Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-01-16
Toe senatorial Question.

On w ednesday evening OF TINS week the
Union members of the Ohio Legislature
viii convene in caucus for the purpose of
nominating a candidate to fill the seat in
the United States Senate to be vacated by
the expiration of the Senatorial term Of
Hon. John Sherman. Who will be the
successful candidate, of course no one
knows, but, whoever he may be, he will
receive the cordial support of all Union
men. The claims of the two principal
candidates, Messrs. Schenck and Sherman,
have been thoroughly canvassei, and their
official acts discussed and criticized. Thus
far, as light has been thrown upon thesub-
ject, Mr.. Sherman seems to have lost
ground, whilst his opponent has been
steadily gaining. The great advantage
Mr.. Sherman has had during the contest
has been in the fact that the people were
not entirely familiar with the political
status Of General Schenck, owing to his
absence in the field during the greater part
Of the war, and his consequent non-par-
ticipation in the politics Of the country.
With many of the Union men in the State,
General Schenck has had the reputation
of being what is termed luke-warm Re-
publican, growing odt of his former con-
servatism. 1t is true Robert G. Schenck
was conservative before the war, but so
were Abraham Lincoln, Senator Sherman,
Edwin NJ. Stanton, Benjamin F. Butler,
and host of other eminent Union men.
The difference between General Schenck
and General Sherman is found in the fact
that while both were conservative before
the war, the former became radical i'm
mediately after the firing on Sumter
whereas the latter retained his conserva-
tism up to the last year of the war and
until the time approached for offer
ing himself as q candidate for re-
election. Then, and not till then, did
he take different position and become an
eleYenth-hour radical. General Schenck
on the other hand, has been bitter hater
of slavery, and of all statutes sustaining
slavery, including the fugitive slave laws,
and an opponent of all who sympathized
with the rebellion, ever since the firing of
the first rebel gun. To such an extent did
he hate the institution of slavery and
those engaged in rebellion, that he intro
duced into Congress an amendment to the
Constitution making actual voters, instead
of the entire population, the basis of'rep-
resentation, thereby preventing the late
rebels from reaping the benefits of a repre-
sanitation in Congress based upon the large
non-voting population of the South. Gen.
Schenck, since his return to Congress, has
favored all thorough-going anti-slsvery
measures by vote and voice, and has done
SO without waiting till the eleventh hour
for the purpose of ascertaining whether
they would be popular or not. He has
been as outspoken in his opposition to
slavery as has been Charles Sumner or
Benjamin F. Butler. Although a long
time absent from the House of Represent
atives, he was, on account of his great
ability as statesman, placed at the head
of the most important committees .imme-
diately upon his return to that body, and
took rank as debater with Thaddeus
Stevens and Henry Winter Davis. Such
is Robert C. Schenck, whose radicalism is
pitted against the conservatism of John
Sherman. The cause of the Union party
in Ohio-the party Of pregress-requires
that he should be its representative in the
United States Senate, and thus secureto the
country the benefit of his talents and patri-
otism in the great work of reconstruction.
Should General Schenck be chosen to this
high position, the loyal people of the land
will find in him man whom they can rely
upon under all circumstances to carry out
their principles. If, on the other hand,
Senator Sherman should be reelected, we
will cheerfuIly support him and hope it
| will be for the best.