Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-10-21
OUR NEXT Legislatures.


While the canvass has actually begun for
some Of the Offices tha. are to be filed next
fl, aud considerable breath has been
wasted on the probable issues Of the next
Governors election, we have never heard
AN expression of opinicn about our future
representatives, who are to make the laws
by which We are to be governed. We do
not mention this as being anything unusual,
for our people have always manifested
surprising and ruiDous indifference about
their legislators. The more intelligent por-
ton of our last As emily are frank to con-
afess, that as body, they were as little
qualified to make laws for the government
OF our commonwealth as they were TO give
instruction % O Jewish Synagogue.
And yet, in comparison with other sim
liar bodies that have convened In our cap.
itol for similar purposes within The last few
years, they were perhaps superior in many
respects. 1t is certainly strange infatua-
ton that induces so macy OF our citizens
TO compass sea and land to secure one vote
for mere county executive Office, and at
the same time manifest no degree of Inter-
est whatever In the election Of those men
who are to make the laws that are to be
executed. Il is useless to attempt an ar
gument to prove such is the case, for it is,
and has been the obs. ryssion of every intel.
ligent citizen for q number of yeas, Yet
while this is true, the people are constantly
long and loud 10 their denuneiations of
what they be ieve TO be unwise, unlawful
and oppressive measures of our Assemblies.
VIII we never learn any wisdom by
past experience? Shall we continue to 60
blundering on without ever stopping to in
ouire where the fault lies, and where the
remedy is to be found? Ii is clear to all
our minds that the fault lies at our very
doors, and it should be source of g-atifca-
ton to US to know thst we also have within
our power the remedies that viii effectuslly
heal the maladies of which we complain so
bitterly. We will always be, and should
always be the victims OF unwholesome leg
islatioD, so long as we select majority Of
our representatives from that class of men
who are poorer jaC ges of what laws it takes
to promote the welfare and prosperity of
the State, than they are OF the best brands
Of WHISTLES, or the most elegant and fasci-
mating characters that make their appear
aDce upon the. stsge at the Academy of
Music. II our people are properly and
really represented, ID the STREE meaning of
the term. by the msjority Of those who
have constituted Oay law makers for a
number of years, then it il time to cease
our wrangling about State sovereignty and
selfgoverDmeDt, for no people possessing so
little intelligence nd such low standard
of morals, can long exist, except in a state
Of anarchy and despotism.
While We do not wish to prematurely
sgitate the subject rs to whom we should
select for our next representative lin Msury
County, vet it would be well for our people
to think seriously upon the Importance of
ajudicious selection. 1t might be well, too,
10 consider that in an election of this kind,
where important work is to be done for q
small peceniary remuneration, the office
should always seek the man. Let the peo-
pie in convention determine the matter for
themselves, and let them select some wise
and honest man, who is willing to sacrifice
his own personal interests for the good of
his community and country. Let Us not
wait until the field Is full of incompetent
aspirants, whose evident ineficiency robs
the Office of whist emolumsnts are attached
TO it. We will never be controlled by
wholesome and impartial laws until the
best talent, combined with the purest mo-
tives, rules that power that makes the laws.