The daily press. (Cincinnati [Ohio) 1859-1859, 1859-03-21
Deliberative Assemblies-Our Munich
nal Election.

to concur, than In the opinion that there
is little practical good realized to the
people out of the action of the legislative
bodies of the United States. Scarce a
assembly of any kind, from
Congress to Board of Aldermen, closes
its career without eliciting from the press
the declaration that its proceedings have
been characterized by ignorance, dis
regard of the public good, and tendency
to faction and mischief Nor is this testi-
mony confined to journals in the interest
of the minority. 1t is to be found wher-
ever there is any vestige of independence
remaining. When Congress or State
Legislature adjourns, there is a feeling of
relief throughout its sphere Of action,
which is not slow to make itself manifest
Men breathe freer, and seem to have got
rid of some cause of apprehension, which,
if it had not made them seriously uncom-
Portable, had weakened their faith in the
stability or prosperity of the common
wealth.
This general feeling of distrust of the
wisdom and honesty of legislative bodies
and general protest against their acts and
policy, is not without its adequate cause.
The want of the elements of confidence is
seen in the characters of the individual
members, and in the doings of the col
lectivc whole. Men feel that their inter
ests are triaed with and betrayed, and
therefore know that they who do so are
trihers and betrayers-persons whose
views are narrow, whose spirits are poor,
whose courage is weak, whose honesty is
subordinate to considerations of private
interest, whose ambition is mean, selfish
and grbveling, and whose tastes are low
and degraded. When, therefore, such a
body passes out of existence, tile desire
appears to be universal that the same
materials shall never again be permitted
to assemble; and this desire, not by any
means unfrequently, finds vent in strong
and expressive language. Who wants
She last Congress to be revived? Who
wants repetition Of the present Legisla-
ture? What intelligent citizen of Indiana
or Illinois, out ofpolitical life, would care
to perpetuate the General Assemblies of
those States for the year of grace 1859 2
Not one. Offer what reward you please,
the man can not be found. Why? They
who know the men distrust the doings;
and they who have watched the doings,
know all they want to know Of the men.
In either aspect of the case, the thing is
satisfactory. s
We are about to make direct home ap,
plication of these remarks We are on
the eve Of municipal election. Parties
are already arraying the mselves for the
conflict. With the leaders of these par
ties, the pending issue is the possession
of the city treasury; the power to invest,
expend, contract and appropriate--with
the enjoyment Of what directly or Incl
dentally sticks to their fingers. The
poorer, weaker, meaner, narrower, more
ignorant and venal the men they can put
into the City Council, the more entirely
will they be able to dictate and contro
the action of that body, and the moro
readily direct the streams of profit grow
ing out of its doings into their own pock
cts. When they do not 60 into the Coun
ell themselves-and, in general, they dc
not choose to do so-these men wan
tools-implements and of such, for many
years, has the City Council of Cincinnati
been composed.
1t is of no consequence what party
steals, so that the stealing is done. TC
be robbed by Democrat, is just as bad
as to be robbed by Republican, or q
Know Nothing, or Fusionist Neither
so far as we know, is there any difference
in the honesty of these classes. The
local politicians Of none Of them arc
purists in practice, when an opportunity
presents itself to realize profit out Of
their influence with the powers that be
And such opportunities, with parcel Of
ignorant, conceited party hangers-on in
the Council, are constantly occurring
and may be multiplied almost indefinitely
1t will not do, therefore, to depend, as
upon certificate of honesty or capacity
upon party nomination We do really
deeply need, few plain, sensible, firm
disinterested men in our municipal legis
lature. There have been enough Of youi
professional jurors, party mendicants, and
husbands Of boarding-house keepers
Let us drop Dogberry and superannuatC
Verges, and try how things would looE
with a real man or two
There is one thing: The city SHOULD
be satisfied with the services Of the mem
bers Of tho present Council, whose terms
are about to close, and yield to their wish
to be permitted to retire. We suppose
they wish it, they ought to, certainly
The fact that a man is a member Of the
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