The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-09-07

HON. DAVID OLMSTED.


The above declaration formed the basis
of an argument addressed to us by one of
the apostles of Riceism, by way Of moving
us TO adopt the faith which guided his ac-
ton during the Delegate canvass. And in
all conversations we have had with Mr.. RI
CE's adherents, We find this feature OF his
character put forth as a prominent merit,
and as the principal inducement why he
should be again returned to Washington
There is so much of danger involved in the
idea, both to the purity of legislation and to
the interests Of our Territory, that it is
worth the trouble of some consideration.
Legislative functions are the highest and
most sacred with which any man can be in.
vested by any act of the people The law
making power which in its use affects the
rights and interests of all men and of all
property, is clearly subject Of higher dig
nifty than any species of legerdemain, and
the qualities required for its successful exc
cution are of different character from
those necessary to the production of an ex-
pert thimble-rigger Yet it is to this pitch
of degradation and corruption that the
friends of Mr. RICE reduce the character Of
legislation and the qualities essential in the
person of Trainer of our laws. The old
Democratic requirement Of honesty, capa-
pability, and faithfnlness to the constitution,
is ignored by this species of political yandal-
ism, and chicancry is exalted above patriot
ism, and trickery takes the place of integri-
ty. We regret that this custom of adVan-
cling to public stations men who are notOri-
Gus for their adroitneSs in wickedness, has
become alarmingly common. 1t is this fact
which year by year is lowering the moral
influence of our legislative bodies, and des-
troying in ii great degree the efficacy Of the
public laws The RICE men in this Terri
tory would perpetuate this dangerous doc
trine They hold up their leader as excel
ling in all cunning and deception-qualities
which connected with any other subject than
politics, and at any former period of our
history, would mark the possessor as likely
to achieve notoriety On the list of great
criminals, rather than distinction on the roll
of public benefactors. If Minnesota is Il
sort of Botany Bay, inhabited by convcts, or
those who deserve to become so, whose i'll
terests can be advanced only by processes
of swindling, and it is desirable that the
primest rascal of the Territory should be
advanced to the highest post of honor, and
invested with the title of Great Grand
ScoundreI, or some other appropriate pseu
donym, then the arguments advanced by
the friends Of HENRY NJ RICE show him to
be pre-eminently fitted for the position, and
entitled to success but if the people Of
Minnesota possess any elements of honesty,
OF decent pride, they will cast away from
their confidence and support the man on
whose LehaIf such Infamous appeals are the
most prominent ones advanced
The interests of the Territory are unsafe
in the hands of any one whose best charac-
teristic is, to use the phrase of the Rice adj
vocate, that he is great on tricks" No
man of common prudence employs in his
service person because Of his experiences
in vilainy 1t is the universal experience
that such an one will serve his master just
so long as interest may dictate, and no lon
ger He is always the subject of barter
and sale always ready to become a Judas
when he can obtain his price. The people
of Minnesota within the past two years
have had their ill of the Iscariotic policy.
They have been sold quite as often as their
safety will permit, into the hands Of dema-
gogues at home, of Wall street brokers, and
of Wisconsin spectators. They want no
more, light in an official way, upon the en-
pertneSs OF the candidate who is put for.
ward for their snffrages because he is "great
on tricks" They acknowledge his qualiti-
cations in trickery with shame and point
to the name of Minnesota, lishonored be-
fore the Congress of the United States
through his completely with fraud, and to
the loss of the magnificent Request Of the
Nation designed to aid US in developing the
resources of our beautiful Territory, as evil
dences that he is most destructively great
on tricks" They will call to mind his great
prototype Jeremy, of the farce, and will
make sure that, on the ninth of October,
the Trickster will find himself tricked, Just