The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-08-10
SALARY OF SUPREME
COURT JUSTICES
Live Oak Democrat.

There is one amendment to the
constitution of FLORIDA to be voted
on at the November election, which
the people SHOULD not lose sight of
and it is so plainly fn the interest OF
right and justice that we don't see
how amy fa.r-minded man can object
to it. We refer TO the amendment
which provides for an increase Of the
salaries OF our state supreme court
judges to $4,000 per annam each.
We believe their present pay Is 49,
coo per annum each. The position
OF a supreme court Judge. In any state
in the Union ds rightly considered as
an exalted one, and It is the invariable
custom Of the people to select with
great care the men upon whom this
high distinction Is to be conferred
The duties Of the position are arduous
and exacting calling not only for deep
and varied learning In the law, but
for character, dignity, conscience. in
dustry and personal repute beyond re-
preach In addition, the supreme court
Judge must have come up from the
ranks Of the bar with established
reputation as a successful practition-
er in vital touch with the law as liv-
ing force and progressive science
not mere calmbrOas mass Of dead
learning embedded In calflbound vol
umes. Tt Is the glory of our country
and large part Of its strength that
our supreme Judges are, with rare ex-
captions, men Of this character. And
here IN Florida we are conspicuously
feItunate in having supreme bench
composed of Judges whose motives
and abilities are alike beyond queS-
ton and TO whom the bar and people
all look with fullest confidence for
Just decisions of issues involving the
lives, liberties and property rights OF
our citizens, which are being constant
ly submitted to that high court.
Men who rise to such exacting re.
quirements and do much work are.
worthy Of their hire, and no right
thinking citizen Of Florida would
begrudge them at least decent
pay for their services. They
are not getting it at present. Three
thousand doHars per year or $500
per year is Inadequate and unjust COM
pensatlon to a man measuring up TO
the standard ola supreme court judge
and doing the work that he is requir.
ed to do. no hold the salary down to
such level as that Is to cheaper the
court both In its own esteem and the
esteem Of the public, and the newt.
able result In the end viii be that only
cheap men-second rate men-wiil
seek the supreme bench of Florida
for lawyers OF superior ability and
character can not afford to sacrifice
the larger compensation of a success
full practice for the honors of the
judgeship. It may be that some other
state in the Union pays its supreme
judges as little as Florida does, but
we doubt it, and it is certain that In
nearly aafof the states they are better
paid than here.
The present salaries were fixed
many years ago and since then the
cost Of %viux has Increased at least 30
per cent. This consideration alone
should remove all doubt as to the JUS
tice and propr.ety of adopting the
amendment providing for the $4,000
salary. It Is q fact, we are reliably in
formed, that during the last few years
four judges have been compelled to
retire from the esupreme bench of
Florida for no other reason than that
the salary would not permit them to
properly support their families, edu-
cate their children and lay up even
the smallest pittance for old age when
they would no longer be able to serve
upon the bench or return to the prac-
tice. There should be no such parSi-
mony on the part OF q great state in
paying for the services of faithful pub
lie servants in discharging the highest
judicial functions of the common
wealth. The taxpayers will never
feel the added burden, and next No
vember let us all go to the polls and
make the vote for that amendment
unanimous.
The supreme court of FLORIDA must
not be permitted to degenerate into
a house of refuge for brokeu-down or
secondrate lawyers willing to work
cheap"