The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-12-03

LIGHT
When-it was first proposed that
the Republican members of tho Min.
nesota Legislature should elect .
United States Senator without going
into back-closet, secret caucus, the
St. Paul Press rushed out with 4
flaming sword to cut off the poor
wretches who should be guilty of this
terrible and upheard-of high treason"
to the Republican party. When,
however, The JOURNAL mildly called
its attention to the fact that the Re-
publican Legislature Of Massachusetts
had elected a Senator in this way it
cooled down and abandoned the charge
Of treason, but the best reply it
could make was that that Legislature
had thereby chosen as Senator one
"who was never named, desired or
thought of for the position by any,
body" Which may or may not be
true; but this much is a matter Of
record: that Senator Washburn had
been previously elected to the Gov
ernorship and other important places
by the Republicans of Massachusetts
that he was Republican, and that
he was elected to the Senate by the
Republican members of \ Republican
Legislature. But admitting the
Press statement concerning Mr..
Washburn to be true and charge it
up Is = result of the plan of voting in
open Legislature, let us look at one
instance Of what has taken place in
our own State under the dark-lantern
system. Not many years ago = &C.
cret caucus Of the Republican ma
jority in the Minnesota Legislature
placed in nomination for United
States Senator, and forced his election
as the caucus nominee, Daniel S.
Norton, "who was never named, de-
'irel or thought of for the position by
anybody" and We do not believe that
even the Ress will claim that his
election proved to be very profitable
investment for the Republican party.
Let this be charged up to the caucus
system, and zee how the account will
stand.
The Pres' presents two other bug
bear contingencies, and insists that
one Of the three is liable to re-
suit from an open, wvo voce vote by
Tho Legislature for Senator, viz: q
failure to elect at all, or the election
Of = candidate in antagonism to the
political sentiments Of the LeRisla-
ture and the people. Allow us to
suggest another, equally as probable,
which the Press has failed thus far to
bring forward: the heavens may fall
and we may catch larks. That pape,
claims Republican majority in the
Legislature Of at least twenty on joint
ballot. A caucus would not make any
more Republicans than there vert
before or make any man any more O.
10 Republican ; 50 that the Republi
cans who would vote for . Republi
can candidate in CAUCUS would vot,
for Republican in open Legislature
The talk about electing 4 Democ,a
is mere bosh and comes only from pa
pers which support Senator Ramsey
If any such result is seriously contem
plated it is by the friends Of that aen
sl1.uau, Auu from tnem Will come th
party detection.
| 1T would be interesting" says tn
Press, ito know on what grounds ,
departure from the usual course i
urged in this particular instance.
The grounds have been fully statet
heretofore, and in brief are, that tn
Republican, Of Minnesota have grow
tired Of the notoriously-corrupt eau
Gus system Of electing Senators, which
gives to q candidate with patronag
and money tho power to overcome tn
will Of the people. They desire t.
have their representatives. vote on thi
question openly and without sny 9th
; er instructions than those given then
BY their constituents. 1t is q questio,
which has been pretty thorough,
discussed it VIA. made . 1:--~t 1s0u
in q number Of Districts, and no eau
Gus has = right to override the wishe
of the people in this matter as ez
pressed through the ballot box. 1
candidate with 4 clean and an or
proved record should not fear to trua
+ his case to IN open, viva yooc vot
in the Legislature, while candidat
who feels that . secret caucus, Offer
ing opportunities for the ''strumpet &
corruption" to ply her nefariou
trade in securing votes, is essential t
, his success, it would be better I
leave unelected. This is about tn
way . majority Of the Republicans q
Minnesota feel about it.
i In this connection wo would ca]
, attention to extracts from some of tn
leading Republican paper, of tn
State, published in another column
which speak very plainly on this ma,
ter.
THERE THEY GO AGAIN,
e Nice place! We mean Cincinnati
2 Let it tell its own story: