The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-03-07
DECADENCE OF THE SENATE.

DECADENCE OF THE SENATE.
1t is amusing to note with what
avidity the press of the eastern states.
and especially the republican press. has
seized upon the recent remarks Of
Abram S Hewitt concerning the de-
terioration Of southern statesmen. There
is unquestionably some truth in the
statements of Mr.. Hewitt. but it would
be most remarkable error to overlook
the fact that this decadence is in no
sense local In fact there is less cause
for complaint as to this in the South
than there is in the East. and no more
than there is as to the North in general.
II is almost amusing TO find such
charge coming from a New York man At
this time, with Hill and Murphy as its
senators. Think of it, The great En-
pire state that has sent such men to the
senate as Gouverneur Morris. Rufus
King, Dewitt Clinton. Sflas Wright.
William l.. Marcy, Hamilton Fish. John
\. Dix, Martin Van Buren,. William II.
Seward and Roscoe Conkllng to make
complaint at this time of the inferiority
of the statesmen of the South to those
or former times But possibly Mr..
Hewitt had II in mind to invite COMPARE
son. He does startling things oc-
casionally
What room is there for criticism of
southern statesmen from Massachu-
setts with such men on its list of former
senators as Samuel Allyne OTIS Tim
othy Pickering. John Quincy Adams.
Daniel Webster. Rufus Choate. Edward
Everett. George s. Boutwell, and Charles
Sumner? And what has New England
to say? Where now is its Hannibal Ham
lin. or Levi Woodbury.. or Franklin
Pierce. or Dudley Chace. or stephen r.
Bradley, or Oliver Ellsworth. or Roger
Sherman? Where is Pennsylvania AL
bert Gallatin, or Robert Morris. or
George NJ. Dallas? Where is Ohios Sal
mon p. Chase. or Benjamin Wade. or
Allen G. Thurman? Where is Michigan's
Lewis Cass or William Woodbridge? on
what basis has the North, with its Hill.
and Murphy. and Quay and Cameron,
and Brice. and Hoar, and PETER. and
Henderson, and Hansbrough. and Allen,
and Power, and Pettigrew, and Kyle, and
Carey, and Squire. any occasion to
point the finger of scorn at the sena-
tors from the South? Would it not he
much more sensible for the people from
all parts Of the country to take into con-
sidcration the decadence Of the senate as
a body, and to address themselves to
remedying the evil?
As the system has now developed in
this country there is necessarily a de-
terioration in the quality of senator's,
but also a continual evil influence on the
ness of fixing" a legislature to elect
some man senator is carried on for
months in advance The national
patronage is usually controlled for this
purpose and the state patronage also.
Candidates are selected and foisted on
the people not for their fitness but for
their usefulness to certain candidates
for the national senate. Then every re-
source of party discipline is brought TO
bear to secure their election. Such men
are invariably controlled by the local
politicians and have no ideas of the
duties of their office beyond doing service
for themselves and service for their par
ties, as the local politicians understand
party service. And commonly their I'M
Outstanding of it is very poor. I'm
questionably state government would be
immensely improved if the state legis-
latures We're freed from the connection
with national politics involved in the
election Of national senators. And
equally certain is it that the character
of the national senate would be i'm
proved if the senators were elected by
the people and not by the politicians.