Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1908-12-10
INCREASE THE FEDERAL JUDGE,
SALARIES.

In the multiplicity OF matters
treated by the President IN his mes
sage to Congress one thing is likely
to be overlooked by the public at
large, or regarded by it as of minor
that is really worthy OF
the most serious consideration by the
people and their representatives at
We refer to the Presi-
dents suggestion that the pay of all
Of the Federal judges be increased.
AS the President says, It is no5
BETTING the dignity of the nation
that its most honored servants should
be paid sums so small compared to
what they would earn in private life
that the performance of public SER
vice by them implies an exceedingly
heavy pecuniary sacrifice"
The District United States Judges
are at present receiving salaries Of
but $4,000 a year No one will argue
that this is an adequate compensa
ton. 1t is true that the State of
Georgia, in pursuance of a disgrace
fully niggardly policy toward its pub
lie servants, pays it's Superior Court
judges but $4,000 a year. The result
has been to drive from its service the
most eminent legal ability of the
State. The people have been the
sufferers from their own perverted
ideas as to what constitutes reason
able compensation in public offices.
Georgia's financial condition, though.
has afforded a measure of pretext for
such unwise economy. The same ar
gument does not apply to the nation
that is expanding a billion dollars
year. An Increase of considerable
less than a half million dollars an
nually would be adequate to pay to
all of its Judges salaries of not less
than $4,000, an amount no more than
commensurate with the dignity of
the office, the Importance of the du-
ties or the ability of those presiding
over the various Federal courts. The
only wonder really is that the nation
has been able to secure the service
Of men of so great talents as are
represented on the Federal bench.
The honor has been sufficiently high
20 offset the meagerness of the sal.
aries paid. But because 1t is justly
esteemed a high honor to serve the
people in a judicial capacity is no
reason why the people should avail
themselves of it to rob the judges of
just compensation for services that
are of inestimable value
1t is to the interest of the people
that men of the very highest charac-
ter and of the most eminent legal
ability be secured for Federal judges.
The question of few thousand dol
lars year in salaries is a mere bag
atelle compared with this. When rail-
road corporations, insurance COR
panies. manufacturing industries,
financial institutions, and other forms
of aggregated wealth, seek out law
yers of the highest standing in the
profession and engage them at salar-
les of $25,0000 to $4,000 to protect
and promote their interests, the peo-
pie cannot afford to haggle over a
question of paying reasonable salar-
les to the judges in whose hands rest
the decision of questions of the most
momentous nature. 1t is an honor to
the nation that our Federal judges
have been of so incorruptible a type,
such high professional standing, and
that they have refused to be seduced
from the bench by the opportunities
offered them in active practice to
make many times the amount paid
chem from the national purse. The
very steadfastness of their devotion
70 the people in this respect entities
them to more consideration and to
the increase in salaries for which
the President pleads.
Congressman are prone to believe
that the people are opposed to paying
the judges larger salaries. This is a
baseless fear. The people are not
unappreciative of the value of these
public servants, they are not unmind-
full of the fact that, with doubtless
very few exceptions, the Federal
judges are deliberately sacrificing
their personal financial interests by
remaining on the bench. and they are
not so senseless or so ungrateful as
to desire the sacrifice to continue in
definitely. The salaries could well be
raised amid the endorsement, and not
the disaappprobation, of all thinking
citizens.