Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-02-04


public that has come to look more and
more to the Vermont daiIiea for advice
and suggestion. The. weekliss do their
best, with their limited opportunities.
but It is secOnd-best to the dailies.
QUOTING The CONSTITUTION.
We read that when the subject Of in
creasing the pay Of legislators was before
the state Senate, Senator Butler Of Rut-
land, later elected to a iudgeship on the
superior court bench, who advocated the
increase, quoted from the constitution Of
the state to justify his position that pub
lie officials ought to be adequately COM
pensated, which he claimed the law maxi
ers were not. We do not know how free
" the senator quoted from the constitu-
tion, but In order that readers may I'M
derstand just what the trainers Of our
state thought on this subject Of Official
salaries we give herewith all Of Section
rs Of Chapter II, bearing on the matter:-
Gas every freeman, to preserve his in
dependence (if without q sufficient estate)
ought to have some profession, calling.
trade or farm, whereby be may honestly
subsist, there can be no necessity for,
nor use in, establishing Offices OF pratt,
the usual effects OF which are, dependence
and servility, unbecoming freemen, in
the possessors or expeciants, and fac
ton, contention and discord among the
people. But II any man il called into
public service to the prejudice Of his pri-
yate affairs, he has a right to reasonable
compensation; and whenever an Office,
through increase Of fees or otherwise, be
come 80 profitable as to occasion many t.
apply for It, the profit ought to be les
sened by the legislature. And II any
officer shall Willingly and vilfnlly take
greater fees than the Law allows bin. i
shall ever after disqualify him from hold
ing any Office in this state, until he shall
be restored by act OF legislation"
What there is in this section to sustain
the senator's position will puzzle anyon'
to determine. Instead, the whole scoop
and bearing OF it are to the conclusion
that compensation ought to be limited Il
the point where it shall not il tsel
prove attractive. The evils OF oyercom
psnsation are fully pointed out, and thl
danger of q swarm Of Office seekers clear
IL visioned.
, It Is doubtless true that some few mem
bers OF the present legislature wers Gale.
. to service to the prejudice Of their privat
Affairs. and from pseuniary standpoint
B would have been better on At home. Bu
e it will be conceded, we think, that thi
9 applies to a relatively small proportion c
t them. To the great majority, even thre
dollars day was adequate pay, Will
: four dollars is veritable windfall. Tn
, few whose balance went the wrong wa
By reason of their servics we're those VII
could afford it, else they would not hav
e gone-they didn't have to 60. And
anyone really thought the legislator
were undsrpaid, it would have been
much more becoming act to start tn
: higher salary with the next session
Z rather than this one, after having accept
ed the service with full knowledge G
what their pay was to be. That some {
: the members appreciate this is shown b
e the action Of Speaker Cheney and half
dozen others, including Mr.. Seaver I
4 wnliamstown, who declined 10 take th
{ pay for themselves. 1t deserves to go o
). record as 'isalary grab" for that
: what it was.
( And while treating this subject Of stat
1 officers salaries, let rs refer to the genel
Z al and generous increase Of the stipend
: Of many, Il not most, Of our leading on
d cials, voted at the recent session. III
: governor, sll the state court judges. som
9 Of the probate judges, some Of the state
d attorneys, many Of the state commission
8 ers, all got large increases, and the couE
: ty aherifis 20 onto the regular salary lis
o Some OF these were probably called fol
o others certainly were not--except BY tn
+ incumbents. The total figures up man
; thousand dollars.
r Now the point Is that these stat
d Offices, II we exclude that Of governor
t have become by reason Of their salary a
! tachments so desirable that they win
. more and more sought for by an increa
, ing horde, to the dstriment Of polite
:. and business. both public and private
n Take the iudgeships, to one Of whic
:. Senator Butler himself aspired, and who's
s success in attaining it, it Is reported. va
|. materially advanced BY his known pos
+ tion in favor Of the legislative salary il
i crease. They have become very lucrativ
Is which. added to the honor and stabilil
.e Of the positions. makes them virtually Ii