Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1906-10-12
COL. SLEMP AS MEASUR-
Ed BY HIS RECORD
ED. CLINcH VALLEY NEWS:

ED. CLINcH VALLEY NEws:
Col. SleInp has stated in his various
speeches over the district, and stated
in his speech here at Tazewell, in sub.
stance and effect, that he had done
more and made the best representative
the Ninth district ever had i'm congress
and the same statement is made i'm the
last issue of "The Tazewell Republi-
can"
In view of this the writer undertook
To make an examination of Col. Slemp's
record in congress, and 10 ascertain
from that just what Col. Slemp had
really done and 10 see if i'm fact he was
the great congressman he claimed to
be.
The result Of this investigation is
given below, and for its accuracy the
writer vouchcs the congressional record
and we invite Col Slemp's denial of its
truth
The first thing that Col. Slemp did
after getting into congress was to get
his personal and political friend, Con-
gresham BrownIow, of Tenn. TO offer
a resolution authorizing the payment
out of the treasury of 81, 800 to Col
Slemp to reimburse him for alleged
EXPENSES" in an alleged contest
with Mr.. Rhea
A Republican house, with n large
majority of his political colleagues
turned this resolution down, and it was
defeated by a vote OF l24 to 81. (5sth
Cong. Vol. 3S, PIP. 52Sl to 52SGD.
In his first session, i'm addition to the
above attempt to make the govern
ment pay him 1880 in addition to his
salary, Col. Slemp introduced six bills,
two public and four private bills.
The public bills were to provide for
the erection of public buildings at
WYTHEVILLE and BIG STONE
GAP. or the four private bills three
were TO provide for claims of private
persons against the government and
one was to increase pension.
NEITHER OF THE SIN BILLS
WE'RE PASSED.
During the second session of the
5sth congress Col Slemp Introduced
seventeen private bills of which eleven
were for the relief of certain persons
with claims against the government.
and SIX WERE PENSION BILLS.
In addition 10 these seventeen private
bills he also introduced six public bills.
the like of which were probably never
introduced before by any congressman
I'm the history OF the House. These
public bills were rs follows: %, To i'm
prove the "headwaters" of big Sandy
River" (2), to improve "Clinch River:
(3), To improve ~Powell River: al. to
erect monument To civilian Camp
bell"; (5) TO establish IA "sanatarium
for disabled volunteer soldiers at New
River; (6, to hold terms Of the L. S.
district court at Big Stone Gap. Va.
OF the above six bills those which were
intended to "improve" the rivers and
"headwaters" mentioned, Indicate an
attempt on the part of Col. Slemp to
make precedents for himself; they are
entitled to be ranked along with his
coke about Introducing a bill TO di-
vide the states of Virginia, Tennessee.
and few other states, and creating
the new territory into a new state.
which, 1t is supposed, was intended to
be solidly Republican with the Col.
Slemp as Boss" Truly Col. Slemp
does not bother his head about consti-
tutional limitations. Most intelligent
men have learned by this time that
the Federal government has control
only over Rivers" and "Headwaters"
that are "navigable" for commercial
purposes, and that it would have no
more interest i'm OF control over the
"headwaters" of the" big Sandy River"
than it would have over a county-road
or spring branch. OF these twenty
three bills private and public. six were
passed, and of the six, FIVE WERE