The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1882-02-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Elegiac OratOry I'm Congress
Now for the Star Route Cases
The yellow Envelope in the II.
ID. D.-Aesthetieism ad Nause.
um.
[From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 2Sth, 1882.
Noremarkable legislation work has
been accomplished during the week.
Elegiac oratory, in memory of SEN
ators Burnside and Carpenter, occu-
pied much of the time Of Congress-
Some Of the orations, notably those
of Senators Harrison, Edmunds and
Lamar, we're Of a very high order Of
eloquence and Of rhetorical finish.
In speaking Of Senator Carpenter,
deceased, the habitually cold and
saturnine Edmunds was SO overcome
with emotion that he had TO puase,
for some moments, in the midst Of
his address.
Now that the Guiteau trial has
been terminated, it is expected that
an active prosecution of the Star
Route cases will be begun. The Gov
eminent Prosecuting officers have
nearly COMPLETED the work Of prepar.
ing the cises, which have been
selected SO is to be, as far as possible,
representatlv We of the different de.
grees of fraud alleged to have been
committed,
Alarge number of discharges are ex.
pected in tie P. O. Department during
the comingmonth and hundreds Of
clerks are trembling in fear that they
may be the ones to find the fatal vel.
low envelope on their desks, when
they enter their Offices. 1t is pretty
well known here why these dis.
charges are made. The new mem.
bers of Congress must have places
for their friends. Many members owe
their election to the promise of these
places. Other members hope for re.
election through the distribution Of
this patronage to few workers from
their districts; hence, experienced
clerks must be discharged to make
place for those who have no expert.
ence or fitness for the work. In other
words, the tools are to be taken from
those skilled in their use and given
to bunglers. Only big corporations
like the United States, can stand
such an unsound and rufnous system
of employment. l do not mean te
say that the clerks now in the EN-
ploy of this Department are the besI
that could have been selected, bu,
long usage has made them familiar
with work, and they are far better
than new men, who will be appoint
ed without the slightest reference t
fitness.
Washington society has just had c
sensation, followed, l think, by 6
feeling of nausea. Oscar Wide, the
selfgarlanded leader of astheticism
appeared in our midst, and some o
our purblind society leaders mistooI
the tawdry humbug for real Apollo
Some Of these leaders have, perhaps
not yet realized their mistake, fol
they are not acute or critical, but g
for anything, labeled English" o,
early English" like gudgeons fol
an artificial fy.bait. But there arr
others, that follow the lead Of tn,
leaders, who are heartily ashamed o
the incense that they have been burn
ing to an ass in the least deceptive
hons skin ever put on by the long
cared species. They have begun t
ask themselves, what are TIE rea'
claims of this aaectedly excentrit
man, who came here in long hair anG
medieval costume, to read q trite
composition, rehashed and spoiled
from Ruskin? What does he know
about art; what has he painted, o,
carved, or written. that entities him
to consideration, to say nothing Of
homage? We all admire the beauti.
full, with taste more or less refined
The lower animals also admire the
beautiful, as every reader of Darwin's
is convinced. But what is there pc.
culiarly beautiful in Oscars Wildes'
admiration OF the beautiful, that
makes our vulgar Washington society
run after him? 1t is but another ex.
preston of morbid sentimentalism,
and ignorant, unhealthy, depraved