The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1853-06-24
From the Ohio sta,eamon

From the Ohio Statesman
Our Legislators What should they be {?
i gTheti is coming wheE this enquiry
becomes pertinent. Our counties and
] districts are about TO choose their nom
inees for4legislatiYe officers. Some have
already chosen them. Need we remind
our friends throughout Ohio, oflhe great
importance TO the party, 10 the districts
represented, and TO themselves, 10 have
men Of worth, intelligence and character
put in nomination.
We know il is sometimesthough and
said, that when man is good for nothing
| else, he will do. for the Legislature
This is reckless thoughtlessness, and be-
trays an indifference TO good laws and
sound principles which caunot be too
much reprehended. .a pds 556s
The loafer or pettifogger, the empty
wind>bag and grave thick sknll, are
wholly unfit for this responsibility. No
one will doubt this; but why should any
such be chosen? ag
Reflect moment! The Legislature
lis not an abstract thing called wisdom.
1t is made up Of men---who should be
wise; but who partake more or less Of
human fallibi!ity. Our aim should be 10
have more of the wise and less Of thc
Ifallible. .iap4 l6
In our daily business, where we are
interested pecuniarily, we do not select
an agent because Of his big words oil
swelling vanity, nor because he happens
10 have money; but because ho under-
stands his business or has capacity
quickly TO comprehend and The determin-
alton 10 do his duty. ausa
| In choosing our Judges, who are TO
interpret our laws, we are wary and Cir
cumspect, and see TO it that experience,
legal learning and integrity belong TO the
men selected. II these attributes make
up fit interpreter Of law, how much
more important are they TO the men who
are the authors of our laws?
i In our private and Judicial matters we
act we'll enough. Why not in this most
important legislative trust and agency,
where the dearest rights Of every man.
woman and child are at stake, can we
not display our ordinary foresight and
prudencee 8t b.H r.esm tga
/ Wealth is said to be power. So il is.
Carlyle hits the idea ON the head, when
he says, quantity, tAat the man who has
sixpenee holds the world in thrall TO
him TO sixpence's worth. So long as
money represents labor, and labor fur
nishes necessities and comforts SO long
will wealth carry along with il potency.
But it has iia sphere. Thank God! the
Legislature is not its sphere. We are not
yet SO corrupt, at leas, in Ohio, that venal
Walpoles buy and sell our lawmakers
like sheep in The sbambles. But let il
be recolected there is an element which
has power for the Legislative sphere. II
| is knowledge. Ii alone subserves the
lolliest purposes of legislation. Laws
can no more proceed without it, than
conclusions can follow without premises.
That constituency which has anl in'elli>
gent representative holds larger place
| in the Stale, by virtue of his knowledge.
lis importance is magnifed incorporation
to the perception Of lis wants, the address
10 make, them lknown,, and the power TO
adopt means for their accomplishment
Hence, as q matter of interest, Of self
love, Of dollars and cents, the districts
should select their most intelligent men.
A man, who can give,a sensible reason
for "a good measure, or pntlihis measure
improper form,is worth a hundred times
more than the man who cannot write the
bills required, orlwho silently votes even
with a good but unexpressed reason- ii9
+ II was a remark Of Burke in his reply
to Fox, upon the French Revolution,
shat he who calls in the aid Of an equal
understanding doubles bis own" This
is not lonly the principle upon which
parties are formed; but let Democrats
remember, that il is the principle by
which parties retain their asceRdency.
Men of kindred views, sympathies and
interests, having as a Democratic Legis>
lature should have, profound sense of
public duty, i'll relation 10 the practical
business of legislation, yielding TO no
mercenary lure of bullying intimidation,
expressing none in its magnanimily,
heedful of the constantly aggressive spirit
Of lordy corporations, grown fat, sleek
and impudenl with .lucre and importance;
allowing the blessings Of good legislation
to descend equally upon the poor and
Ilhe rich; standing sleadfast in their
opinions, and not hastily giving way to
pressing emergencies, got up for the
ambition or aggrandizement Of selfish
asphan,s; and above als, pervaded with
radical notions of the object of govern
-ment and OF its responsibility to none bul
the people, ,-such combination would
be indeed formidable to conservatism,
inspirilng to enterprize and labor, and
highly instrumental in every element Of
national existence and glory.
No wonder that even Wings, forgetting
their own delinquinces, ask sneeringly:
r 4 ,t,,f, 4