Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-01-15
The Conversational Nomination.

elections is az impcr'tc:iun in the working OF
Amcricau politics. y part Of this IS to be at
trbntcd 10 cur free representative governments.
ard 50 far is healthtul Bat good deal is the
work OF tcs:G .iug or ambitious pclitc:aIs, is
an Injury Ia the Commonwealth, and should be
discouraged By the people. 1t tekes from their
Legitimate pursuits those who cannot afford. TO
lcso the time, and has The perDcious effect of
building up class of professional politicians,
whose principal occupation is to lie around the
ward meeting, the court house green and the
tavern.
Ga this account, il on 10 other, it is greatly
10 be regretted that the good people Of this
district are already beiog leased By having
thrust upon them the very amiablc and disn-
tercSted wish earnestly entertained by certain
gentlemen. TO serve them in Congress which
does not meet ter nearly two years The way
in which tic public prints make these gentle.
men suddenly appear 10 the most unexpected
places, ard just IA unexpectedly vanish for 3
Certain period, Gao ooly be compared TO the
abrupt movements OF that species OF wild duck
known as the d dappcr.
We regard this political fever and excitement
as not onIy premature aud Injurious, but we
are Quite sure that We speak the wishes Of the
large majority Of the reA.cting people Of this
district when We say that their interests do cot
demand any change in their represe otative. -
We 60 further and assert that it is beyond the
reach of successful controversy that these 10
forests would be very iLiurlnusy affected By
such change. In the times before the War it
was the vsrJ wise custom Of Virginia and
anil 10 ~, hair
tvcs 10 the national Congress as long cs those
representatives could serve them better than
any other men. That was the rule, TO Which,
of course. there were exceptions. The results
were the very effective Soutbero del: gaioos at
and power. We do not consider that Mes:rs
Mason and Huoter, 10 the Senate, or Messrs
B!cock and J. tcher, in the House, were men
Of the highest order OF lotellec:, but waco they
rose 10 Their p aces ID speak for their cJuStitu
cuts or appeared before the Presideu: OF the
Departments 10 their behalf they seldom koaH
what it vas to fail. And the reason is appaT.
cnt. They Rtrc trained politicians and states.
men who had learned their business, uot d, one.
OF two, Ct three s2:si21s # Congress, bu: liz q
liza Of them. Fiji, i: the scr, OF men th.t
the States want in suca compcatcd, vas:
form Of government our: is becoming. What
uoder The SUD has Commonwealth, pa,ticu.
iaE j an in povcTIshcu Souttera Coz moo wealth,
10 these times of desperate Embarrassment AID
p-var:y, to DO wish TIC pr,vl:G anb;:ions OF
its ctizaus? [: may almost regard them as
crime, IS "a implied !raasoa aGa!3st the STATE
which nov aoed5 aud inpcratvelS demands at
the i in is m5.: experienced PLOTS. What
cha2ca has :. new member 10 DC heard IN that
curious Blbal, the Lover House? We think
We ramemb:r TO have heard OF such new mem
Der perhaps from Virginia, WAC in this very
Congress, arcs, With swelling crest, determined
TO make himself heard and ieIt from the start.
The result has passed into history. 1t was
very sad.
period Of ju7epesenca, of probation imperative.
ly demanded By what We may term the ulwrit.
ter law Of the House. He has done much
more. He has bornc very distinguished part
10 legislation and debate. Ia the last Congrcss
with perhaps tic exception Of Alr. Lamar, Of
Mississippi. 10 member was more effective 10
curbiog the audacity of Blaioc. 10 tie long
aad heated debate which that truculeDt polti.
clan ioaueurated, aod in which be wickedly
endcavored to kindc anew the fires Of sectional
hatred for his own selfish purposes General
HuotOn was most prominent, and showed Eim.
self foremost among the formidable. And that
10 plac, of the constitutional rule OF Mr.. Hayes
We have not now for President this sinister
IaokCe, subornns negro perjury by the whole.
salc raidDg the South with bis dragons, aud
filing her iails With the bist Of her people, we
arc largely indebted to Tie able and gallant gen.
tlcrDau who Gttioely represents the manhood
of his State 10 the councils Of his c1u0try. II
his constituents forget that service SO soou, all
we have to say lz-so much the worse for his
constituents.
And the time is most Inappropriate for Vir.
eina people TO strike q, Gen. Huoton jas, when
be has been luthlessy cut dowo By Speaker
Randall. His prominence in the last House
most certainly enttled him to the chairman
ship Of one If the most important committees
10 this. And Why was it not given Eim?-
Simply because he voted for Mr.. Goode for
Speaker. He did so in strict accordance
with the generous ard cbiyarou5 GUS
tenn prevailing among Southern delegations
ct gentlemen Wh4n one Of their number Is put
up for this elevated position. |! is the last
liogcliGg relic of Oh esprit du corps which,
when it vanishcs entirely from Coogrcss. will
be much worse for that bocy, then entirely
given up to Individual greed ard sefshutss.
of them gallant soldiers, to dsapprove his
indeed. We rather tblbk they will be disposed
uDanm0u,Iy 10 sustain him, ana poistcdy to
rcbukc the narrow miodcd conduct Ct the
Speaker. Il is thus that the old time Vir
guians would have acted. And just here We
beg to say that We are not expressing any opin
ion on the Course pursued by Mr.. Gocdc 10
III 1ning for the Srcakcrshp. This is unncccs i
sary and outside Of our present purpose.
Nor do We propose just DOW. to examine the |
claims OF The gentlemen who have been brought
forward in the columns Of the y: z tic for the |
position DOW occupied by General Huotoo. 1t
would be eihlous. b;cluse We believe that !
the people. by very large m>joriiy. have al
ready determined that The present member who |
ably represents them in this Congress shall do |
SO 10 the next. After the aojouroucnt Of that
body we hear from good authority, that it is
the fScd purpose of Gen. Hunton to leave the
House ol Representative and return 10 the |
practice Of the law. But if We know anythicg |
of the temper of the Virginia people We Thick |
that the next Congress will 6od The name OF
cur present member Oh its roll, aud that there
l. IL.