Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1881-12-03

IVIsIIyYCTOy IETTEP
Mediocre Candidates. The D0tage 81 tie hc-
pa5Gca, Party. Kqssoa IL Contrast Ht'
Pfrf ia The fraud Of 1876.

Eiediocre Candidates. The Dotage 81 tie Re
publican Party. Kdssoa ~ CoRircsf. His
Part ia The Frqud Of 1876.
(From our Regular Correspondent
Washington, d. C. Nov. Doth, 1881.
During this and the next week, the cleo
ton Of a speaker Of the House will attract
some Of the attention that is now layished
upon the loathsome Guiteau. The candi-
dates are already in the field, but not more
than one fourtho of thetotal numbered mem
bers has arrived. Owing to a rather low
grade of qualification Of most of the candi-
dates for the speakership, Mr.. Kasson, who
is a really brilliant man, shines with con-
trasted spieudor At no previous time,
since the formation of the party, has there
been such dearth of able Republicans in
Congress. Sumner, Conkling, Blaine, Gar
field Congor, Butler, Thad. Stevens, Henry
Wilson, Boutwell,, Dawes, and many others,
are either out Of public life, or have been
buried i'm the ground or inthe Senate. The
old party Is in its debauched, equity dotage,
san, nose. sans mind sans everything but
the Government, which it still holds through
the fraud Of 1876, and the public treasury,
which it has transferred to its pocket.
The Candidates for the speakership arc so
lacking in Nationalreputation, that itwOuld
seem necessary to placard them with a BIZ
oeraphv. bu; very small card will hold
the announcement that they were horn and
elected to Congress. Their names and
state, are Danncll Of Minnesota Burrows
of Michigan, Reed Of 1Iaino Hiscock Of
New York, and Kcifer of Ohio All of
these gentlemen ere good commonplace
men, "who like a good dinner and never
grow thinner, on bottled beer and chops"
But obey have no special fitness for an Of
flee that requires The supplementary learning
and readiness of Il Coliax or Blaine the
impartil,ity of a Judge, and the tact of a
woman. 1t seems to be agreed that Mr..
Kasson has the qualifications Of all the re-
markable people in history
The pluck 81 Lord Nelson on board Of the
Victor,
Genius oi Bismarck dcvisine plaa,
The Lumor OF Fielding which sounds contr'-
Goodness Of Fartt atort to t-crsr;
II s,;orcc Of Julien thc cuiFeut rlcSsco5
Nituf MuclUlav WHO wcotc0f Quccn Anir;
The at..o~ % Paddy, as rendered 10y Boarci-
clult,
Styleuf tbc Bishop Of So3or aEj Man
The dash of q B'Or>Gy, Invested 90 q1ackory;
Nar.-irc powers of Dickens aud ihackery
Tupnrr ANA rcnnvson; Daniel Det",
Anthony Tr,liopc. and Mr.. Guiz't-
Tax, or tbge. clements all that is iu>abic
Melt yu aii down i'm pippn or crucibic,
SCI om .o simmer, and take OIL The scum
And Mr. kIsson is the rc>iduUm.
The great objection that every honest
man must have to Mr.. Kasson is. that he is
tainted and STEPPED with the fragd of 1876
ne was Hayes attorney before The electoral
commission, and was paid for his services
with the Austrian mission, for which Gui-
teaa was so recently an applicant. There
is nota william in all the United States that
approved. condoned, or failed to rcbukc that
uuspcakable wrong but he is an arraut
kuaye." This sentence, know, viii include
a large minority of the census-twcnty mil
lions Of men, women, and children, more or
lcss-.but it is none too sweeping, and on
I ly regret that have not time and strength
20 express my opinion and feelings person
ally to every unit Of the 2o0ooo0o. SGll,
I will do all I can.