Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-03-20
Her . Eleet 9 o. 8. senator.

The State Journal Of yesterday says;
tsTha Constitution of the United States has
mada provision for the election of Senators
70 Congress, and has confded their choice to
the discretion of members Of the State Leg
islatures. L Is to be presumed that the peo-
pie viii not clOthe any Of their number with
the power and authority of Legislators, who
are incapable of exercising a sound and dis
Greet judgment in the matter of choosing
D. s. Senator.
Bat our If modern practice is to be upheld,
this discretion of the Legislator, which the
Constitution designed to call into action in
this matter, must give way 70 the mandates
of irresponsible constituents, who have been
induced, by interested individuals, and for
interested purposes, to isigH thar DdPers."
In our Judgment the ''oEtsids pTssslTe,"
that artiul and designing men are constantly
ooutriving to bring to bear upon members of
TIE Legislaturs, to turn them from their own
honest convictions, is not the least of the
evils Of 'smodern degeneracy" The practice
should be secuted BY all honest men"
That's it men Of 0hiol You are fsrtful
and designing men," and you ought to be
ashamed Of yourselves for daring to express
q wish as to who shall represent you in the
United States Senate. What if you do pay
tie taxes, and feel an interest in the mar
ksh3 What If you have sons in the army
Of The Union, and hope sometime to see
these sons in the enjoyment of free home
steads granted BY Congress from the unocou-
pied western lands2 What If you do lend
your money to the Government and aequiesce
il the suspension of specie paymentsi What
If you do pay an additional price for every
thing that you put upon your body or your
table, that the war may 60 on and the Gov
eminent pay its national debt9 What of all
this2 You are ''artful AMI designing men" /"
and have been induced 'for interested pur-
poses" 70 sign papers expressing your choice
f1r Senator, when you know-h you didn't
hsiore, you know it now by the state Jour
nal--that you've no right to any opinion,
and no right to express It If yOu were 90
guilty as to have one. Xou are Of no con-
sequence to the Legislators. You are 'irre-
spOnsible constituents" you are, and your
sioztside pressure is one Of the great evils Of
s.nodsrn degeneracyD If you continue this
Hiyls Of thing It will tend to prevent US
from going back to limited monarchy, when
the acOuncil Of ten"-enlarged, to suit the
State Journal and the anti-Wade men, to
the size of the Ohio Legislature-does the
work and the people pay the bills and CRY
'rhEayo" Then you've beer 'signing pa
persD yOu incOrrigible sins 81 Don't ysu
knew that that is clear viols ton Of the
privileges of an American citizen? What II
8. o. GriswOld did go round getting mem.
hsrs Of the Legislature to 'sign bis paper
urging tWo-thirds vote to nominate Sem
ntOr9 What is that to your he is Guys
hoga eounty's pet Representative, while you
are only irresponsible constituents" Don't
Jon see the diGerence7 If you don't the
State Journal and other aati-intervention
papers do, and that ought to satisfy you.
solet Us have no more Of this, freemen Of
Northern ohie. DoR't you dare to sign 8
paper OF express an opinion, unless it is in
opposition to Ben Wade, in which case it
win be all right and an eminently praise
worthy and eEiodc act. But above all
-eius. don't suffer yourselves to become, like a
portion Of the CuyahOga delegation at Co
lumbus, ''scOuted by all honest men,"