The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1881-12-10


EVENING CRITIC PUBLISHING COMPANY,
WAsHtSdroN, II. G..
Entered at the Post onlce In Washington as sec
md class matter.
Saturday, Dec. 10, 1881.
1r has HEN discovered that the first
symptoms of the free. trade school is to part
the hair in the middle This will give pro-
lcssiondl poets the first chance they have
had in number of years.
PoLITTCs WAS so mixed up with Il muir
der trial in Pittshcla, ILL.,, that the local
Republicans held II procession in honor Of
the acquittal. while the Democrats strovc
to console themselves by hanging the Judge
and jury in cflgy.
INspIRATGoNAL MURDER Is growing as n
fine art. Some fellow up in Massachusetts,
felt that something crossed his mind and
told him to kill his wife" In this, rs in
other cases of the same kind, the public
will expect something to cross his neck.
THE GAsTRosCopE is the latest horrible
invention. 1t is pipe lined with rcaectors
and lighted by electricity. This is to be
rammed down the patients throat into his
stomach in order to allow tho doctor a
pleasant and extended view of all his in
sides. The process is imposingly styled an
electro .endoscopic investigation.
--<----
THERE Is A growing suspicion that this
expert business on the subject of insanity
is a sort of "heads l win, tails you lose"
affair. The distinguished gentlemen who
make cranks a speciality, can be induced 10
make any remarks or have any particular
ideas that are demanded. The Nation puts
it clearly when it remarks that the expert
"has to pass upon the mental soundness Of
the prisoner, just as any ordinary physi-
clan passes upon u patients physical sound
ness. What he has before him, accordingly,
is not standard of criminal responsibility,
but one of mental health and as perfect
health is just rs uncommon in the case of
the mind rs of .the body, the testimony of
alenists almost always discloscs the start
ling fact that they believe large percentage
of the population of the world to be insane
One of the experts on Monday, for instance,
testified that out of twenty-five persons in
ordinary life, five are insane; that among
twenty-five ordinary business men he
would probably find five of them insane
In this statement the witness was prob
ably perfectly sincere but it has no bear.
ing whatever on the question as to whether
Guitcau ought to be hanged
II on
MAuoNE MOVEMENT in Virginia should
think twice, or oven three times, before
they proceed to war with each other over
the division of spoils. The Rcpu blcan
wing of the Coalition. led by Mr.. Lewis,
evinces II disposition to prefer its claims ="
early in the action, and as yet the Read
justcr wing, led by Mr. Riddleberger, shows
no disposition to conccdc The result Of
this may easily be open war and split of
the coalition, which will in the next con-
test nullify all the advantages gained in
the late one. Such result would not be
of especial Importance if the significance
of the Virginia situation were purely local
to that State or its bearing upon affairs
temporary.
But, rs we understand it, the design of
the men who organized the coalition and
led it to victory was not to revolutionizc
Virginia alone and alter the disposition of
few offices, but to blaze the way for n
general new deal throughout the South.
If this be the real design the managers OF
the coalition cannot display too much self
abnegation in dealing with the fruits of
their victory thus far. If they fail in this
respect and proceed to a!game of grab the
spectacle will fetch upon them the con-
tempt Of a great many people who sympa-
thizc with the avowcd design to renovate
Southern politics, and the consequence
will be TO discourage similar movements in
other States.
We do not pretend to any inside knowl-
edge of the relations between the Republi
can and Rcadjuster leaders in Virginia
But we assume on general principles that
there was no contract or agreement in adj
vanc, touching the distribution of thc
trophies in the case Of victory. There was
doubtless a taeit understanding, subject tC
the dictates of future cxpedicncy in matters
of detail, that there should be no distnc
tion observed between Republicans and Re
adjusters in the local apportonment of pat
ronage. This however, is matter of ne
interest outside of Virginia and we touch
upon it only by way of preface.
The matter which attracts the public at
tcntion, and the disposition of which will
fix the public estimate as to the real charac
ter of the Virginia Coalition, is the Senator
ship. If the Senator chosen to succeed
Johnston shall fairly and accurately en-
body and represent the declared objects
and tendencies Of the Coalition, then tn,
general public will accept it as perma
nent political fact, and other men, am
bilious, progressive, and patriotic, will tax,
courage to follow the example in othe
States. But if the Senator chosen shall
prove to represent simply valuable con
sideration made over by one wing of tn
Coalition as roconpense for aid rendere,
by the other, then the whole thing viii
sink to the plane Of truck and dicker ant
fall into contempt.