The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-10-21


Mr.. McConnell-"1 am in favor of
putting judges on the same footing
with every other officer in the state.
Mr.. Howard hope that amend.
ment will not pass. The judges are
the most importunate beggars to have
their salaries increased we have in the
commonwealth
The amendment was defeated Yeas,
80; nays, s.. Pages Az, AIS, 419. i20.
Vol. {, Convention Debates
Mr.. Calvin subsequently moved to
amend section Is, article v. by insert.
ing the words. but which tsalaries of
judges) may be increased" which
amendment was rejected. Page 527.
Vol. 7, Convention Debates
On Oct. 20. Andrew Reed moved to
amend the 17th section of the schedule
by inserting the words. nothing con.
tanned in this constitution shall be held
to reduce the compensation now paid
to any law judge of this common.
wealth or prevent the same from be.
ing increased by law" In support of
his proposition Mr.. Reed said: 81 am
aware that the section provides that
the legislature shall fix the compcnsa-
tion of judges, but when they fix IL. Il
remains fixed and cannot be increased
during the Germ of any Judge in the
state"
Mr.. Buckalew raised the point Of
order that in one of the regular arti-
cles OF the constitution finally passed
1t was provided that salaries during
fixed terms shall not be increased or
diminished. and that II is not i'm order
In this way to repeal that provision in
one of the regular articles and provide
that salaries may be increased by
law.
The chair having ruled against the
point of order Governor Curtin said:
Il do not think that the salary of any
official in the state should be increased
or diminished during the term for
which he was appointed or elected. If
| were a member of the legislature
would vote them a salary of the Ut
most liberality, but when | had estab
lished an Office and fixed the salary.
and citizen of the state goes for that
office and goes for that salary he
KNOWS kil.u s, what he is after, and | would
give him no more during the time Of
his official tenure" The amendment
was defeated Yeas. 35; nays. 81. Pages
sol, 500, SOB. 504. sos. sos. Vol. s,
Convention Debates.
A short time before the final ad.
Journment of the convention, Charles
r. Buckalew, chairman of the commit
tee on revision, with the approval of
that body drafted an address to the
voters of the state. in which the
changes in the fundamental law were
set forth. The address, which receiy.
ed the endorsement OF the convention.
contained the following interpretation
OF section 13, article Ill. "No commits
sion OF a law Judge is disturbed. and
the existing provision that no judicial
salary shall be decreased during a ju.
dicial term is preserved. with the ad-
dition that 1t shall not be increased
during such term" Part 2, Journal OF
the constitutional Convention, 1873.
In 1889 Governor Beaver. now
judge of the superior court vetoed a
bill similar to that affirmed by Judge
Won Moschzisker. In his veto message
he said: There can be no doubt that
If the present bill become a law and
the present judges of our courts were
to avail themselves OF its provisions
without legal protest from any quar-
ter, the bench would be degraded in
public esteem and its decisions upon
other questions fail of the respect
which they now receive and to which
they are undoubtedly entitled" He
significantly added that he disapproved
the bill 'in order that the dignity and
above suspicion and that the mandates
of the constitution be not even ques.
toned"
Robert Won Moschzisker. the Phila-
delphia judge who declared the act OF
the 14th of April, 1903, about increas-
ing the salaries of judges, constitution
al, and that the same was not in con-
fiict with section 13, article ILL.,, of the
state constitution, because Judge was
not public officer within the mean
ing of said section, is the same Robert
Won Moschzisker who is now asking
the suffrages of the people of Penn
sylvania to elect him to the supreme
bench of their state.
The issue is clean cut before the
people of this commonwealth in this
contest between Cyrus LaRue Munson.
the peoples candidate and Robert Won
Moschzisker, whose nomination was
forced upon the Republican party at
the dictation of the Philadelphia con-
tractors ~combne.