Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-07-22
FAvoRs LOWERING OF SALARIES
Even the President Gets Too Much
for His Services.

Jaynes TO express themselves in re-
gard to the Clerk of Courts salary
nave done so. Now, as MIR. Jaynes
asked Others l will fall in line and
giye my opinion as to the effect of
nlsh salaries In obtaining the best
aau most emcient men to fill our
omces, as well as the effects upon The
taxpayers. '- me
First, | will ask who are the hest
and most efficient men to MT in
once? Are they those who have the
pest literary education? If SO. we
many expect to pay them well for
thelr services. But | am we'll satis-
ned IN my mind that most of the
pest officials to be found In the State
Today are not highly educated men.
put nave, deep down in their hearts
the best interests of the people at
large, as well as in their heads a per
sonar knowledge of what the peopIe
need and want. Therefore they are
wiling to serve the people at rea-
sonable salary--a salary in propor-
tion TO the time 1t axes to perform
the work of the office that has heen
assigned them by the people.
Now, as to the Clerks salary in
Oconee, ! cannot say what it is, but
am persuaded to believe it to be too
much, when we count the actual num-
per or days required to do the work
or that office, with the improved sys-
tenn or Keeping the records of It
paced there by the taxpayers of the
county and State.
l was looking with a certain Clerk
or Court In this State some time since.
over the record books for real estate
l said to him, This is a new system
given you to record a deed, is It
not?' He replied, Eyes, and | tell
you 1t is time and labor saver for
me, too"
Now in view of the fact that the
people placed in the Clerks office Ger
tain labor-saving Device, thus re-
qu1ring less time and labor to do the
work of the office, he should, in JUS
tice and right to the taX-po yers of
the state, who have Cor most of
them) such a hard way of making
money, serve them for less money
IMAM he is now getting, say for ST.
300 year. This Is one hundred and
twenty-five dollars per month, with a
good office and fixtures furnished free
or rent-more than lot of farmers
clear for the entire year, notwith-
standing the fact that the farmer has
TO furnish his own tools, supplies and
stock himself, and pay taxes on them,
TOO, to furnish nice office building,
with all necessary fixtures and books,
free Of cost to their Clerk at a salary
now greatly out of proportion to
what other officials get, and the work
and responsibility attached to his
office.
l believe the best paying offices in
the county should be the Sheriff's
and County Supervisors, because the
Sheriff has to risk his life and assume
lot of responsibility, and the SUPER
visor has the financial responsibility
of the county as well as all the roads,
bridges and poor farm. He should
be man with some knowledge of
practical engineering and finances:
and In view of these facts these off,
cials should be literally paid for their
services and the risks and resp onsj-
bilfties they assume.
But excessive salaries never did,
nor never Will, necessarily make eff
cheney and competency In office. It
takes honesty, sobriety and will to
give the people the best service for
the least money. Therefore the man
to-day who Is offering himself to the
people for office, prompted alone by
the pay in the office, is not likely to
make very good official, whether he
be graduate of Yale or Harvard or
with but common school education,
or whether he be rich or poor. What
the people need as their officials is
men or character, sObriety and COM
m IN sense, and will to serve all the
people alike--men who cannot be
bought by the money of the rich or
Influenced by the sympathies of the
poor, and who will serve the public,
as the public's servant, as he would
his own interest. Once our offices
are filed by such men as this our
taxes will not be at the conagcating
point, and less grab and graft will
We have in public trusts, and more
general prosperity and happiness
among the people, as we'll as less
class legislation.
Now, in conclusion, desire to say
that ! think among the many compe-
tent, bright and honest young men,
as well as older ones, in Oconee, we
can find plenty of them who are
ready and will take any office in the
county for less money than they are
now paying, and more especially the
Clerks office.
Time was when our County Com
missioners served the people for less
than three hundred dollars per year,
and the county was out of debt and
had money in the treasury. They did
this with less than two million dol
lars worth of property to levy on.
But 10 and behold the condition of
the county to-day, with over four
million dollars worth of property to
levy on, and>the county I'm debt about
fifty thousand dollars, and taxes
about fifty per cent higher than they
were in former days. Surely the
American people to-day are the worst
taxed people in the world in spite of
cnmnetnnt nffica-hnldars Tho host