Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1906-10-12


PENSION BILLS and the sixth was to
provide for holding federal courts AZ
Big Stone Gap.
AT the third session of the 5Sth
cong Col. Slemp offered ten new bills
nine private and one public latter
to divide the state into three judicial
districts. or these bills only one be-
came law and that was To increase
the persion of one Isaac Sloan.
At the first session OF the 18th Cong.
Col. Slemp offered FORTY EIGHT
as PRIVATE BILLS, practically all
OF them being pension bills, and also
ten bills which, out of abundant chaii-
ty, might possibly be called public
bills, tho they are purely local and of
little Importance. Out of all these.
private. bills he only passed NINE
ALL PENSION BILLS. Among the
ten bills which have been called public.
were all those OF the same class here
inbefore mentioned, Including those
to Improve" the "headwaters' of the
Big Sandy, Clinch and Powell Rivers).
and in addition bill for the drainage
OF certain lands in Virginia. OF the
forty-eight private bills he only got
nine enacted, ALL PENSIONS) and
OF the ten others he secured the pas
sage of only one,- providing for and
regulating the holding of courts at Big
Stone Gap, and this last was past by
"unanimous consent. p" The record
shows that ONLY ONCE DURING
THE CONGRESSIONAL CAREER
OF COL. SLEMP DID HE EVER
ARISE IN THE HOUSE AND AID
DRESS THE CHAIR, and this was
when he asked "unanimous consent"
for the passage of the bill to establish
and regulate the holding of courts at
Big Stone Gap.
In the face of such a record as this
the ''TAZEWELL REPUBLICAN" Of
Sept. 9th says: Colonel Slemp is the
most efficient and useful representative
the Ninth district has ever had in con-
gress. Besides, he is an earnest advo-
cate and supporter of the policies that
have been developing the vast national
material resources of the district. y
Well, Col. Slemp has made himself
"useful' to a certain class. composed
chiefly of partizans and political para
sites, who make themselves "useful''
To him; but when it comes TO calling
him an efficient" representative" Of
the greatest district in this State. and
an earnest advocate" of the 'spolicies,
OF IA great constructive political party.
II Is reallya little too absurd. The @ ord
speaks, and il proclaims the fact that
Col. Slemp has counted for nothing
and done nothing as the representa-
tive" of the ninth district OF Virginia. :"
save when his physical presence count
ed IN quorum" and that the only
"policy" of his party which he earnest
~ advocated" was that policy repre-
sented by the large number of private
claims and pension bills which he in
trodGced, large per cent OF which his
own party colleagues refused to count
enance and defeated for him, including
his own private claim for 81, 800. 1t is
very significant of Col. Slemps calibre
and influence among his own political
friends at Washington, that ever since
he has been in congress he has been
hammering away for public building
at Big Stone Gap and Wytheville, and
that altho' congress passed an Omnibus
Public Buildings Bill, carrying appro-
priations of about S23, 900, 900, vet both
Of Col. Slemp's bills were turned
down.
1t does seen that this district is en-
titled to better and ADLER representation
than Col. Slemp has so far been able to
give us, to judge by the record he has
made. There is no finer constituency
in this or any other state. The stand
ard Of character and intelligence in the
Ninth district, among the rank and file
~zxs<