The Hartford herald., 1875-02-24
THE U s. SENA TORSHTP.

We notice that the succession to the
seat of Senator STEVENSON is begin
ming to be discussed by the press ofthe
State. The bluegrass people are put
ting forward Hon. JAMES B. BECK,
and intimating that he is the only man
in the State qualified to fill the bill.
While it is true that Mr. BECK possesses
many qualities as public man
that we admire, yet he possesses other !
and opposite ones that more than neg
ative others. He has done some good |
and yeoman service in Congress: and
on the other hand he has done at least
one thing as reprehensible as any that
Beast BUTLER ever was guilty of. We
have all along been denouncing But
LER because, as representative of the
people, he prostituted his high Office
to betray the trust reposed in him by
acting as feed counsel and attorney for
parties engaged in robbing, or attempt
ing to rob, the public treasury, and
put forth his best efforts to compass
the passage of bills to cOnsummate the
plunder of the people. Mr.. BECK has
been guilty of the same crime-for
crime against the people it is. He was
the representative fone of our proud,
est districts. And yet he sold himself
and his influence to gang of Califor-
MIA sharpers to "chisep the national
treasury out of several millions of dol
lars. We know that his admirers
claim that, as lawyer, Mr.. BECK was
employed and paid simply for his pro-
fessional services, and that he cham,
pioned the McGARRrHAN claim only
as lawyer. That plea of justification
falls to the ground from the simple
fact that Mr.. BECK advocated his eli.
ents measure on the floor of the House,
as well as watched over their interests
in the courts.
And he is one of the salary grabbers.
1t is true enough that he adroitly
avoided placing himself on the record
by lodging the vote when the bill was
passed, but he draw salary for work
for which he had already received re-
muneration-and if guilt at all at
: taches to that business, Mr.. BECK is
! guilty as the guiltiest of them all. All
: the others have been repudiated-an
,, we honestly believe justly repudiated-
by the people, and we know ofno good
reason why his horn should be exalted
. and all his fellow-representatives, who
were no more guilty than he, degraded
The time is, in our opinion, prema
ture for the nomination of citizens fol
!, the high office of United States Sen
, ator, but then the fashion seems tc
! have set in, and we are indisposed to be
out of fashion. We have in our minds
eye a distinguished Democrat-ont
. who is statesman in the fullest senst
: of the word; who possesses large anC
enlightened brain; whose heart is brav,
. and strong and pure and true; who's
private life is adorned by every Christ
: ian grace and virtue; who is not ,
e whisky-drinker, gambler, or profane
, swearer; a man as modest as he i
= wise; one who has filled the Chair O
State to the satisfaction of the entir,
: population of the commonwealth; one
: whose mind runs in no narrow groove
whose convictions are not contracted
whose State papers will ever be held a!
models of political sagacity. We al
lude to Governor PRESTON H. LESLIE
1 the purest public man in Kentucky
! We have never conversed with hin
: upon the subject. We know not tina
he aspires to the position. We only
know that the State and country needs
the active services of such citizens a
, he, at this particular and critical junct
ure more than they have ever needed
,, them, and therefore, acting upon th'
. principle that 'the Office should seel
the man, and not the man the Office,
we now formally put him in nomina
|, ton for the succession to Governor
Z STEVENSON. Who will second thu
E nomination?