Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1876-12-09
The Election of U. s. Senators.
ARTICLE II.
The ONCE Honorable and Full OF
Responsibility.
By J. NJ. MASON.

was believed tOat State prluei together Win all
appreciation Of the magnitude of tue interests
involved would always secure the selection OF
and trustworthy men. The Senate
affords the largest field for intellectual exer-
ton. There is no theatre like it. II the OPP
portuuities Of the office are utilized there is no
higher place in The world.
4 senator should be il gentleman of patriot
ISM intellect, education, honor and personal
dignity. Such 4 man carries his head well up
and looks you square in the eye. lie Is es-
teemed highest by those who know him best.
His chief advocates are the most respected and
respectable citizens of bis own neishhorhood.
The influence, when in the Senate, OF man
possessing these qualities is tremendous, and
his personal power is measured only by the
enterprise OF his genius His voice is heard
and Needed in every section Of the couotry /;
he is a member Of the highest council OF the
greatest nation upon TIE earth be speaks for
one seventy sixth part of fOriy-fve millions OF
penple his vote represents six hundred thons-
and citizens and his blunlers briog disaster
to every ireSide in the llad.
4 Senator may exercise stupaHdous ability
he may employ the most spleadid atiainments !;
he may tax all the resources OF a cultivated aud
philosnphic mind, yet he will stand beside the
duties Of his place like a child beside the Cor
liss engine. The prescnt welfare aud the fu-
ture happiness OF nation depend upon the
correctness of his judgment; the responsible
ties of each occasion exceed the performance
Of any single Intellect, and no matter how gift
cd. how learned, in view of the Obligations OF
his Office, he will stand as q dwarf beside that
IDEAL conception of statesman worthy 10 wear
the honoTs Of this exalted position. Hence,
the fathers who organized the Senate expected
il 10 be a convention OF the best and abiesi
men of the Union, 50 that the movements OF
government would be She joint production Of
mary master minds, each rejecting broad
stream of ligh. upon the other.
10 the present posture OF politics in West
Virginia, il is comparatively easy Tor q dex-
trous politician, imbecle or knaVe, 10 creep ny
into this august assembly. The method Is
this: surround the legislature with low, vul-
gar, disgusting lobby; make a disrePu;able
scramble for the Office: well bred dog will
not chase the skunk, and gentlemen worthy OF
the honor will stand alDo! the cnntes! viii
then be narrowed down between ilnbeci!es too
ob,use TO appreciate the shame, and black
guards too calous 10 heel tho disgrnce. Hly-
ing wrgglel into the Off e, it IS easy 30 occu-
ny the seat: with litile csution yOn mny
serve the term without detection purchase a
suit of broaico.h be sycbophansic and non
commis!al as 10 department., boke the negro
waiter at some fashionable hotel as your moi
ell practice your immoralisies IN secret; hire
a clerk to write your speeches, but never ven
-, Z 4
bate your pi,eous dilemma will excite the
commisevaiion of some educated senator who
will answer for You, even as the l1nd mother
speaks FIR her infant when caressed by stTan-
ger; and except when b,ibel by RliIroal
or Bank, or when you have some kinsman to
advance, always cast your vote with bind SUB
servieuce uadcr the direction OF some able aud
no est maa like Blyard, Thurman or Ransom,
who represents a State more fortunate than
your own.
Blu. although incompetent and unworthy men
may sometimes attain to this place OF power,
yet, 20 govern successfully, to make the nation
prosper and the people happy Is the very high
esi achievement of the human intellect. Inc
task is immense but the honor sublime. Who
would not FATHER beqneath the immortality o'
Clay than the fortune Of \. T. Stewart '''
But the investigation Of the problems Of g.
verbmen, the missing the wisdom of the past
aud concentrating it upon some vital Issue not
only requires profOunl thought anil PhloSoph-
ic inquiry, but demands a mind long accua-
toned TO laborious research and trained . pa
tient study. II deal iotelisently with the
practical application Of great principles TO the
concerns Of mankind requires a Judgment en-
largel, enlightened and strengthened by a
comprehensive knowledge Of the experience OF
our fellow mea in other countries and IN other
ages. As in the management OF our private
business we act upon individual observation,
80 in matters Of public interest the Statesman
predicates his conduct upon the experience of
other nations and Of other years. Hence 40 ac-
uuaintance with history serves senator ~
observation series the citizen it furnishes
the dl,a upon which to act. In view OF these
considerations, il is manifest that no one can
approximate the duties Of this Office unless he
has studied the records of the past and unless
he has acquired the habit Of investigating
questions OF public concern. Without this
learning his Judgment IS not whit better than
the crude specuiations OF any other citizen
whose education is limited to the small circle
Of individual observation To reason upon the
salutary or pernicious effect of proposed law
10 anticipate whether il will relieve the present
distress. our senators must be informed OF the
practical operation Of analogous legislation in
similar cases Without this knowledge they
are utterly incompetent TO form any opinion.
Thus, for example, it is a familiar fact, that at
certain seasons Of the year, capital accumu-
ates at the financial centres aul business ~
crippled in the country districts because there
is 10 money in the village Banks. Why Is
this Il was not the case before 1860. VIII
the Old National Bank, which was crushed by
Jackson, remedy the evil and if mot, why not?
Again, the country Is taxed % construct rsi'-
road when built il EFFORTS from the producer
il discriminates against every farmer who lives
at a distance from the points OF competition,
until the nearer he is 10 the place Of sale the
farther be is from market it costs more 20
ship -four 6f;y miles than to send II 300 the
business Of the entire nation Is distracted by
the personal Quarrcls Of two railroad pFesi-
dents: they extoft excessive profits from the
people and use the money 30 subsdiZe the
Press TREY bride our political agents and they
control both State and Federal legislation
This is wrong; what Is the remedy? Eyi-
lenty It requires an extensive acquaintance
with the events Of the past and knowledge
Of the causes o. those events to qualify man
70 deal intc.igently with these and similar
questions and yet they are but isolated 10
stances which illustrate vast number Of pro-
Jlenas our senators. about 10 be elected, must
debate and decide. We put the question to