The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06
THE FEE SYSTEM.

From the Pell City ProgresS-
 Very strong public sentiment is de- veloping in all parts of the state in favor of the abolishment of the fee system, movement encouraged by the full strength of the daily and weekly press With little further agitation this feeling will grow strong enough to warrant Governor Conner to include this subject in his call for special session of the legislature, if it has not already reached this stage.
 The fee system has been aptly described as a relic of parbarism. We think it something worse than this The fee sys- tenn is barbarism itself brought right down to this good day and time of so- called civilization and enlightenment. While objections to this method of rais- ing revenue for salaries might be very properly urged against every public off- cial whose stipend depends upon fees, it has been mainly due to the inside work ings and methods of sheriffs offices, and especially the sheriff of Jefferson county, that has brought about the present strong demand to put all state and county offi- cers on straight salaries.
 It cannot be doubted but that the meth- ods employed in jefferson county are disgrace to Alabama and a cruel injustice to humanity. It is of no importance to inquire whether MT. Higdon is responsi- ble for those methods or not. He may be conducting the office like all of his pre- decessors for all we know, but that does not alter the case. The fact that this condition may have been in existence for years before MT. Higdon perpetuated 1t or elaborated it. can be neither used as a coat of whitewash for the high sheriff of Jefferson or as an excuse to prevent it's immediate correction. Quite the reverse.
 The sheriff of Jefferson is commonly reported to receive fees equal to the sal ary of the President of the United States, this after every legitimate expense of the office has been paid. Just what the net sum is going to be depends upon the number of arrests during his term. The more arrests upon frivolous accusations, the larger his income. Take a man to jail, deny him bond until after the keys are turned on him in a filthy cell, an- other 25 cents for the sheriff. Keep him from making bond at all and still further profits to this officer out of his prison feed allowance. However the case may terminate, 1t is fees from the state and county treasury on one hand, fees from the prisoner if convicted. on the other. We are quite sure that all the sheriffs | of Alabama do not conduct their office | upon this basis, but we are equally sure that many of them do because cupidity Is the greatest temptation that faces us and ;ala xxy,a ol,1 tr | sst it.
 | Let the fee system be abolished by put | ting every officer upon a salary com mensurate with his duties and responsi- | bilities. This is the business way; it is the right way; it is the human way. Had it been done a dozen years ago. there Is
 no telling how many broken hearts would | be now beating in happiness, how many | homes now ruined, would be bringing l every joy to fathers and mothers, sons | and daughters. But to put an end to the | fee system is only step In the right | direction. The great question that will | still remain to be solved is how to pun l ish violations of the law so that inno- | cent mothers and children will not have | to stand the brunt of husbands wrong | doing. As our penal system stands at | present, the state seizes the body of it's convicted criminals, confiscates their l earnings to maintain the cost of the sys- l tenn, and leaves innocent mothers and | children with no means of support. If
 any respectable argument can be ad- vanced to continue such a system, we | have yet to hear of it. Common sense
 and charity both point to the necessity | of it's immediate repeal the state as-
 stunning the cost of maintaining prison
 CTS, turning over to their families the value of their labor. It Is far cheaper to support the prisoner than for the pub | lie to support his family. It Is more
 charitable to do so, than let the family l suffer and starve