hardships. The ring leader of this gang
of murderers and law-breakers was final
" killed in desperate duel with one of
the deputies in resisting arrest, and all
that time the marshal of the Northern
district may have been in his comfort
able Office trying yiolaters of the internal
revenue laws and earning his fees in each
in hot