The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-07-17
The Fec System.


The esteemed Draiiisbofo Reiorner
asks, lent iayoTins the abolition u 'he
lee system becausr II the abuses that have
ss.euf,si M a iew instances a good deal
like cutting OF ones arm IN order 10 81
Ttd IL a wait on the little hnscrs The
Messenger would suggest that the i-uoh
IL abuses under the Ice syslsm - not con
lined 90 "a lew instances, and, the
contemporary ~ill take The pains 10 iol
low up the day by, day development .,
the enforcement Of Law under this ancirpi
ulan al compensation, Il will be eonsineoi
Thai this Is 90. The sober truth Is that
The Zee system H. IN itself both AN induce
meht 20 the abuse and means OF eiaaAihs
n. aud has bcen thus AZ work ~ an an
.irument 81 great fraud aud corruption
ior YEAR,. In some localities, u Il true,
his evil has not lourished, outwardly al
lrast, with the same lnNunanoe Il has at
tanned ia others. nui there are oommnn'
iiios la Neunoni, plenty OF them, that
could tell different story,
hut this u only one phase OF the mat
ter. The Messenger believes the principle
underlying the Zee system Tor the com
t,cusation Of public servants IL wrong
There may be some incidental sersices
that are best provided for IN this way,
perhaps. simply ON the ground Of eAred'
irney because they Arc not numerous
enough or oi sufficient importance 10 wal,
rant the employment al a stated annual
salary ~ an officer 10 perform them. bnt
this, ON closer analysis, might be shown
10 be a waiver to expcdirncy and mol q
surrender of the principle, The inhda'
mental fact j.. as The Messenger views ~,
that when the taxpayer has made hls an
nual contribution 10 the support oil gov,
eminent. be il entitled 70 all and several
- q L.. .Af - af
that government without being held up
from day 10 day by demand for inciden'
tai fees before various benefits OF that gov
crnmcnt will be administered IN his bc.
half The fee system IN this respect stu
sayors Of the ancient days when subject,
after being pitilcssly taxed by the mon
arch 10 begin with, had still 10 sue out
governmental favors from the king or his
ministers with handsome gifts or brides.
This OF the fee system in its relation 10
the taxpayer. Viewed IN It's other aspect,
as the compensation OF public servants,
IL is plainly enough the open door 90 a va
riety and extent OF evil and scandal that
perhaps the average citizen does not stop
10 take into account let him, however,
90 with the auditor Of accounts on one OF
his errands 20 the various county seats To
check the accounts OF sheriifs and deputy
shcriifs and Justices and the various other
functionaries that have their opportunity
in this field. and he viii come back per
suaded that the present system Is wrong,
even If he is not persuaded Just what
manner OF substitute should be made Tor
il.
OF course. any attempt to reckon the
probale consequences OF a change from a
salary to a fee basis in dollars and cent.
must be largely haphazard estimate. and
vet it is not improbable that the actual
saving in the elimination of improper fees
and unwarranted costs now paid by the
state would well-nigh take care OF the
salaries substituted for them. And this
expectation may be strengthened by the
reflection that when the fee system is
done away with we may confidently ex
pect TO be obliged to pay for the support
of fewer "habituals" in the county Jails
and the house OF correction. At all
events. there is something besides mere
bookkeeping TO be considered in this bust
ness. With the fee system abolished, the
administration of the law will be cleaner
And no price can be put upon that.