Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-16
COL. sLEMP sANGUINE
LOOKS FOR REPUBLICAN, VICTORY
IN VIRGINIA NEXT YEAR.
With the Negro Question Eliminated
He Expects Inroads to Be Made on
Democratic Ranks in State.

In Colonel Campbell Slemp, the repub
lican representative from the ninth Vir-
gina district, the republicans of the old
dominion think they have a Moses. under
whose aggressive leadership, backed up by
the regular republican organization of the
state, they hope to accomplish great things
for their party and for President Roosevelt
in the national campaign of 1904. BY de-
feating Judge William F. Rhea in a very
hot campaign last fall Col. Slemp broke the
solid democratic representation from the
great state south of the Potomac
The ninth district has always been a close
one, with slight leaning toward the re-
publican column. 1t is in the far south
western part of the state, bordering on
Tennessee where the people are mostly
mountain bred. There are very few negroes
in that section, and, in fact, there are many
men living in the mountains who have
never seen negro. For the past two Con-
crosses the ninth has been represented by
Judge William F. Rhea, democrat of con-
siderable ability and great political strength
in his district.
Type of the Mountaineer.
Colonel slemp is the type of the noun
tain-bred Vrginian. He was born sixty
three years ago in Lee county just seven
miles from the town of Big Stone Gap
southwestern part of the state all his life
In appearance he is little above the
average height with broad shoulders, and
gives every evidence of physical strength
and vigor. His complexion is swarthy and
his hair and chin whiskers are nearly
white. In every movement he shows his
mountain breeding and life.
Colonel Slemp does not come by his mill
tary title as many do by application for
the sake Of euphony. When the war be-
tween the states broke out, he went to
work 2 once and organized an independent
company of mountineeTs and was made
captain of it. This company was put into
the 64th Virginia Regiment. After a short
service with the 64th Captain Slemp, as he
was then, organized the 21st Virginia Bat
talon of infantry, Of which he was made
lieutenant colonel. Later he got horses for
his men and made his battalion the 21st
Cavalry Battalion. He was then elected
colonel, in which capacity he served the
confederacy until the surrender at Apo
mattox, when he went home and resumed
his life on the farm.
He was born with a taste for politics. He
was member Of the house of delegates of
the Virginia legislature for -four years. In
1883 he ran on the Harrison electoral ticket
In 1889 he ran for lieutenant governor with
General William Malone. He also ran on
the Mckinley electoral ticket in 1896, and
has been noted as a hard political worker
ever since he entered the arena His cam
paing for Congress was an exceedingly ag-
gressive one and 1t was only after the
hardest sort of work that his efforts were
crowned with success.
Colonel Slemp is not much of talker and
it was with difficulty that a Star reporter
got him to express himself for publication
this morning He was found seated in the
lobby of the Metropolitan, where he is
stopping for few days, and at last con-
scented to give his views on the prospects of
his party in Virginia.
Col. Slemp's View.
81 think" said Col Slemp, settling him
self comfortably in his chair, the outlook
in Virginia is very bright, indeed If the
republicans will get together and fight as
they should fight and as they can fight, if
they realize the opportunities that lie with
in their grasp, We will carry the state in
1904 for the republican party and Presi-
dent Roosevelt.
THE trouble with the Virginia republic
cans continued Col. Slemp, lis that they
have got so used to being beaten by the
democrats that they don't expect anything
else. They don't even stand up and make
a fight Of it. and try to counterfeit the in
huences that carry the state to the demo-
Gratis. Why, when l started into the cam
paign last fall there were lots of republi-
cans who said there was no earthly use
making the race They said we were bound
to be beaten. Some of my fighting friends
got around me, though, and after got
into 1t and they saw how things were going,