The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-09-26
PAY OF LEGIsIAToRS.

At the elections to be held this year in the one hundred and sixty-eight towns of the State of Connecticut the people will be asked to approve or Idisapprove, as they may feel inclined, codification of the State constitu- tion. This work is presented to the electorate as an amendment to the original constitution, though of course in fact if it is adopted it becomes the | law of the commonwealth. Aside from the harmonizing of the main body of the instrument with the various amendments which have from time to time been adopted two new features are added. The terms of judges of probate are extended to four years in- stead of two and the pay of the mem- bers of the General Assembly is rais- ed from $500 to $500.
 Henry G. Newton of this city has sent to the newspapers of the State an open letter in which he takes issue with the proposal to increase the pay of the members of the legislature on the general ground that it would in- evitably mean increased political cor ruption. He notes the amount of mon- ey paid out in legislative salaries, which is less than the amount. con- tributed by members of the General Assembly to finance their campaigns. From this he draws the conclusion that members are not interested in the compensation they receive and that if it is to be advanced we may look for larger campaign contribu- tions and hence more corruption. In fact, he says that this increase of salary, if adopted, will do more to corrupt politics than all the laws passed by the last General Assembly will do to purify them" If we fail to follow MT. Newton sympathetically in his contention which he bases upon certain undeniable facts so far as the lcerned, it Is because we feel that his Interest should be devoted to the con Isideration of the evils complained of from the point of view of their pos- sible cure and not from the point of view of their acceptance as the source of evil-doing
 If it is true that an increase In the pay of the members means increased political corruption then the .proposi- ton should be to either reduce that at present given or to eliminate 1t al- together. If the members do not care what they receive for their labor, as Mr. Newton argues Is shown by their liberal campaign contributions, so long as they win their election, the State is confronted with a problem compar- IGu WlIn WItGIl LHe eApGuulluIG Ol money for services is insignificant
 Morally there is no difference in the corruption bred by $500 or that bred by $500. If income can be accepted as source of corruption then the State should at once concern itself with that
 fact The corrupt practices commits
 sion did deal with 1t by limiting tho
 amount of money a candidate for of flee could contribute to his election
 but the judiciary committee would no hear of it. Had that provision beer
 enacted into law the State could pasi
 to the consideration of salaries with out fear of adverse consequences ant wholly from the point of view of it own dignity in dealing with it's ser wants upon the theory that the lahore is worthy of his hire. Everything MT Newton says in opposition to an in
 crease of pay would apply with equa force to the pay already given.