Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1876-12-09

sell ID matters lnFOlfinS the IoItuhes "uu DsP
piness Of foriy-fve millions OF people? But
Il despite your training ut college and success
in business YOU confess yourself incompetent
for the duties of Senator; if despite the ex-
ceptional advantage Of your boy-hood, con-
scious of your own uniituess you shrink from
the responsibilities OF this Office, what think
you Of the extraordinary presumption OF your
neighbor, far less qualified than yourself, VINO
has the stupendous folly to push himself for
ward with disgusting eifrOntery, for this most
exalted position at Il time like the present
when the Unen is convulsed from centre TO
circumference and when our political heritage
! hangs trembling in the balance IL, notwlth-
standing your comparatively superior guam,
cations aud atidlnmentS your most par'lai
| friends have not suggested you, and you have
| not thought of yourself, as suitable person
/ for this eXsltel place, what DO yon think Of
! the prep lsterous ambition OF that asplrant
whose early education was totally neglected,
whose manhood has been absorbed IN money
/ getting pursuits, who never read single his
tory or treatise upon any subject and whose
lack ofearning as youth Is surpassed by his
! ignorance as man
! Bat we must not blame your neighbor, he
is an object of profound pity and our con-
| tempt should be solteneI by cOmmiser lton.--
! Recoect. he has not sufficient knowledge %
appreciate how ridiculous will be his figure In
! iuxtapusition with Bay ard, Thurman, Ransom,
| and the memory of Clay, Webster, and Cal
! houn be ha. not the faintest conception OF
! the obligations Of Senator: the voice of West
! Virginia will be silent during his official exis-
tence he will have part or role to play In
that debate which VIII decide the fate OF those
! rights we value and those liberties we priz3 50
! high: he will be as helpless, as poweress, as
| idle as a child in that arena no man VIII at
temp. 10 lift weight of many tons, for the
mind, however untutoYed, has self-proecting
instincts. and the idea Of being useful 10 his
country, the idea Of blazing path out OF this
wilderness Of prostration will never once enter
his head bnt content to pass mere CIPHER 10
that council of the Nation he will shipper
| through his term OF service escaping puoilc
deTision by being an Object Oi silent contempt
IT'S true. il il a curious ambition that Graves
national not)rieiy rs an ignoTamus, nut when
we realize that perhaps "A political lmoeciI,
through his money. may possibly attain 10
power in a cF;sis hike this, the curiosity excited
| 10y the phenomcnon is merged ~ our anxiety
for the f.to Of this Republic. We have orr
chill7en here; We inherited shis country and
our liberties from ancestors who thought their
sons would carry the burdens they bcqneaihe'i
aud preserve the Land free aud in good repair
for the coming generation. But to-day when
our pnblc aif,iTs are in stralt desperate be-
yoni description when our institutions are
not only threatened but when the first aud
strongest approaches TO the citadel are already
c1p.ur.d. here. in this terrible crisis mid all
INIT - Nanr gEn
are confronted with the astounding iact-snd
il il fac, the Press should proclaim to every
6resilc in she 1ta,e-that men are aivocaied
fJr the Senate, ,hl highest place on this Con-
tiuent. whose eiucnlipu 10 50 shocSn y DE-
hcisnt that ueithsr OF them Conhs obtain Per
init to teach the hum5est free-schoIl IN West
Virginia. Yet we have men b represent u
At Washington who are worthy Ot this high
honor: Price. Hereford, Moore, FAuihuer,
Travers, Hoge. Raymond Jno. J. Davis, OF
Clarksburg. H)ifnln, Lamb, Brannon, jack
son aud many others. What boots 1t 10 The
people that the Democracy carried the
State By $4,000 If men like these are lost to
the pablo service during this epoch OF Ma
tiopal distress. What care the masses FOR party
success when Che standard of official capacity
is lowered rs our mai )riIy Is increased WHAT
rsck the public for democratic triumph when
the victory is capped by an gnoramus in the
Senate. We repeat, we have in our State men
who possess the essential qualifications Of patri-
oIsm, intellect, education and unque'tnned 10
tcgri,y. let them be brought 10 the f'Ont-ihe
Country needs them.
These gentlemen are moi alveriizsd by snb-
sidized Press they are not the candidates OF
political bummers who expect an Office at
Washington they will not be advocated ne1,
January by a corrupt aud cor'upting lobby ;
bur. they are earnestly endorsed by the most
respectable and respected citizens Of the STATE
aud they are admired most by those who have
known them longest. They are not notorious
for their success in trade, but are widely
known f1r thcir honor, education and ability;
they are not valued f,r their money, but all
nired fls their capacity; they dn.not seek the
Senate fjr an opp ,rtnuity t. recruit depleted
purse hut will accept the trust with hope
that they may contribute something to the
public welfare they desire the HoNoRs not
the PROFITS of official life
In view Of the fact that the very fuhdamen-
tai, Of our government are shaken ont OF plumb
and the nation Is in deep distress, one of the
humblcst Of her citizens sOlemnly calls upon
the slid, rejecting men Of West Virginia 10
take this matter in charge: let them impress
upon their representatives at, in crisis like
this. i. is the imperative duty Of the Lcgsla-
,ure to discard imbecilcs and knaves and 10 G.
lee, two Trust worthy aud capable gentlemen
to this Important aud responsible Office.
Our next article will plain that the SECRET
ballot in caucus is the chief dependence Of NJ
worthy political tricksterS who aspire to the
Senate.
Charlcstown. W. Va, Dec. 8, l876-lt'
GnAyELY, Bright AL Dark Navy Tlbaccos
Cigars-Gcnune Havana Filler at Seat Gill
bert's Drug Store, Harper's Ferry.