Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-16
PEN PICTURES OF A REPUBLICAN
LEGISLATURE.

4 Philadelphia journal says: ga com.
binaton of regular Republicans, Demo-
Gratis and Liberals in favor Of needed re
forms in Pennsylvania is reported; and a
peoples State Convention contemplated,
whose purpose shall be the regeneration of
State and municipal affairs, through the
election of reform Legislature ard State
officers" II such thing is needed in any
State in the Union, that State is unques-
tionably Pennsylvania. Here is the testi-
mony which the Philadelphia Press,
strong supporter Of the Grant a5ministra-
ton, bears as 10 the character of the Legis-
lature of that State, which is largely Re-
publican in both branches. In its
issue of April 10, the Press says:
"Most humilating is at present the con-
dition of the sovereign ~ people of Penn.
sylyania. A set of self-eiected tricizsteTs,
without character, ability, or integrity, COM
prise clear majority Of the men who sit in
the Capitol At Harrisburg, and make laws
for the Commonwealth. Intreuched in au-
thoritv BY means and influences other than
The votes of honest citizens and taxpayers,
and embroidered by past successes IN des-
pite of the popular will, they respect no
wishes save those o. certain Ring managers
--heed no warnings which do not come
from the same all-poWerful despots.
They do not fear the restrictions
of Law, for the law itself is moulded 10
suit their unholy@ purposes. Even the
constitution they violate or disregard with
impunity, when it chances to conflict with
the interest OF the great central Treasury
Ring; for if that potent junta sustain them,
who shall bring them TO account? Not
their constituents, for these are, in the main,
repeaters and dishonest election officers.
Not the courts, for they merely pass upon
She constitUtionality of legislation, and are
not empowered ID punish legislators for at
tempting to nullify the constitution. Not
public opinion and its organs, the honest
and fearless of the newspaper press, for
these hardened raseals are no longer heed
full Of such salutary influences"
The body thus <stigm2tised adjourned on
tie 10th inst, and the Press gives il this
parting shot:
"Fhe Legislative session of 1873 is end.
ed, and we have no doubt the people will
rejoice over the fact that they would sp-
plaud the Governor were he to appoint G
day of thanksgiving and prayer. Ii ended
IS it commonwealth scenes disgraceful to
the State of Pennsylvania. OF the 133
members not 20 were qualified for their du-
ties, and not that number were honest or
did their duty. Considering this fact, we
ought not to complain of the S lameful
work of the session; of the Jobs, the pecu- 4
lation, and the roWdyism Of the House,
and Of the ease with which the conscience
of the more dignihed Senate some.
times relaxed, and with which it con-
Cured in paipably corrupt measures. The
blame attaches TO the people who chose
these men to represent them, not from
ignorance (for the reputation of the faith
less members from this city had been earn
ed long before last October, and was well
known to every voter, but because large
proportion of them have become so COM
pletely the slaves Of p Ity and the tools of
politicians as TO neither think nor act for
themselves when they exercise the dear
est right of freemen.' Looking back over
the session, we cannot discover enc good
measure that atones in any degree TO- the
thousand-and-one corrupt Gnes. We can
not recall an abuse that was corrected or a
Treasury leak that was stopped. Many
steals, it tis true,swere frustrated, but the
press and the Governor are the parties to
whom the credit belongs. Our memory re-
verts only TO one fraud after another, the
climax Of which was reached when the
bill extending Mackey's term was carried
10y the most disgraceful tactics ever adopted
in legislative body"
Here is a portrait of Republican Leg
islature, drawn by Republican newSpa-
per, which shows that it is the equal in ig-
norance and corruption in their worst and
most revolving forms, of any of the negro
and carpet-bsg Legislatures with which
the South has been cursed under Radical
rule. The Republican Legislature of New
York is scarcy a wait better. The Repub.
Iican leaders in Congress have set the ex-
ample, as has been shown in the Credit
Mobilier and other cases, and the leaders
of the party are drifting into the widest
excuses all over the North as well as in |
the South.