Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1906-09-06
Observation-Disclosures
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SLEMP VS.. BRUCE.
Mr.. EDITOR:


The Democratic Press of Virginia,
especially outside of the Ninth Con-
gressional District, is exhibiting an un-
usual amount of interest in things poll
tical in our district.
This would be amusing to great ma
jority of our people were it not both
serious and sinister. Why this frantic
effort to convince US that we ought to
be redeemed? Why should the Dem
ocratic politicians and the Democratic
press of Eastern Virginia forsake 'the
even tenor of their way" to preach politi-
cal salvation to our benighted souls? The
reason is not far to seek. For more
than fifty years the Democratic party
of Eastern Virginia has been the self
constituted guardian of our civil and
political welfare. We have no voice, nor
have had, in the halls Of legislation.
We are taxed and have been taxed with
out adequate representation and in the
"house of our fathers, d" we have been
regarded and treated as strangers. This
was the indirect cause of the severance
of our fairest flower from the mother
stem when West Virginia left US, and
this is why mutterings of another sever
ance are heard today. For years great
counties in the Southwest like Taze-
well, Wise, Pulaski and Smyth, were
allowed only one-half vote each in the
legislature, while counties like Chester
field, Halifax and Pittsylvania were al
lowed from two to four each and a
''hoater" or two thrown in. Legis1a-
ton has sought the destruction OF our
vast commercial interests and bill after
bill has been held in terrorer over the
heads of eur Captains of industry" to
coerce them to vote the Democratic
ticket.
The last Legislature of Virginia pass
ed an act taking away from the people
the right to elect their Commissioners
of the Revenue and conferred this great
power upon the judges of the circuit
courts and the reason, boldly stated up
on the floor of both houses, was that the
change would prevent Republicans lin
other words majority of the qualified
voters) in counties of the Southwest
from electing Republican Commission
ers to office. What travesty on JUS
tice; what a burlesque on republican
forms of government.
Now, why should any Republican in
the Ninth District vote for Mr.. Bruce?
Why should any Republican in the Ninth
Congressional District, in this unpre-
cedented era Of prosperity, turn his
back upon the grandest political party
the world has ever seen? Is it to pro-
vide Mr.. Bruce with nice Office, or is
it because we are tired of our party and
our principles and wish to espouse the
party whose banner he carries and whose
principles he represents?
The history of politics in our Common
wealth shows that wherever and when
ever Republican leader is triumphant,
he becomes boss and inaugurates an
'ism, 1" from Democratic standpoint.
When GenI. Malone, a gallant ex-Con-
federate soldier, succeeded, it was ma
honeism. f" when Genl. James A. Walk
er, the hero Of the Bloody Angle, :"
triumphed, It was "Walkerism" and
now when Col. Campbell Slemp, anoth-
er gallant ex-Confederate is chosen by
a majority of over four thousand OF his
fellow-citizens to be their representa-
tive in Congress, it is "Slenpism. 7"
But no one is deceived by this blatant
demagogy. When sifted down it re-
solves itself into pure and simple hatred
on TIE part of partisan Democrats for
everything that pertains to Republican
ism. And in passing, we will say that
the Republican party Is more than Will
ing to contrast "RooseveltisRa" with
"Bryanism, - "Mahoneism" with "Mar-
tinism, +" ''Walkerism" with "Ellyson-
ISM and "Slempism" with "hnea-
ism"
Who was the Saul among the Demo-