Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-02-10
DECADENCE OF THE SENATE.
a Timely ArtieIe-EGec,s of carpssbAE
-----s.rs sassoH Eue EsEs nest tsegts-
latiVe BOdy in the
Country.
We nOu't Want EIoqu~nee nor Origin.
ulfts. hut We TOO Intelligence. Hon
esty and the LOfGie-t Patriot
fzm-ths Retga OF
Parsf.Anism.

Cincinnati Commercial.l
The seusJe Of the United States is
looked upon a. the highest legislative
brdy TN our political system It's MEM
asr- represent the States, and are cloth
ed with ii the psnopiy OF power which
great CommOnw ealths can delegate 90
their senators. They are invested not
only with legislative functions of vast
extent, bat they are further clothed with
the power n appointments 10 all the
highest Cili 'es ia the government, aud
they are tue role repositories, in cor -
JUNCTION with the President, Of ~.
power 20 make treaties with forc.,y,, ~
lions. La idy with f,anctioos sScb ss
THESE, representing tie sfntes which
make up b great and Dr,.gressiy,. a1nl.
o' 'orty millions, We shsud nstnrsilv
expect lind uen Of no ordinary csns-
cay, integrity al intelligence Con.
STEERING 'heir sst responsibilities and
tIa N'ae scope Of national and interna-
h'ha' iuteIt ~ iniru-ted TO their charge.
- ..'ius o'.' the highest order Of atilify'
win uu Einpea liable honesty, could
uhl.e fe qualities which a country has
ls'sL % Look for IN 20 high a SER
zee Instead of this, have We not seen
To = character Of the senate during the
ID We not now fiud ia those seats
20 honor men utterly incompetept by
native talent bv education, bv experi-
cuce in public sfi'ain-, and by character
q discharge Tho duties OF their great and
rasnpnsi Hic pifi ,e-? Does not any prO-
I1Lfei debst', whether on the finances.
ei tA- civh nights bll, or military inter.
renee ~ l. sui lana, painfully exhibit
Che irieriO- quality o. the politicians
VINO ave usurped the place Of states
men.
we neeu not insist upon alouuepce or
"ri.lasl ~ in senators n the Upitsd
-.atesi 1ut We have right 10 Iook for
come little knowledge Of history and
f.licsi economy, some acquaintance
N-.n The great economic questions on
Ma.tl tLey hs'se continually 70 legis
iA.rf some comprehension At least of
l-'-t ald Intern ztionsl law, aud some
.Ftit. apon ofthe place Of this country
".a. = he ugtiOrs. HON rare. alas. il
~ - =. tiuon of these qualities upon the
l'd ni the senate in these time-t The
..r,racied financial debates in the
s-ll-e last year, with which ths
-Tln'ry was wearied Tor months. ev.
I.'li-l au amazing ignorance OF every
pll.ciFie " nuaucial science, an
i-c 'm mre;ency 10 discern the first min
r-fI- oj economic laws, and a hardi-
AHnd in reJec!ing all the lessons Of bu-
man experience, disgracefal 10 the lis b.
e-t degree 10 that DO ". Ia Ike man
lell she long aud exhaustive debate m
ol the Louisiana question. in which
speeches oi f0sr OF i've hours 10 a single
senator have been common, mas bean
mostly The merest dTivel OF political par
,'-fa-m, without evincing the least
grasp OF ohe true principles which the
case INV lives.
h1t ehat, let u ask, can be expected
lI "a . senate so constituted as that
ro y has come % be OF late yearso In
nle ur-t place, dozen senst n or more
fpr-~eut not great advanced and pro-
E vecommou wealths, like New York
1f OliO, but remote communities OF
tI1ztters, the whole population OF their
s5-caliei states, admitted frauduIeufIv
INTO the Union, numbering no more
than q ward in many Of our cities of the
mrs. class. or course, the men elected /
. the senate BY the legislatures OF such
States a. these viii be men rather of /
msterial han intellectual force. They l
viii be men Of cunning rather than
men Of learning. Tbev will ne
Hen who hsve feathered their nests
hy al sorts Of speculation ia
the new enterprises and ia the
lauded and mining wealth OF their
st4l--, 2ad 60 csTy ing about them the
amoHf OF wealth, aud dazzling the
eyes OF the legislatures, whose function
ls 20 make senators. From MANY south
ern States, too, We have in the senate
(sithuugh now somewhat declining in /
uumbeTsl the "carpetbagI' element. /
whose power for evil has been 70 great
in the uuhappy cOmmOnwealths they
have ruled 80 long. The Kelloggs aud
the Dorseys, the Peases and the Fiana.
gsus, the Ciaytons and the COnovers,
the Pattersons and the Spencers-these
are the men who I'LL the seats OF senators
In our highest legislative body, misrep-
resentiug alike the character OF the
States aud the intelligence of the nation.
some OF these caTpetbsggers, as Is al
ready notorious, have bought their
places With money. They represent not
great Intelligent and progressive COM
monweslths, but the bribery OF q parn-
san legislature. Besides the degrade
uoh OF The senate, through the sdmis-
slon ~ slemenm such a. lhese.
taeie las seemed 20 bs growing
tendency ~ The older States to,send ia