The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-10-19
A CONTRAST OF SENATES.

States Senate. Now the qualifications
of a Senator are measured by the
length of his purse or his qualities as
demagogue. Then brains, now
Doodle or cheek were and are the
qualities that candidate for the Sen
ate must posses. Then the great "tri-
umvirateu fixed and formed the stand
ard of value by which a candidate for
the Senate was measured. Then Clay,
Calhoun and Webster made it possi-
BILE for men only of commanding talent
and patriotism to answer at roll call OF
the senate of the United States. Our
space Is too limited to recall the
names of the great roster of statesmen
that were then senators. 1t was inn
possible then for a small man to get
to the senate or if it had been possible
he would net have dared to raise his
h cad in that august body of eloquence,
profound craftsmanship and exalted
patriotism. 1t will be remembered
that Mr., Clay had at that time re-
signed his seat in tine senate and re-
tired "with seventy winters frosting
his brow" to the shades of Ashland
to make his peace with his God, but
the voice of the nation demanded
that he should return, and Kentucky,
obedient to it's will, sent him back
with the olive branch of peace in his
hand to effect compromise that
postponed hostilities between the Sec
tions for 10 years. 1t was then that
the clear and sonorous voice Of the
great "commoner" rang through
the land and earned for
him the additional cognomen OF
the great "Pacifcator." 1t soothed
the turbulence of the fiery and elo'
qUent Southerner, John G. Calhoun,
and elected from Webster that grand
peroration with which every school
boy is familiar. 1t was then that the
senate of the United States was the
most august, the most intellectual
and moot phianthropic body of men
that assembled together as represen-
tatives of the different states in the
known world. 1t wss then that the
senate formed galaxy Of statesman
ship unequalled by the Amphicty onic
council of Greece, the Diet of Ger
many, or the Forum Halls OF Rome
1t was for such men, way above the
passions and Glamour of politicians or
the fanaticism of prejudice that rules
for the proceedings ia that chamber,
we're adopted leaving to the dignity
and patriotism of minority the dis
erection of senatorial courtesy" 1t
was then that senatorial courtesy
meant something for it was never
and extended with
out a good reason, because
its members were distinguished for
the highest patriotism of motive and
effect 1t was then that seat in that
body excited the highest emulation of
the noblest intellects and purest pa
triots in the land.
But what contrast with the senate
we briefly describe and the component
parts of the senate today. There are
men in the senate today who would
have been worthy of a seat in that
great body, but they are few and far
between, They are like apples of sill
yer, not in pictures of gold gilt frames,
but like apples of silver in mud. How
humiliating is the contrast? Then
were the days of giants; now are the
days of pigmies. How small such
men as Stewart, Jones and Teller look
when they ale contrasted with Web
ster, Clay and Calhoun? Now the
seat of a senator can be bought from
the legislature of the silver mining
states with stock in the mines. We
do not say it has been done, but we
say it can be done. How infinite
ly common, how inadequately small
these men appear to those who re-
member the great Triumvirate? How
would such men have dared to open
their selfish and sectional batteries
against the Columbiads of the sena.
tors of 1850 to 1860? In fact the Civil
war corrupted politics and brought
the scum to the surface. We dislike
to say this of the senate of the United
States because there are men there
who in intellect and patriotism we
admire, but WHO can think otherwise
of body of men who do not recognize
the great and fundamental basis of a
republican form of government, the
right of majority to rule? We fully
appreciate the constitutional rights of
minorities, but when an attempt is
made TO push the Incense Of the latter
to the extent of silencing the force of
the majority we have no respect for
their integrity as American represent
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