Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-11-10
THE NINTH DISTRICT.

With the official returns of the Ninth
district not yet allannounced, both sides
still claim the election. AT democratic
headquarters in Bristol it is positively
asserted that the official returns will show
Congressman Rhca to have a majority OF
more than 100. The republican man
ayers insist that Slemp is elected and
that the democrats are resorting TO va
rious methods to change the returns, a.
they are throwing out precincts on tech
meal grounds. Col. Slemp has retained
counsel, and is taking steps to enter IN
to legal proceedings.
Congressman Rhea gave out an inter
view on Saturday night in which he
takes the Richmond News to task for al
editorial suggesting that an effort is being
made to "stealv the district for Rhea.
He said that there was no doubt of his
election by more than 100 majority.
Relative to an editorial published in the
Richmond News, Judge Rhea had the
following to say: 81 am not surprised
at the article in the Richmond News OF
yesterday, which condemned democrats
of the Ninth districtin advance of know
ing the facts. No democrat in this Sec
ton has ever regarded the News as
democratic newspaper. Its article is an
outrage-a scandal on the democrats Of
the Ninth district The republicans
spent $50, 900 as a corruption fund TO
buy up the district, and thought this Sc
fure of carrying the district that they
made enormous claims, which have been
refuted by the official returns.
eff the Richmond News were as loyal
in serving the democratic party as it is
in serving the republican party, it would
try to ascertain the facts before publish
ing an article so misleading The re-
publicans openly boosted that they
would buy the election, and the demo
Gratis were so confident Of my election,
that they did not turn out in full to vote
Notwithstanding the oyer-confidence OF
the democrats and the unlimited Doodle
the republicans used to defeat me, ]
am elected by safe majority. If tb'
Richmond News wanted to serve tie
democratic party, it should have con-
demned those who have attempted to
defeat men by outrageous debauchery OF
the electorate In this way the News
might have better served the interest
of fair and honest elections. Its article
is looked upon here as an unjustifiable
attack upon the loyal democrats of the
Ninth congressional district"
A dispatch from Wytheville, says:
Col. Slemp, will by counsel ask the
Supreme Court in Richmond tomorrow
for mandamus compelling the COM
missioners of election of Wythe county
to receive and canvass the returns from
Pattison and Austinville precincts, in
that county, which have been rejected
by them on account of irregularities.
The semi-ofiicial count gave the county
to SIemp by 80, but the official count
gives it to Rhea dem by 26.
Attorney General Anderson was on
Saturday called on to give his legal adj
vice, one of the election commissioners
writing to know if he and his colleagues
had right to go behind the returns
and throw out precinct on the
ground that illegal votes had been cast.
The commissioner cited the case of a
certain precinct where it was asserted
that thirteen votes had been illegally
cast for Slemp, and he wanted to throw
out the whole precinct on this account.
Maj. Anderson, in reply to the letter,
wired the following:
"Duties of your board merely to as
certain result from face of legal returns
1t has no judicial authority or power to
suppress the vote Of a precinct by throw
ing it out, ifretuns are in legal form,
or can I've put in legal form by correcting
Irregularities, as plainly required by
section 1874 of the code"
This was followed by a more elabo-
rately written opinion on the same line.
Judge Rhea claims his election by
23S majority.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company has
purchased property on Mary land avenue re-
Eour-apH -o-l ...lf anil ~eNCHIn tiTctls