Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-11-17
wev MECH DID NE SACRIFICE"

New MUCH DID NE SACRIFICE"
CHEZ Justice Harlan Of the MaIST-
hand supreme bench having resigned to
Accept q more renumerative position
after serving twertyf five years as
member Of that highly honorable body,
the Des Moines Register and Leader
concludes that twenty-five years
SCENE quite long enough to expect
man to sacrifice himself for the good
OF the commonwealth in official posi-
ton"
This brings up the question of the
extent of the sacrifice. We Americans
have a peculiar conception of sacrifice.
Sometimes it would seem that we un-
derstand only one angle Of the So
called sacrifice-that which holds one
highly honorable position when an
other position Of one kind or another
n Offering more money for service OF
one kind or another.
Now what has Judge Harlan sacrd-
feed by his quarter century Of incum-
bency upon the supreme bench OF
Maryland? He has been among the
most highly honored citizens of his
state. 1t is hard to find any evidence
Of greater approval and confidence
than that he should have been elected
70 Y,1o n a
SO extremely important and where re-
election and long service Is endorse
ment Of integrity, capacity. learning
and constitutes one long expression Of
public confidence. Perhaps Judge Har-
Ian might have had a much larger
income as the attorney Of some corpo-
ration, the political boss Of some rail-
road line or as criminal lawyer" but
1t Il not likely that he could have
earned that income and created such a
Arxe account with the bank Of public
confidence. What is that worth to
him? What has i been worth 20 him
20 hold the one position he craved
most and do the work that pleased
him best?
Moreover might Judge Harlan have
been q success as mere money getter
tad he chosen to take that course dur
ins the twenty-five years he has '.sacri-
dced?" There are two sides to that.
Might he have been one Of those
highly successful criminal lawyers"
one Of the high salaried political ma
uipulators OF whom the insta noes are
not unknown here or in Maryland? Had
he the temperament necessary to the at
torney who advises his clients s to the
toophoIes Of the law and whose bust
ness is to create special legislation If
he may, prevent the enactment of laws
undesirable to his clients or dynamite
them after they are enacted?
Somebody il paying Judge Harlan
more than Maryland pays her chief
judge. Why? Presumably because Of
the integrity of the man, his knowledge
Of the law and not least by reason OF
the pedestal upon which twenty five
years of unquestioned probity upon
him. Those twenty-five years are be-
ting capitalized. legitimately OF course,
but they are in cash consideration
even If not nominated in the bond
It is fair venture to say that Judge
Harlan in his new Job will never be
rs well satisfied with himself and his
work as he was during the quarter
century he sacrificed" And satisfac-
ton and happiness are considerations
Money is not the true measure Of eth
or sacrifice or success. A great name
left to his children may not buy az
many limousines as great fortune blu,
It lasts longer.
We need to get away from the com
mon assertion and the generally &C
cepted sophism that men are sacri-
4 dcing themselves unless they are pilins
up money or commanding large sal.
aries. Granted that they deserve and
| ought to have greater pay, those mer
L who are doing high service are
not "sacrtficed?" Let US not ac-
/ cept the theory that high serv-
tee is sacrifice simply because II
u not paid the price that service Of ar
opposite character commands. The
contrary is true. The man who sells
himself and his talent IN the marke,
TO the highest bidder is the one who
"sacrifices."