The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1906-02-16
Pension the Judges.

PERUVIAN, Feb. 10.-In recent issue
of the Hartford Democrat. in the editorial
column under the head of THE Judges
Pension Repeal Bill" were these words
Our columns are open for the discussion
OF this measure pro or con. as the
writers may prefer, conditioned only on
the writers being parliamentary and
shouldering the responsibility" Believ-
ing the offer to have been i'll good faith, ]
mailed the Hartford Democrat the follow.
ing letter in ample time for publication in
the issue of February 9, but failed to find
the letter. finding instead two letters
(both of them unsigued) in the interest OF
the repeal of the Judges Pension law,
and inferentially in favor of the policy
advocated by that paper.
Iwould be glad to have you insert this
note, followed by as nearly an exact
reproduction of the letter which l sent
to the Hartford Democrat as is possible
for me to make at this time:
To THE EDITOR OF THE HARTFORD DEMOCRAT
noticed in your last issue that you have
opened your paper to the discussion of the
so-called Judges Pension law" upon certain
conditions, and l would like to avail mysel
OF this opportunity to say word in favor o.
the law.
So far as the discussion of this law in the
county press has gone there is one very note
worthy fact which hope has not escaped
public notice, and that is that those who
have advocated the law as it now stands
and the principle upon which it rests. hav,
done so over their own signatures, and those
who have advocated the repeal of the law
have been very careful to hide their persona
identity.
The conclusion is inevitable Every man i.
entitled to his opinion and to the expression
of it in a matter of such public importance
but If he wishes the public attach
portance to them he ought at least to bt
willing to so far take the public into his con
fidence as to let it know his name.
Now, Mr.. Editor, you yourself have giver
out your opinion, gathered from certain rep
resentatives NOT NAMED. and have reached
the conclusion that mine this of the people
of II afford, outside of Bel Air, are favorable
to the repeal of the law" do not like thi.
method of ascertaining public sentiment, but
as you seem to think it IL all right will tel
you that one of our best-known citizens, an6
one who secs great many more people thar
do, told me he had not seen man thai
was opposed to the law. l must say, how
ever, that | have seen some, but when the
law is explained to them they seem to be sat
isfed with it. My own conversations will
our citizens lead me to believe that the pres
ent opposition to the law grows out of
Misrepresentation of the reasons which led tc
its enactment.
In conclusion l will say that it must bs
evident to all thoughtful persons that if W.
wish to select our judges from the very best
of our lawyers, we must make that high
office attractive to them; and if we wish tc
get the very best service of which they are
capable, we must so provide tor their main
tenance and support as to relieve their mind,
entirely from the things which would other
wise distract their attention from theil
duties.
To say that we can get cheaper men for the
bench and that will be satisfied with
them. Is to say that we will be satisfied with
less than the best. To my mind the cheaper
the judge, the more costly will be the admin
istration of the office. Plenty of cheaper
men are to be had but it is that kind O
cheapness which makes the last state of our
people worse than the first.
c w MICHAEI