The Fee System as a Social Force. 215 
ing arrests on slight suspicions, or for trifling or unwarrant¬ 
able reasons? The same self-interest impels him in the latter 
as in the former case. As a rule, hungry men are not over 
scrupulous about the means and methods which will secure them 
bread. There is every reason to believe that they would sacri¬ 
fice their most important function, that is, that of repression, 
to the more profitable employment of making arrests. Indeed, 
this is amply illustrated by the experience of every city which 
has changed from fee-paid policemen to salaried officers. An 
act of the Maryland legislature abolished the fee-system in Bal¬ 
timore in 1862, and as a result the number of arrests for minor 
offences decreased from twelve to seven thousand. The decrease 
in the number of arrests did not result in more lawlessness or 
more petty offences, but can be accounted for by the fewer un¬ 
called-for and unnecessary arrests. 
Hundreds and thousands of poor victims are each year dragged 
to prison, who when brought before a magistrate must be dis¬ 
charged for want of evidence. To the world it is immaterial 
whether a few arrests more or less are made If the arrested 
individuals are innocent, they will be discharged, it is held, so 
what difference does it make? But it does make a difference to 
the unfortunate wretches. Dragged to prison for some trivial, 
petty offence, 1 they must await trial in the morning, unless 
they can satisfy the exorbitant demands of the professional 
bailor. Even if acquitted and discharged in the end, their self- 
respect is lowered, their feelings toward the public are embit¬ 
tered, and a stigma is cast upon them and their family which 
may lead to their ruin. But that makes no difference to the 
jailor, the magistrate, the constable, or policeman, who are each 
of them richer by the amount of their fee on account of this ar¬ 
rest. But suppose the man is really guilty, and suppose that 
he was even caught in the act of committing some misdemeanor; 
he is sentenced to pay a fine, or, in default, to a term in the 
county jail or penitentiary; and society is supposed to be that 
much better off, on account of the zeal of the constable or police 
officer. Not so, however. The term in the penitentiary is not 
1 Altgeld, Inaugural Address , Jan., 1893. 
