Low Salaries

A correspondent has sent us some suggestions respecting the manner in .vhich the people can certainly secure rctroiichmóntarid reform in public expendieres, and short sèssioiis of the Legislature. He proposes that in the nominating Convenliona of each party to be hereafter holden, each nominee"for Senator and Representativa shall be requested immedinteiy topledge himselfthat in case he should be elected he w'fll vote fór and receive orjy One Dollar and a half a da}', and reáuce the pay of other officers in proportion. In this way all the nominees will be pledged, and whichever party mny Eucceed, the reform will be efíbeted. The plan of our correspondent in itself is undoubtedly well adapted to secure the object in view; but we aoprehend thatit is utterly impracticable at present. for the plain reason that the people genrally are nol agreed upon ihe propricty of such a feduction as our correspondeht proposes. Thé Democratie party in this State, so far as we are informed, have never taken ground'for reducing the pay f members of the Legislature, nor have we any evidence that a rnajÖrity of them re really in favor of it. For severa! years they have had the power to reduce the pay of members, and have nor exercisedit. The party papers, with a few feeble exceptions, have not asked for uch a reform. Some of the VVhig papers have recent]y spoken of a reduction of pay, but it has not been proposed or sustained by the party generally. When the VVhigs wero in power söme five or six years since, a diminution of pay was [jroposed, but was not carried; and if we remember rightly, it was not heartily supported, exceot by the Washtenaw members. The Whig party then were unprepared for any change; there is no satisfactory evidence tnat any alteration in their views upon this subject has since taken place. The truth is that many intelligent men of both parües, are of opinión that Threo Dollars a day is not too much wages for our legislators; and unless ihe mass of the parties are of a different opfnfo--amlare resolute in expressing it.no reduction:will take place. The Liberty party of Michigan, in Iheir public conventions, have repeatedly arowed themselves in fuvor of "Low Salaries," but have taken no specific ground in respect to any particular office. But to be in favor of Low Salaries in the ab■tract, without reducíng their principie to pradice, wiíl not entitle the party to much respect. To preach Low Salaries, and suffer high ones to continue without active opposition, would be to imítate the Democrats, who ehout for 'Equal Rights.' and at the saine time disfranchise a porlion of their fellow-citizens. For the purpose ofarriving at some practical conclusions, we will make some remarks on the general principies by the application of which we suppose the salaries of public officers should be graduated.When we look intotlie transactions of private life, we fmd the vvages of indiTiduals determined, to a considerable extent, by the qualifications of the person employed. He who can labor for another only with the axe, cannot expect to receive much more than a bare subsistence. He receives pay only for simple, rough labor, requinng little skill or jtidginent. He who converts tfe tree into timber and boards, and frames it for a building, receives greater wages, not because he works more hours than the axeman, but because he un'.tes Skill with Labor. He who converts the lumber into a spacious and elegant building, surmounted with all the beauties of architectural tasie, receives still higher compensation, because he unites Judgment nnd Knowledge to Skill and Labor. So it is in all departments of business. The foremnn receives greater wages than the mere journeyman, because bis avocationinvolves greater responsibiliíy To conduct important business requires inlegnty, knovvledge, skill, judgment and Industry - a combination of qualities not found in every person. These qualilies, when etnployed directly in the service of the person possessed of them, are highly productive and valuable; and he cannot be induced to employ them for others unless be can receive a proportionate recomnense for their use.Now, since the interests of the whcle community are of greater moment thnn those of any individual, ihe best talenl should be. employed in conducting its affairs. It has therefore been argued by some that the compensation of public officers should be os great as that which tbey receive for their services in private life. It is contended that he who can earn much for himself can also do much fortín public good. It is obvious. howéyer, that this rule will not work well at all. The farmer whose skill and industry are worth in hrs eailing onlyone dollar and a half a day, may be as useful u legislator aa the lawyer who receives tn dollars a úay. Besides, thore must ie a uniform rwle, inripendent-ly of ihecondition or circumstanccs of those ulio may fill the office. The compensntion for eacb oflice sjiouli] be grnduaied by tb.g amount oC lalcnf. skill, knowledge, and iiuhistry requircd for ils oxercise. The sailor on one of our iialional vessels devote his wiiole (me and encrgios to the service óf liis country. So also does the Lieutenant, the Co)tainr,Jio Sccrelary of the Naw, and iho President. Btrt each oflice iuvolvesiin nmoun' of rcsponsib:lity, and rrqulrcs a ciVgroe of abiÜty cjuito disprpjiortionate to the otljer, We ihcrcfore, make disorimlnation in the pojtf o!' ench oOicci-jnccording to llc qualifioations requisito for the proper discharge of the office. The same principie, we suppose,' sliould bc cnrricd out thro;igh all the depnrtmenis of ihe government. It Is (ilicoper for the peoplo lo pay the market price for tbc best talent, thnn bvscrimping their public oiTiceif?, t0 be'able to secure ihe services of men of only nn inferior grade of intcgriiy andBul Ibis rule tnust not be receivod without essential modifications. It is found by experience thnt whatever be 'he compensaron, the wisest and best of ihe community do not always ñll its offices; and where t!ie emolumente are large, thére is a very great scrarnblc fo'r the office, chieflv on account of the largeness of the salary; which scramble is a very heavy tax on the commuuiijj and is corrupling to the candidates and the public moráis. On this account it bas been found advisable, where lhe possession of office con fers honor and distinction, to diminisl) ;roporlionately the pecuniary compensation for pecforming its duties. While, therefore, each ofiicer is compensaled according to the qualifications required for the proper discharge oí bis official duties. heshould receive souiewhat less in amount tlian ihe market pnce for talents oí an equal order, when exercised in private business.These preliminnry considerations bnng us to íhe question with whicli we comtnenced - Whal is the general principie ly which the -salaries of public officers should Ie regulaied? We nnswer, that whüe the proportion between wages and qualifications-to which we have ad verted is preserved, ihe incunibents of oiHce should ahvays receive such salaries as v:ill support themsches and families respectalhj in life. To bestow less than TfrtsTvxJu?d be to open the possession of office only to the rich and aristocratie; and thereby eirectually shut out a large portion of cointnunity f rom public siluations, or compel them to hold office at a sacrifiee of personal wealth. The community should be able (o command the services of i!s poorest citizens. without excit;ng any apprehension, or their part, that their families will necessariiy suffer while ín the employmeiït of the public.On the se principies, we conceive that Tivo Dollars a day would be a proper compensation io the members of our State Legislature. It is so small that the pecuniary emolumont vvoultl nol be a sufficientinducement to seek the office, while it is so large ihat neiiher the incumbent nor his family nced to suffer for any thing really necessary to their comfortable maintenance. If it be said thal many of the members are accustomed to a higher slyle of living ihan could be procured by such low wages - that such compensation would not permit of expendilnres for sleigh-rides, wine, "bird suppers" or other fixings of -fhis kind- we answer that those who choose to indulge in them will have full liberly to do so, if theyplease. A!l we contend is. that they shall not do it f rom funds paid out oí the public treasury for that puryose. This reduction in the pay of Members would be most eflectual lowards inducing short sessions. In sevcral of the New England States, the Logislators receive only One Dollar and a Half a day; and complairits about long sessions are seldöm or nevev Freard ii those States.On these principies also we deem Fine. Dollars a day to be a compensation arapi)' sufficient for Members of Congress, ndding also barely enough to pny thcir travelling expenses. The Mileage of' .Members we believe averages nearly$700 a year: we would reduce these to One Hundred, or less. Five Dollars a day would pay their necessary expenses in Washington, supply their families at home with all that would be really needfuL and leave a small surplus for incidental expenses, ar for acquiring any information which they rnight needin their official situations. Ifit beobjected that they couldnot take pleasure excurstons, allend the Lheatres regularly, or live in aft elegant and fasbionablc style, we reply, that we would put no interdicción on the action of those members who choose lo live in this marmer. We would let every one follow his own tasle in these respects. - All we contené is that ihe cost of elegant and luxurious living should be pakl hj those who enjoy il, and not by the hard handed laborers who earn all that flows from the national treasury, By these principies we woald d'eferrnine the salaries of the Éxecutiye Officers of the Nation and State. Wliatever expenses may be ncccssavily incurred by thom in consequenco of holding oflice, to which thcy would not be liable while living as individuáis. shouW bc pnid. anda fair compeusation be,sidesL But whnt rcduction, if any, síioulü be made in the salaries oí' these oliícers, wc are not prcpared lo soy, Becaüse vé are not súfficiently aequainted witii 1 1 . o necessary expenses of t hoi e sitnalions. Let them receive cnough for llieiriime nud their e.ponses: Int ïiolliing for electioiteering, for splendid Iioilscs; fino fu mi turé, luxurions üvín'. or Muniíunu equipnge. By tlicse principies ;tlso wouKl we snufirc ihe salaries ofonr Counly aíncei-s; wliosi incoine ís raised dirccliv and principa'iy iVoni Ihe. snvingsol those who labor wilh their pwii hantls. We believe that there is fooin for reform even here. We are credibly iníbrnied that a clcik wlio wili do. the business ofsome of these ütlicerá Corone hnJJ the f ees, wijl receive a handsome remutieration for liis time and labor. This subject is one of frequent discussion. anda reduction oi salaries is der.iandod by many nerso;is, who yct have never considered lbo principies on which it slioiild be eiTectcd. We havo thrown out these remarles for general consideration, without expccling.however, that they will coincide prccisely with the views o( all our readers.