Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-05-27
A1WlSBURR OUR DNlEl2
For the Lewisburg Chronicle.
The Late legislature"

"The Late Legislature"
There are three topics which, whenever
hard pushed for "leaders," are god send
for soma Penns'a editors. These are-ith
of July, New Years, and 'the late Legis
iature." In the clucidation of the first
they exhaust their patriotism; in the sec.
ond, their wisdom /; in the third, common
sense and common honesty are lost
Let me recapitulate the stercotyped
anathemas which, for 40 or so years past,
have been breathed upon every slate Leg.
islature :" "The Auyean stable at Harris.
burg has been closed for the season'-"Le,
us render Manks'-" Our Legislative So
dons"-"Nothiag done for the PaJlic, Ju'
epe'ything for prirate interest"-"BriJery
aud corruption stalked at moon-day'-
"Lsgislators purchased like sheep IN the
shan.btes ''-"The last, 4y fir the aeorst
Of aW' land so on, ad infnitum.
Now, how much reason or fairness are
there in these annual diatribes?
Observe, that individuals are not glcd
out, but the censure is cast upon all
engaged in Legislation-the Governor, 33
Senators, and 100 Representatives, all the
choice Of the people, acting under solemn
oaths, bound by the best considerations of
which our natures are capable, and restrai-
. ned by as many safeguards and checks as
human wisdom can devise. All these
(according to these editorial Solomons)-
are merely an assembly Of corrupt knaves
or of driveling fools
And yet, these very editors have as a
general thing brought out and aided in
elevating to the positions they occupy, the
very individuals they now maiign! Crhe
Lycomiug Gazette, for example, speaks Of
the "late Legislature" in almost the idcn-
tical terms the Democrat applied to the
members from that District Lefore their
election, which was gained by the Gasettes
most strenuous endeavors.)
Whenever cornered, however, these val
liant conseryators of the public good will
concede that there were some true men at
Harrisburg-tleir o,cn of course included;
all the others Especially those belonging
to the other party) were unworthy of their
trust. So that, when you would put your
finger upon the guilty, you can only learn
that they are Mr.. Somebody's, of Some
where, but nobody in particular!
Is this indiscriminate censure either just
to reputable men, or happy in its effects
upon the public morals? 1t seems to me
that to heap upon the yirtuous the faults
of the vicious, will not tend to increase
the number, or to strengthen the hands,
of the virtuous. To falsely represent our
Executive and Legislative halls as seats
of brazen corruption, can not tend either
to purify them, or to strengthen the sacred
regard for Law which is essential to our
political existence, or to make them goals
of honorable ambition.
Grant that there ere unworthy or incom-
petcnt men sent to Harrisburg, whose fault
is it? 1t is not the fault of Harrisburg
not the fault of those who are worthy
nor are they themselves to be blamed;
1T Is THE PEOPLE WHO SEND THEM (thc
carping Editors included) WHO ARE AT
FAULT FOR ALL THE EVILS OF BAD LEG
IsLATIoN. If the People, by negligence,
by partizan insanity, or by sympathy,
choose an unworthy or incompetent agent,
they are responsible for his acts, and have
themselves primarily to thank. A scoun-
drel at home, will be a greater scoundrel
Harrisburg "twisty" man at home,
will bc 'risted when abroad and man
OF limited A-awledge and narrow mind is
little the wiser By uere election to Office.
While the Legislat.-e is in session, the
cry Of these Editors is-sdoing nothing
but 50 day." When they as:surn and
the result Of their labors appears, the tune
is changed to "Too much legislatioa-sOD
pages of lawsv There were last session
over HOO different laws, or subjects OF
legislation, of from to 100 sections each,
most Of which passed thro' the forms of
committees and three readings in each
House. reporting, engrossing, signing by
INC speakers approving by the Governor,
&c. Besides these were several hundred
laws reported but not taken up, OF defea-
ted, or postponed by one branch after
passing the other, or left in the hands Of