The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-23

! fcers In the pubic service VINO were draw
| ing larger salaries.
It is q matter Of history that certain
willy politician confessed to a prominent
| official of Dallas county that he was tn,
I author of the fee bill plank In the plat.
! form, and further declared that there wa.
no harm In II as II was put In merely fol
political clap-trap purposes to catch votes
! After the election was over II was held VI
TO the law makers as sacred politca
pledge; sweeping reductions were made ir
the fees of county officers, and in m,
| opinion much injury was done to this part
OF the public service.
| Any reduction of fees or salaries II suy.
gested In good faith ought TO have been
made uniform and equal to all, but It was
not. The most observing citizen never
hears these treasury watch dogs clamoring
for reductions in the salaries or fees OF
the governor, the attorney general, secre-
tary OF state, comptroller, treasurer, land
commissioner, judges of the supreme or
other courts OF appeal, railroad commits
sion, superintendent OF education, COM
missioner of agriculture and insurance.
nor OF the long array OF high priced pro-
fessors in the State university of its
branches. with their boards of regents, di-
rectors None OF them have demanded q
horizontal cut in the pay roll of the Of
ficers of the orphan asylums, lunatic asy-
lums, or the blind. or deaf and dumb asy-
lulIlS, nor the NOME, NutEt
at least one-half OF the annual appropria-
lions are consumed in salaries and sup
plies for the officials and other employees.
The salaries OF the penitentiary officials
and employees, of the refornatory, State
farms, adjutant generals department,
normal institutions. sanitary commissions,
and all other departments were passed
over in silence in order to swipe out the
sins OF the eight county officials.
In all Of these unmolested positions the
officials receive allowances for expenses.
or prerequisites that swell their receipts
to large and valuable salaries, but the
limited time of this convention will not
permit me to discuss this matter further
than to call attention to some of the labors
exacted from the district clerks without
adequate, and. in some instances, without
any compensation, and to compare the pay
for their services with that Of Apprentices
who were not victims of the y,itlcal fee
crusade.
In the office OF the district clerk OF Hill
county the conditions will fairly illus
trate those of other districts The fees
for transcripts and certified copies have
been reduced 90 per cent, and 10 not half
the amount received from business circles
by other stenographers for similar work.
In that Office $50 tax suits have been
filed to date. and five hundred of them
since last court. In these the nuH5er of
clerk gets nothing. and no nptter what
the amount of work is in these suits he
gets only 81 II paid before Judgment or
$3.50 If paid afterwards except in cases
where the land is sold and bought in by
the State; in that event he gets nothing
and three-fourths OF them are sold to the
State.
Before the fee bill went into effect, and
for the year 1897 he received sl26S, while
in 1898. under its operation he received
1913. and paid his office deputy $500, aud
his salary depended on the meager amount
OF civil fees. Aside from the tax suits
there were filed thirty civil cases since
last court. and under no conditions of the
present law could the pay for his own
labors be more than 5000 or $500 annually.
Take from that his private expenses and
there would be nothing left to pay for his
labor except the living he got out of it.
FOR The sake of comparison. say that his
office paid him $500. and let us compare it
with the salaries of clerks in appointive
positions. where fhe duties responsibilities
anG requirements are rot so great but the
pay much better
Salary of district clerk ............ $500
Salary of chief clerk to secretary of
state $50. 80. ............ 1000
Salary OF two assistant clerks..... ESQ
Salary of chief clerk to comptroller. 1,7N0
Salary of assistant bookkeeper ..... 1900
Salary of boolkkeeper ...,........,.. 1850
Salary of Gomptrollers sheriffs clerks
two ......,, ..... ............... 1900
Salary OF clerk OF land office ...... LOO
Salary of assistant clerk land Office. i,i0o
Salary of clerk. department of educa-
ton 49,. 49,. ..... .............. 1,S50
Salary of secretary of railway com
mission ..'.'... .'.,. ..,.,........ 1880
Salary OF rate clerk, commission =. F., 1900
Salary of clerk, commissioner of ag-
rfcultnre ..,..... $50. ........,.. 100
Salary of clerk court OF criminal APP
peals .,..... $50. 49,. ..,..... 5000
Many more illustrations could be given
to show
How much difference there may be
'Twixt tweedledum and tweedle-dee"
These matters are not mentioned for the
purpose OF advocating a reduction in the
fees OF these appointees. but to show the
effect of demagogy and the sly discriml-
nations of political charlatans.
There is nothing that tends to disheart-
en- the service of any one so much as insult
lcient compensation. The great State of
Texas. an empire in wealth and resources,
is vastly more able to pay its public SER
wants n just compensation than they are
to work for half pay and 1t will be done
whenever the people see how politicians
are obstructing its policy OF justice to
those who labor In the service of the peu-
pie.
In conclusion let me admonish you that
there is much truth in the old adage which
says. God helps those who help them
selves" and II. with Just cause and their
combined strength and standing with the
people who elect them the public officials
Of Texas see fit to lay down and let po-
litical pharisee run his apple cart over
them. 1t is their own fault.
BE watchful. he vigilant. and when you
hear. In the early morning OF some cam
paign the plaintive howl OF some Office
seeking Watchdog OF the treasury. 20
fetch his scalp and hang It in the tents
OF your people that they may dance about
II with great JOY.
Meet those who criticise you and refute
their assertions and the press and the peo-
pie will not suffer injustice to be done you.
GEORGETOWN LOCALS.
Three Thousand Dollars Judgment
Against the Katy.