The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-04-17
From Our Regular Correspondent
THE CONTEST FOR SPEAKER.

From Our Regular Correspondent
THE CONTEST FOR SPEAKER.
WASHINGTON, April 16.-Garfield claims
to have promises OF support from several
southern Democrats, but still lacks half
dozen OF the number necessary to secure
his election as Speaker, and these he hopes
to get from Democratic supporters OF Mr..
Hayes who may vote for him because he is
the choice OF Mr.. Hayes. In this he proba-
bly, reckons without accurate knowledge M
the feelings OF southern men towards him.
They might in some contingency vote for
Foster, who has always been liberal and far
ahead Of his party-so much so, indeed, as
TO bring upon himself their ccnsure and the
earnest eXpostulations Of Garfield; but
southern men would be quite as likely to
do honor to Ben. Butler or Frye as to Gar
field. He has always been
BITTER HATER OF THE SOUTH,
and everybody knows his recent and sud-
den change Of front is solely for the pur-
pose of deluding southern congressman
who may hope by elevating him to confirm
the goodwill OF Mr.. Hayes toward the
South. The great danger Of tue success Of
this movement to organize the House upon
Il liberal Republican basis lies in the nearly
even balance Of the parties, and every de-
nunciatlon of southern Democrats for
allowing tho electoral count to be COM
pleted ia Just so much done to in
cline them to take that course. Every
day northern Democrats and radical Re-
publicans assault the southern Democracy,
until the latter begin to reflect that they can
scarcely expect more from the one than
from the other. For ten years they have
quietly followed the advice Of northern De-
mocrats, only to meet disaster; and now,
when Mr.. Hayes offers to let the southern
States manage their own affairs just as every
other State in the Union does, they say had
we not better ignore the radicals Of both
parties, and secure our
RIGHTS BY NEW DEPARTURE.
Letters Of this purport are frequently re-
ceiyed here from the South. Among them
Is one received day or two ago by Senator
Gordon from a new Democratic member Of
the next House, who says rs the southern
Democrats arc constantly denounced LV
both parties at the North and West, AID can
expect nothing from either, what better can
they do than support Mr.. Hayes in all mea-
surcs looking to the advancement OF the in
terest Of the whole country, and especially
OF the South, and which are calculated to
restore that era of good feeling between the
sections without which the South can never
prosper.
There is another class Of people who do
the cause OF the South a great deal of harm
by stirring up partisan prejudice in the
North, which has the power to continue to
Cypress that section by unwarrantable in
reference in it's affairs. They are those
who talk about
MIR. uAYES's IMPERFECT TITLE,
and assert that he now seeks to do justice
to the South because he dare not resist the
wishes Of q half-million majority OF Demo-
cratic voters. That same half-million
quietly allowed u man who was not elected
to be invested with the power of the Ma
tional Government, and now that he has
been declared elected. by the only power on
earth which had the authority to make the
declaration-the Senate and House-that
same half-million Of Democrats will quietly
submit to his reign though he should
choose to rule with the arbitrary tyranny Of
Grantism.
1t is quite certain that Mr.. Hayes does not
fear the wrath Of extreme men Of either
party, but aims to be the President OF the
whole country, primarily because he is
naturally inclined to administer the Govern
ment so lis to restore prosperity and destroy
the malice engendered by the war; and
secondly, because the late presidential cleo
ton and subsequent events taught the plain
lesson that the country does not care SO
much who occupies the presidential chair as
it does that there shall be peace and political
quiet, and the everlasting southern question
(including negroes and carpetbaggers) shall
be eliminated from the controversy between
national parties. Mr.. Hayes's daily con-
versations with his visitors show that he has
learned this lesson, and means to do his best
to accomplish that end. -.
.t THE RICHMOND PosT-oPFICE.
The Presidents is annoyed more about
offices in Virginia and Maryland than in
any other States. The proximity OF these
States facilitates the frequent raids made by
imposing delegations who seek to convince
him that the safety and honor OF the country
can only be secured by appointing to Office
their particular favorites. The post-oftices
ut Baltimore and Richmond are the bones
upon which hangs the fat nourishment
coveted by numerous patriots. And it
seems almost impossible to decide to
which dog Il speak fguratively) the bone
should be thrown, Again and again Mr..
Hayes has supposed be knew all about the
Richmond aspirants, but just before he
fully makes up his mind another delegation
appears and attacks or defends one Of the
candidates. Take Miss Van Lew, for in
stance. Delegation after delegation OF alter
nate white and black or variegated hue dis
coursed in eloquent language of her I'm.
speakable services to the country and bound
less charity to the colored people, until Mr..
Hayes had almost concluded she was the
only exponent of true Republican princi'
pies in Virginia. and was emphatically the
negroes candidate, but in walked delega.
ton OF negroes and assured him it was mis-
take so far as the race they represented was
concerned; then came white squad from