The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-13

nc nsated I believe 1t would be con- servative to say that the sherins Tn four-fifths of the counties Of the state of Alabama are poorly paid. The sher- ifs, probate judges and clerks of court all over the state of Alabama are com pensated by what Is known as the fee | system that is to say, the law pro- vites certain stipulated fees for cer- tain stipulated services. For example the sheriff is allowed so much for each arrest made, the probate judge so much for each deed recorded. and the clerk of the court so much for each paper issed. Tn nine-tenths of the counties or the state of Alabama the small volume of business done yields, on the basis or 3he fees fixed by law, but moderate compensation to the county oniicais. Tn the county of Jefferson well informed men estimate the annual income or the sheriff of the county at from soV'ooV to S50,00O, the annual income of the clerk of the criminal court at from s20 900 to $30, 1000, the annual income
 of the probate judge at approximately
 s20, 900, the annual income of the clerk of the city court at from S12000 to s20 900, and incomes almost equally as large for many of the other county oni- ctals: these estimates being or the net income after the payment of all ex- penses. Is there a voter Tn the state Of AlaDama WnO uDtS iiOt tohSioCi SN~h incomes for the county officers of Jeff ferson county excessive. improper and indefensible? If the compensation Of
 the sheriff of Jefferson county can be
 reduced by law from $3o,Oo0 to say.
 seO0O. the balance can be turned Into the public treasury
 The Evil Effect
 "But the mere fact that certain of l ty a
 of all proportion to their services. and
 out of all proportion to all the other
 public servants in the state, Is the least
 mart of the evil of the fee system from which this county is suffering. The tremendous profit to be derived from
 the more important county on1ces or
 Jefferson county has resulted In such
 campaigns for those offices as l hope
 and believe are unknown elsewhere in
 the state It Is generally believed In
 this county that the various candidates
 for the sheriff's office in the last coun- ty campaign spent in the aggregate
 from SIS, 900 to $1G0,000.
 "In the last few campaigns for our
 more important offices similar expen-
 ditures have been made. So rich are the prizes that in their efforts to win
 them sensible men encounter financial
 ruin and the successful candidates
 achieve victory at an appalling cost. If Is generally believed that at times some of the successful candidates Tor our most important county offices have achieved success on behalf of what are known as syndicates; that is, the of- fee does not belong to the man who has been elected to it, but the contro. and profits of the office are divided be- tween the successful candidate and his
 more important packers.
 on what is said in this article Of the evils of the fee system, not one word is meant or directed against any individual. 1t is the system that we blame not the individuals who have been influenced by 1t. It Is the sys- tenn that we are fighting, and the fight
 is meant to reach to it's roots. Ev-
 cry thoughtful man In Jefferson coun- ty knows that in each successive cam paign the struggle of the rival candi- dates Is more determined and the ag- gregate of their campaign expenditures
 larger What is the result? Seventy five thousand dollars cannot be spent
 on a sheriff's election in Jefferson coun-
 ty without a tendency to debauch, cor
 rupt and lower the standard of the cleo
 torate of this county. Subordinate of ficials of some of our great Industrial companies who are supposed to be close
 to and infieuntial with the workmen,
 are sought out by candidates for office ana paid Tor their influence. Money IS
 planted not only in the city but in
 .he county with men who should be
 ashamed to take 1t because their in-
 fluence Is supposed to be worth the price.
 Each year the sheriffs office of Jeff
 ferson county, as the result of the in-
 crease In our population and wealth.
 becomes more valuable. Each four
 years sees an increase in the amount
 spent to win the office. The man who
 has raceiVad ia
 Or influence rarely ever thereafter con
 riders an election from any other
 standpoint than what he is going to