Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1906-08-31
Col. S1enp and the
Democratic Convention
cares to know i'm person the writer:
Marion, Va, Aug. 81, 1896.
Editor Bristol Herald,
bristol. Va.

Editor Bristol Herald,
Bristol, Va,
Dear Sir: / am now sixty-eight
years old and have never voted a
democratic ticket, but after listening
to Colonel Slemp and Mr.. Summers
speak here on yesterday, have made
up my mind not to vote at ALL Col
Slemp must think all of the repubIi-
cans in this district are crazy. or have
no sense at all. / had good friends at
Bristol the day of the democratic con
vention from Marion and ChilhOwie.
and they tell me Col. Slemp was
drunk, and there is no use for him TO
get up here and in public and say he
was not drunk and call everybody
liars, etc. Col. Slemp had no business
there, and if he had not been drunk he
would not have been there. What all
Of the republicans ought to do, is to
call on Col. Slemp to come off the
track and let us nominate a man. We
can't elect him because he has beaten
himself, and the party can't carry any
such load Judge Porteriield, down
in Abingdon, knows Col. SlemE was
drunk as he tried like man to get
Col. Slemp TO go out of the hall. There
were good many republicans i'm the
convention and they saw Col. Slemp
drunk. j am awful sorry the Colonel
did this way, but he alone is rrspon-
sible for il and he cannot blame the
party if they don't vote for him. He
will never carry Smyth county after
doing this way. One democrat may
start campaign lie, but six or seven
hundred men saw this and what is
worse, Col. Slemp knows it is so. You
may put 1t down, the genuine republi-
cans Of this district are not going to
vote for him. Nominate Pete Daven-
port, Dave Bailey, Lincoln or Ander-
son and we will vote for him, but for
Col. Slemp, neverl
(Signed)
Gan Old-Time Republican"
In few days the republican papers
of the district will be out with the fol
lowing explanation of Cononel Slemp
i'm regard to the Bristol occurrence.
we give copy verbatim as sent 10 us
by our regular correspondent at Alb
ingdon:
For sixty-seven years l have lived
in this county and have always so
acted as to meet the approval Of my
neighbors and have never i'm all that
time been SO far under the influence
of whiskey rs to incapacitate me from
the proper discharge Of my duties, al
though 1t sometimes becomes neces-
sacy for me TO use a little whiskev. On
the day of the Bristol convention had
taken some whiskey but was not drunk.
and had no idea Of attending the con
vention, but | was approached by two
democrats who stated to me that Mr..
Bruce had been nominated, and in
vited and urged me To go INTO the
convention hall with them and hear
some OF the speeches. We went and /
took seat far back I'm the audience
and did or said nothing TO interfere
with the meeting. In ii few moments
some one yelled out: "Hurrah for
Slemp, and then many persons cried,
Put him out, put him out" Seeing
the confusion, Immediately left the
convention hall and went TO my room
AZ. the hotel.
81 denounce all OF those statements
about my falling over the ropes, get
ting down or being carried out, as
absolutely false. 1 regret very much
that l accepted the invitation to go
and hear Mr. Bruce's speech of accept
ance, but l do not believe that nv
presence would have been noticed by
Il dozen people in the convention. as
my seat was near the entrance, or that
the slightest disturbance would have
resulted had not some i'll advised
friends or designing enemy yelled out ::
Hurrah for Slemp.' "
1t will be seen that the Colonel
himself admits that he, on the day of
the Bristol convention, had s.taken
some whiskey." Can a man who "has
taken some whiskey" always be a
judge Of whether or not he was drunk?
Again, Col. Slemp says that he was
invited intu the convention by several
democrats. SO far as known he came
alone and unlimited, at least he was
unattended when he fell on the steps
and when the officer as above men.
toned picked him up and advised
him not to enter, except that there was
with him a paTty-a democrat-who
says that he was aiding the Colonel
TO enter, seeing his condition.