The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-27
AN lNDEEENsIpLn SYSTEM.

Jefferson county, Ain, IS one of the
largest counties in tho State, and con-
tains the city OF Birmingham. a nu-
nicipality slightly larger than Rich
mond- The fec system of compcnsat-
as in all the other counties. and that
! iniuuitous system is causing whole
sale charges of graft to be mndo
/ against the officials Of jefferson. The
T! grand jury of that county lately de-
clarcd tint the fee system is ut the
! bottom OF 1t all. anu we doubt it not.
| Tho Eco system Is LOCALIZED graft, and
| the line that separates it from plain
old graft is almost invisible.
| In the last race for sheriff Of Jof-
fcrson county. not less than 100000
was spent by tho several candidates
! 1T is said that the shorifr's office pays
Sio,000 tho year in big, fat fees. The
, shcrih's term is six years. and he can
be counted upon to rake in about
100000 in II single term of Office Is
it any wonder that there should be
| such an ALTERED scramble for tho job?
AS the Montgomery Advertiser, always
conservative. says, when 100000 is
spent among the voters of one county
| ii would be ridiculous to assert that
II was spent lcgitimately." Every one
must he forced to tho conclusion that
when such sum is spent voters were
corrupted When II Candidate spends
100000 30 get in and gets in, let no
body worry that he will fail TO collect
all the fees that arc coming to him.
The annual fees collected by tho va
sheriff. $4,000; judge of probate. SEA-
ooo county back tax commissioner.
$4,000; clerk of Criminal Court, S15,-
600: clerk Of City Court, $4,000: clerk
of Circuit Court. $4,000; register in
chancery, $4,000; tax collector, $4,000;
tax assessor, $4,000 Thus, the total
annual sum paid to these officials by
the people of tic county is 100000.
In striking contrast tho Advertiser
draws up ii list of these big national,
State and Judicial! officers whose total
salaries only equal the amount puid to
the county officers of Jefferson, who
draw fees: the President OF the United
States. the Vice President of the
United states, two United States Sem
ators from Alabama. ten Congrcssmcu,
Governor OF Alabama. Chief Justice OF
the Supreme Court OF Alabama.
In the next general election the
people of Alabama Will vote on n con
stitutional amendment abolishing the
fec system in jefferson county IL
that amendment is not passed, the
voters will be, using tho language OF
the Advertiser. indifferent to IL griev-
Gus wrong" ''On the one hand is a,
burdcnsome cXaction from the people
to pay the fees, and on the other des-
pcratc lighting with attendant corrup-
tion by The candidates TO get these
highly paid Offices"
There Is perhaps 10 county in Viz
ginia yielding such an aggregate OF
large fees as Jefferson county, Ala.
but the evil is about the same In both
states Many county and city officers
in this state are tremendously over
/ paid. and we have hero the sorry
spectacle of court CLERK receiving
more money than the Chief Justice or
the Governor or ether of our Senator'S
or any of our Congressman. The most
holly contested place in tho recent
election was the trcasurership of Rock
| inGham county. There were four can
didatcs for tn place, and II long cam
/ paign. The office is said to be worth
somewhere between $4,000 and $4,000,
and the occupant, In his term, can put
BY twice as much as any Governor of
Virginia could. Tic system which
permits this sort Of thing is fine for
the fee officer, but it is poor for the
| people.
WINE CONSUMPTION IN FRANCE.
When England laid its tariff on