, 1865-02-19

illinois Legislature which adjourned on IhnFsa2y
was bad Legislature. 1t WAS open to bribery. II
resortcd to fraud fn the IA sage oE bills. 1t was
CONTROLLED by a lobby. II made appropriations
ioT, hnd therc been M question ot their constita.
tiona.ty. 1t dcdea justice and TIC interests OF the
people in the division Of 4 jadlci,l district to
able JulSc. Its corruption Wis bold and uuhlush-
Ing. Yet Its members we're not more corrupt than
the porty which elected them, and ihclr practice
as legislators IVES entirety consistent with the
principles Of Aboliuonisu.-C Chicago Times.
We concur entirely with the Times in Its
opinion Of the late Legislature, except that it
lays all its burden OF complaint at tho door
Of" Abolitionlstn" uemocratic votes were
moi wanting to pass any scheme, no matter
how outrageous Jr.raal
It will be satisfactory to tue members Of
the late Legislature to know that about oil
The newspapers in the State, except the two
corrupt Springfield journals. both Of whicl,
shared in the profits OF legislative stclling,
agree in pronouncing the last Legislature
The most corrupt VIC have ever had We ad-
7nirc the inpudence of the Chicago Timer in
charging This On the Republican party. The
published proceedings Of both houses show
1hat the Coppcrhcads voted nearly or quite
rs unit in favor Of every corrupt bill that
passed the Legislature, while three fourths Of
The votes opposing such bills were Repnbli-
can. While onc-fourth Of The Republicans
sotcd for each Of these stealing schemes, the
democrats" voted for them all in solid p1a-
1anx as 4 party, with hardly single opposing
or dtdgipg votc. The 1imcs knows this is
true of the vote on the PcIisEntia,y swindle,
The Horse Railway swindlc, the Stock Yard
bill, The Gold swiualc, and every other bill
upon which members were bribed. Tor our
part VIC care not who is hit when these infer
mil rascalitles are aimed at. The men who
pushed them through are scoundrc1s alike,
whether they call themselves !" Democrats
OF Republicans" and We are as ready and
1tr more dcslrous to expose t1losc Of
them who disgrace our own party than
thosc who belong to the Copperhcad ranks.
Tho Democratic party had attained to such d
slough OF corruption before the Republican
marty became majerity, that We expect no
honesty from them. We don't hold them to
honesty. It isn't in their blood. We Oh
tained power in part because Of their dishon-
csty, and If they did to continue Us in power
by continuing their thleving, politically
speaking, the loss is theirs. But that these
.tso-callrd Republicans" the worst of whom
have but RECENTLY deserted from the Copper
head ranks, as We supposed, from motives OF
{|IluElItC$ uuk ~ W. Ao ~ aAAAt AA1AA 4%*A@1ss
OF plunder-that these men who have never
brought the Republican party particle OF
influence or personal character, should enter
into these mischiavous caoa's with Copper
heads to cheat and steal from the pcoF''
s,rouses our indignation. These young pup
pets to whom the votes OF Union men have
given brief authority, not for what they had
done, hut for what 1t WAS hoped they might
do hereafter, have :urned ont to be old
Inaves-young In craftsmanship, but accom-
pNshed in stcsling. ......
Nly has this characterized our last 1egisla
lure? Those who have been at Springfield
during the last session know that it is be
cause an insignificant: knot Of black sheep
in our party hunted in couples with the Cop
pcrhead crowd-ate, drank, slept, and stol'
with them. The journals Of the house show
by their yotes.who these members are, Th
neople Of Illinois know In the main who the,
arr. They will hive their reward. But i
these week -kueed, frail, and "casy'' ..Repuh
~ ..,.... NV, 1o5 F-or, 41 M }h. oF vlrtra