The daily gazette., 1877-03-14
SECOND EDITION
The Degradation of PennsyLva-
Hia Politics.
From the Phiia. Press.

The Degradation of PennsULUa-
nta Politics.
From the Phiia. Press.
We spoke the other day of Pennsylva-
mia dukedoms, put We hardly knew the |
weight of our words. 1t is one thing to
have Republican aristocrat in the Sen
ate, but is another thing TO see him trans
mittlng his political power to his poster !
ity. The Honorable Simon Cameron,
Senator inthe Congress of the United
States from the Grand Duchy ofPennsyl-
vania, proffers his resignation to the Leg
islature at Harrisburg, with the order that
it shall elect his only son and heir, j.
Donald Cameron, Esquire, as his sue
cessor, under tacit agreement, that he,
the said j. D. c., shall transmit the
same title to his posterity .sto the last syl-
liable Of recorded time" Now we must
not be understood as objecting to this
long order upon the future. The second
Commonwealth in the United States Of
America, and, as we believe, the first, has
earned precisely the magnificent distinc-
ton, of being the only one of all the SOW
ereign States Of this Union, which per-
mits single family to override it and un
derride it in every political relation, State
county city, township, and school district.
Why then should not the father, with all
his extraordinary capacities, culture,
learning, oratory, purity, INTEGRITY, and
patriotism, appoint his children, grand
children, and great-grandchildren. to the
same magisterial command which he has
enjoyed during half century Of time?
His only son and heir deserves this exclu
sive distinction. Daniel Webster had
sons, but with his stupendous power over
Massachusetts he never ventured to die
tate a successor to himself in the Senate.
Henry Clay had sons, but he never dared
to name one of them to the proud Ken
lucky Legislature as his successor. John
Adams and John Quincy Adams, both
great Presidents, never attempted to ter
rorize over the Massachusetts Legislature
IN the same way. But we have fallen mp
ON different times. The senior Senator of
Pennsylvania. the Hon. Simon Cameron,
seventy-eight years old March s, 1877,
sends orders to the Legislature of the
State of Pennsylvania-the State of Ben
ljamin Franklin,l Thomas Miffiin, William
Hester, Simon Snyder, and Francis R..
Shunk-that when they accept his resig-
nation as a Senator in Congress they
must elect his only son and heir. Such is
the history OF the times.
Philadelphia InQuirerfsays: Mr. Came
ron suddenly finds himself without power
honor or profit at Washington, and, in
disgust, he abdicates, and has sent his
resignation to Harrisburg, He resigns at
this time because he knows that he has
| Legislature which he can control abso-
| lutely; this he takes advantage of in order
l I'm fha Yaeior1 IF fho HorfnararN dxy-
| nasty. He resigns. the Senatorship of
Pennsylvania, and his son, j. Donald
Cvameron, is to be at once elected to the
acancy.
New York Tribune says: Senator c am
eron dies game. He made gallant strug-
gle to keep both the Senatorship and the
War Department in the..family. Failing
this, he resigns the Senatorship in order
to control it for his son while he can. He
cannot be said to have made much lately
in welding the vote of Pennsylvania for
other people-apparantly he means now
to try and make account for the family for
as much and for as many years as posi-
BILE.
Phila. Ledger says: Word was sent
out from Harrisburg yesterday of a
nature calculated to puzzle those old
fashioned folk who supposed that
proprietary Government" had come
to an end in Pennsylvania in 1776. 1t
is to the effect that the representation
of the State in the Senate of the Uni
ted States is to be transferred from
Cameron senior to Cameron junior
by virtue of some little amicable
family arrangement it may be sup,
posed. Whether the title of the sue
cession is to pass by deed or gift or by
last will and testament, or by any
other well.known modes of convey
ance and inheritance, is not made
known in the dispatches. The mem
bers of the Legislature are, of course,
expected to vote, 10 order to comply
with the forms.
New York Times says: Very few
, people will grudge Senator Cameron
the well-earned repose which he secures
by his Resignation. No act in his long
and somewhat checkered political life
can be said to have become him so we'll
as the leaving of it. He is believed to
) have made sure that his son would be
elected to succeed him, before resign
ing his seat in the Senate, and there