The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-03-01
SENATOR CAGES LETTER

ANU OtnerS VINO Ulu not 1eel IL CUT
=, ~ to vote for the reelection of Johl
- Sherman, ask, however, as you
= Senator, to vindicate my action
y through your columns; and at tn
. start, allow me to lay down the pro
, viso that know OF no rule in part,
= discipline which would prevent m
~ from selecting the man for the higl
:" office of Senator Tor for any other OF
iS fice) who would but represent tn
y principles of my party and the inter
= ests OF my country provided, always
y such choice did not put in jeopardy
Is party ascendency.
= You ignore thisfright, and impeacl
10 my motives for exercising the hbert,
OF choice. You assign as the reason
i for my vote for United States Sena
d tor from the great State of Ohio, tn,
:. y ignoble one OF spite for not receiving
y the appointment of Collector of In
g ternal Revenue for my.Dlstrict, q
the hands of Mr.. Sherman. That
was not presumptuous in my ambition
in seeking the office my present po
y sition will show; and that was no
: mercenary, it is sufficient to say that
L sought the office for the benefit o.
another. In my intercourse with
l. MIR. Sherman, on the occasion of ask
ing for the place, nothing occurred tC
wound my feelings, but on the con-
trary all was very pleasant. He told
me he had presented the name o.
another, one who came well recon.
mended, and a man with whom he
was well pleased, and there the mat
ter ended, and that Mr.. Sherman was
|, , satisfied with my course was evi-
denced by subsequent personal inter.
course and correspondence. The i'm
putatiOn cast upon me is unmanly on
your part, and il it in any way orig
mated with Mr.. Sherman it shows
that he expects personal service from
all who receive official fayors at his
hands and as my brother in-law
arterward received the appointment
OF Route Agent in the postal service,
at 81 400 year, through his inter
vention, at nv instance, perhaps,
judging from cases, it would not be
far out of the way 10 adopt the latter
conclusion and give Mr.. Sherman
credit for the delicate insinuation.
But, sir, you knowing my antece-
dents-knowing as you did that was
nominated and elected as an anti
Sherman man by the concurrence of
of yourself and your co-laborer of
the Blade, to what motive shall /
attribute your present course?
My opposition to Mr.. Sherman is
from greater cause than any per-
sonsl opposition. 1t is because OF its
foundation-his public course as
Republican when firmness and FORE
sight meant something. He was
wavering and unreliable when the
life of the country hung upon a mere
tritie; he was opposed to freeing the
negro, but would consent to their
being employed in the military SER
vice only, on the condition OF their
being returned to slavery as the prop
erty OF the master; and when the
emancipation was success, in spite of
his lukewarmness, and the war was
i ended, he. John Slerman, winked at
my Poiiey suafp enough W seCurc
from Mr.. Andy johnson the highest
offices for his FAMILY and relatives,
and he seeks to retain his place,
Judging from the past, more as an
attorney for private interests than as
a servant of the people. So at least
it appears tc me, that | am sustained
in the opinion by the best Republicans
II know, and in great numbers,
throughout the land.
Now, after the above statements,
come with me to the Capital Of your
great State, snd | will show you
other good reasons why l did not
support Mr.. Sherman for Senator.
When your Legislators came to
Columbus in the discharge OF duty to
which they were elected, who, and
what did they fiud here to assist
them in their choice of United States
Senator? Why, they found an or
ganized lobby, composed OF the Post
masters of all the principal towns IN
the State; they found Custom-house
officers, Revenue Collectors and As
SCISSORS; National Bank Presidents
(three of whom we're from Mr. Sher-
mans own town of MaDsield); we
found Northern Pacific Railroad and
land grabbers, and all the hellish
whisky rings from all the country
around and last, but not least, by
any means, came Aleck Sands, late
United States Marshal, commonly
known as Archbishop of the Lobby,
who is always on hand when doubtful
work is 10 be accomplished; and, in
fact, every body was here who had
made money out OF the Government
through Mr.. Sherman's assistance all
we're here to procure the reelection
of Mr.. Sherman to the United States
Senate. Now, sir, would it have
been necessary for all these people
to have been here to work for Mr..
Sherman, if he was the choice of the
people? No, sir, l think not
Again, sir, was the presence OF all
these people and the purpose for
which they were here, calculated to
change the convictions of an original
anti Sherman man? / should say
not, sir; and | am inclined to think
that had you been present you would
have been reassured in Oppositin to
Mr.. Sherman, and would in my placs
have gone for any good Republican
to save the party and the country
from the triumph of such Influences.
Mr.. Sherman is not the choice of our
party, and his re turn to the Senate ID
a fraud upon the people of the State.
This is my opinion, and 1 shall abide
by it, and repeat, that / feel assured
now, stronger than before the vote
was given for which you condemn
me, that my action is approved by my
own district and the great body of
Republicans in and out of the State.
And now, Mr.. Editor, wherein aud
OF what does your great righteousness
consist ?
Had Mr.. Sherman been defeated
you would have been foremost in
shouting glory, aud you would have
been first in saying: "We had that
thing set for the packed caucus we
knew it was all packed for Mr.. Sher-
man. &c. / infer this from your
time serving character, and from
what one of your Representatives
told me since his visit home ct the
recess. He told me that he was now
convinced that both of the Republican
papers of Toledo were anti-Sherman,
and 1 know it will apply to my friend
Nasby. claim to have some right
to understand hin, he having edited
q paper in our town. He will under
stand my meaning, when l tell him
that ungratefulness can not be ex-
cused on the ground of expsdiency.
A defense of principle for the sake of
principle is justifable; but an I'm.
peachment of motives, when no prin-
. ciple is involved, is beneath con-
tempt for | want all to understand
that no Democrat could have been
elected Senator without the consent
and support of Mr.. Sherman's friends.
Now, if you and your Toledo
friends are afraid Mr.. Sherman would
go against your harbor improve.