Sentence:  Still, we have in this country Whig writers—that is, party Whig writers, of the regular party guage, assuring the other little <WSD>brainlets</WSD> who believe their writings, that Ruskin is an author of equivalent genius to Jeremy Taylor's—a great man—an intellectual pinnacle—merely because he puts his hand to madnesses, because he abuses Protestantism, and thinks that Christians should not mind their own business, but all other people's businesses— exactly what a Whig of the latter-day school does in office, devising conspiracy bills for French people and sending advice to Germans— which they don't want, and don't take well; 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A dolt; a fool; someone having a small brain.