The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-03-24
THE FEE SYSTEM.

The curse OF curses in governmental
affairs, is the fee office system and no
one has ever thought out a plan cont
pietoly abollshing the same One OF
It's strongest features 10 the way Of
renairing is that so many people feel
sgy arr rayae no tax when the Off
ears are etlins their money by fees
There Is also a tendency IA all coun-
e ilaos % make numerous offices, and
prov ide payment 10 the way Of fees.
ae res.Nt not always the same.
,s tsat IaaaS abuse the power I'd or
Ger to coisSci sufficient to repay them
Ter their services. IS incontrovertible.
AS q ca ln point, the present COVER
nor Of ililuOls 8 listed as a relorasas,
ai gei as prosecuting attorney OF
aei. county he 1ccuf3d on an average
pcs aanltl pel
tnd in eases 81 this Rad. the state
gets practically nothing. IN cne In
staacc a states attorney formed q coal.
ition with a police Judge Of city. and
they nsed the vagabond law 10 create
Feyenue. For each one sentenced To-
the eoanty inil tlie attorney secured
o fee o. eight dollars, aud they would
after the man had been ia iall day or
two. turn him loose, to DO the work
an over again Then when a bond Yves
forfeited and hnes paid the states az
torney would take out OF this money
until his eight dollars per h~A 9as
paid Tor teh vngabOnd scheme IN four
years he managed 10 accumulate
modest fortune OF some ffty thousand
dollars. while the state or county did
not secure so much AZ enough to pay
for one light IN o school building the
school fund being the supposed bene-
factor of the fee system OF govern
ment
With slight variations. this fee sys
TEN prevails ia each of the states, Ok
lanOma being as free from il as any
and having certain constitutional pro-.
Visions making 1t harder for the fee
swindler to so unpunished for the or
fence
Bui that the policy is wholly wrong
is not disputed. and the day we can
administer government on a straight
salary line and not fee office at
taehe1 20 our entire list that day wa
wal have made an advance which viii
% teh more appreciated the longer it
Is in force and effect
Ia the great states and cities a false
idce OF economy has bnilded up the
fee system Il requires almost mil
lion Of dollars 10 operate the expense
OF the county attorneys office in the
city pf New Hgrk, and the appropriation.
81 plaH etdrQa would cause an awful
opP0EltiohS 30 severe, no doubt as 10
Tor period Overwhelm those who lrst
tried the experiment But when a "a
made plain that whore tho sunni of a
million would seem terrific the actual
expenses under the present system Is
many times that, the opposition win
vanish
li Is said I'D upon good authority.
that the sttaes attorney of the city OF
New York makes more money than is
paid in salaries to any twenty rulCrs
oi the world, for no similar position ia
held ia the other Of the greater cities.
save Chicago and Philadelphia. neither
of which Is 70 be compared with New
York Ia crime, the latter being the
eateway between the Old aud New
Worlds.
And tne philosopher wizard or
etatosmaa who figures out a way 40
abolish the fee system. VIII have CEN
tcrred q favor on mankind sufficient
70 send his name 20 the gallery Of in-
mortals
The booze btu must be a dangerous
md daNnahle ailalr IL We but take
tao republican editors Of the state a
authority on the subisot And yet for
three months we have been told thai
the domocrats Wera So unsrfinihoUs