Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1908-08-21
MR.. SLEMP'S PLATFORM

tair. Many of our friends think we
are too fair, especially to the repub-
lican. Therefore, we hope we will
not be suspected of prejudice i'm say
ing that IL Mr.. Bascom Slemp's
speech of acceptance of the Republi-
can nomination for congress for the
Ninth district represents the best case
the republicans can make before the
people, the Democrats there should
have no trouble in winning adhesive
victory. Mr. Slemp is an exceptionally
Intelligent and able man. PreSum-
ably he prepared his speech carefully
and said all he could say for his
party and himself, and what he said
practically amounts TO nothing.
Mr.. Slemp has no reason for per-
sonal modification i'm his failure.
His speech is no more feeble than
the republican national platform,
presumed To be the best that all the
assembled wisdom, cunning and
political experience of the whole
party could find to put before the
people in its behalf. There is no one
point in platform or speech 10 COM
mand the attention of an intelligent
citizen or TO carry conviction TO an
open mind. Apparently Mr.. Slemp
bases his claims for reelection large
ly on the appropriations and PEN
sions he has secured for his district.
We hardly think that this will up
peal 10 the great body of the voters
there. No man can buy the honor of
representing the Ninth district of
Virginia in the congress of theUnited
States with government money.
Aside from the appropriations we
cannot find in Mr.. Slemp's carefully
prepared list of the achievements OF
the late republican congress a single
act of craftsmanship or step of
progress toward the solution of the
big problems confronting the count
ry. The record of that congress is
one of impotency, timidity and pea
nut politics and the man who un-
dertakes 10 stand on IL before Vir-
ginia constituency ought To he lost If
he isn't.
We observe that Mr.. Slemp saws
nothing of his reported dodge OH the
Crumpacker bill, intended To deprive
Southern States of representation in
the congress and electoral college, TO
lessen the power in the country's
affairs OF his own section and people.
We notice, too, that he fails To eX-
press himself on the clause I'm the
republican platform endorsing the
amendments To the constitution In
tended TO give negroes social and
political rights and privileges equal
TO those OF the white man. He ties
hard and fast To Roosevelt. but
neglects TO point out that all the
really big things Roosevelt has done
have been carried through by Demo-
cratic help and against Republican
opposition; that all of them would
have failed IL the president had de-
pended OH his own party.
No wonder that the attempt TO
hold n republican meeting at Wythe-
Vile was a failure. If the Republi-
cans in that district are not ashamed
and have not lost confidence in their
own party they lack the intelligence
for which we give them credit. Judg-
ing by the start of the campaign, if
the democrats OF the Ninth will go
right on with their organization and
make an aggressive and determined
fight, and if they receive the help
from the rest of the State that should
be given them, they will win In
November with a whoop.