The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-04-23
at'heeline geaister.
legislative Cerraptisn.

LeEtstNbVe &cEHSPA~s'
,m,nc the many corrupt Radical
,.,aies. the New York Legislature is tax
ING high rank. 1t is universally con-
;5sred 10 hc one of the worst of the
hind that ever assembled, which, con-
,;aering the capacity of Radical Legis-
r,turrs generally, is saying a good deal.
"a obnoxious and revolving have its
nroceedings become, that the Radical
napers throughout the Empire State arc
h,coming alarmed, and are vigorously
h,>eeehing their rascally representa-
lives TO suspend their peculations, at
Iasst until the coming storm OF popular
;udimation shall blow over. In order
that our readers may form some idea of
,hr character of business that is
J,pe in the New York Legislature,
W. present the following extract
from rhs New York Tribune-an extract
which embodies the leading accusa-
,;on, that are now being made, without
denial. against the distinguished body
IN onestion. OF course, if Democratic
oancr we're 10 make these charges they
would be nothing but batch Of "Cop-
rerhead les bnt coming, rs they do,
from source so reliable, it ia possible
rh,v will not be questioned:
In the Spartan virtue practised at
Albany, il is not the crime that is to be
avoided, but the discovery. And yet,
when crime is not discovered by the
nublc but actually revealed by the
legislature, as in the case of the sur
iacs railway swindles, the cry is raised
that the general indignation is "irre-
,nopsible criticism This is amusing.
Tvo-thiris of the press and majority
of the people arc firmly convinced, and
do not hesitate to say, that this Legis-
latnre sells its legislation to the high
-, bidder: that the passage of any bill
involving capital must be purchased;
that iiss notoriously contemptuous of
the voices of the people, and humbly
submissive to the slightest whisper Of
the lobby. That is not irresponsible
accusations; the people and the press are
accountable for it, and ask nothing
more of the Legislature than that they
shall he held so. We do not single out
individuals, but we specify acts and
publish vetoes. We take, for instance,
such bills as those for surface railways
in this city, for selling orr streets to
speculators in booths, for railroad
grants. IL and plainly say that they are
.caudalous and corrupt. We take again
the defeat of such admirable measures
s> the Wharvss and Piers bill,
the Public Works bill, the Net
ropolitan Transit bill, and say
emphatically that their defeat
is dishonest rs well as deplorable; nor
do we stop with this censure. We print
the names of the gentlemen who voted
for OF against these measures, that all
who choose may read. And then we
add. that any member of the Assembly
ar Senate who is found voting through
out the session against the public, and
for the lobby, is presumably corrupt OF
ignorant. The gentlemen who are
found in this category may take refuge
from the suspicion of having sold their
votes i'm the confession that they have
not brains enough to vote rightly; but
it is utterly impossible that they should
expect the public to believe them at
once honest and intelligent. This is
not irresponsible criticism; il is very
downright accusation, and it is not one
newspaper that makes it, but fifty: not
onr man. but tens of thousands.