New-York tribune., 1874-12-24

and will divide the spoils of it to snit them
selves. And 80 it goes. In the hrst place. III
we may believe the sef-impOrtant little
organs, the Senator represents only his state
and no one outside the State has the slightest
interest in him; the expression of opinions
upon the subject outside the State IS puro
impertnence. In the second place, no one
outside the party in power has any right to
interfere or advise; the Office belongs to tho
party, and the party my dispose OF it to suit
itself; it il Nero mischievOus meddling for
any person who is not both citizen OF the
State and a member Of the party to take any
part in the discussion.
Here are two principles plainly settled. First,
that the Senator is tho property OF tho State;
second, that he is tho property Of the party,
and 1t being the business of the representa-
tive of the State simply to grab for the Slatc'
and of the representative of the party to grab
for the party it is highly indecOrOus and i'm
proper for persons outside of and consequently
the antagonists of tho State rs well as the
party, to interfere in the choice of tho grabber.
But we have observed still subtler dlscrmi-
nation. Not all the members of the party In
the State are permitted to have q voice in tho
selection. We judge from some remarks In
the organs of the Pennsylvania Democracy
that it is considered quite as much an lmper-
tinence for a Pennsylvania Democrat to pro-
pose candidate who has not been con-
sDicuOus as O committeeman or capital
ist furnishing funds, as for nom
resident or Republican to interfere.
And 80 we reach another principle of political
action, to wit that the SenatOrshp is the
property, first of tho State, second of the
party, and third of the littlo knot of men who
either furnish the money or do the work to
carry the State. We'll. why not make short
work of these questions of prOpriety and eti-
ouette, and authorize the State Committee of
the victorious party to name the Senator'S
They do it now, to be sure, but then they are
interfered with by mcddlesOme people, and it
ought to be stopped.
For our own part we had supposed that the
character and standing of the Senators from
Maine, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsyl-
vania concerned all citizens alike; that the
political principles by which they are gov
erned and tho policies they advocate were
matters of as much importance to the citizens
of New-York or Connecticut as to those Of
the States they represent. 1t was our belief
that as the whole nation was disgraced by the
Credit MObier transactions and the Back Pay
scandal, so the whole nation was interested
in removing the stain and purifying the
National Legislature. 1t had not occurred to
us that it was necessary to live in Mil
waukee to feel the disgrace of Mr.. Matt. Car
penter or in Detroit to be ashamed of Mr..
ZacnarIah Chandler, or in Maine to know that
Mr.. IIamlin represented an evil influence in
politics, or in Pennsylvania to be satisfied that
it was neither polite nor honest to elect
jeremiah S. Black or VIM. A. Wallace to the
Senate, after carrying the State upon profess
siOns of Reform. And we still hold to the
opinion, which we diflidently offer to the cap
tiOus little newspaper organs which claim
monopoly of the Senatorial discussions that
the choice of the lawmakers of the nation,
who legislate for all the pcop!c-whose public
reputation s matter Of national concern, and
whose influence and example are potential in
the formation Of national charactcr-is of too
large Importance to be made under tho call
for the previous question by a State Commit
tee, q political party, or any portion of the
press.