The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-01-19

Bench, tor the OlStlncLlOn anu
honor of the position. Make the
salary fifty thousand as has been
proposed and mercenary motives
would absorb the honor and dis
tinction, and the personnel of the
court would deteriorate instead Of
improve. Members of the Cabinet
and other appointitive officers often
resign their positions, but it is
always on account of their "health. -"
1t is ve:y "unhealthy" for an
appointitive officer to continue in
his position after the appointing
power has intimated to him that a
change of occupation would benefit
his constitution.
Considerable grumbling is done
by public officials about their salary
after election, but they do not,
however, make specially of this
during campaigns. If present
officials have any kick coming about
their wages we know where there
are good men mighty willing to
take their places at the old figure.
All our elective and appointitive
officers are fairly, but not extrava.
gantly paid. The amount they
receive is well known and there is
little or no complaint on the part
of the public. But if the public
were fully posted on the cost of the
'incidentaP' expenses of the gov
eminent, there would be plenty of
music in the air.
Take for example the United
States Senate. From February 80
to June lst, 1900, the amount paid
the Senators in mileage and salary
amounted to $196, 39s.s4 or trifle
over $500 per month each. During
the same period of time they paid
for clerks, the police who manage
the Senate end of the Capitol,
watchmen, other attendants and
supplies $405, 9O5.27 or over 81 900
per month for each Senator. In
other words, we paid each Senator
$500 month to run the govern
ment and it costs us 81, 900 month
to run Senator. The same
discrepancy exists to a greater OF
less extent in all the Departments
of the Government, national and
state. This may be all right, but
it seems funny to me that the oil
should cost so much more than the
machinery.
There is no question but that the
entire departmental salary list of
the government should be revised,
readjusted and equalized. 1t was
modelled in the early days of the
Republic by our fathers who be.
lieved that dignity was more
valuable than service; that man
ought to be paid so much for the
title of his position and so much
for the work he performed, and as
result of this policy which has
continued to the present, it is nc
uncommon thing to find a 5000
clerk at desk doing the same class
and character Of work and as much
of it as one who gets 81, 900, 81, 2OC
or even 81, 800 year, and the only
difference between them being in
the titles of the positions they hold.
Letter carriers who must pass 9
strict educational examination, who
must carry heavy loads of mail al
all seasons Of the year, on whose
fidelity and faithfulness your bust
ness and mine largely depend.
receive less per year than the loves,
class of clerks. Men in the railway
mail service, positions requiring
the very highest order of intelli
gence, who daily put their lives il
peril, receive less than comfortably
cared for clerks. The aggregate
of salaries is large enough but use
ought to receive greater portion
and ornament less.
AN ALIBI THAT IS AN ALIBI.