Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1909-09-02
CHAIRMAN SLEMP'S REPLY.
ChaTgeS Democratic Press of State With
Editorial inconsistency.

S-41 AAAh OiSIip OI the republican
State Committee has issued a state
ment in reply to an editorial in the
Lynchburg News of August 2Sth. en-
titled Republican Mix-up," and which
seems to reflect the attitude taken nv
the Democratic press of the State.
These editorials, says Mr.. Slemp, seem
to be based on a muddled and garbled
report of an interview recently given
by him to newspaper reporter criti-
clslng certain newspapers for editorial
inconsistency" These editorials have
taken the position that the Republicans
should not this year be entrusted with
power because they were given that
power In 1880; the administration of
affairs at that period, namely, the So
called Malone regime, now being the
subject of Democratic condemnation.
Mr.. Slemp contends that it is inconsis-
tent for Democratic editors to criticise
the Malone regime without at the same
time condemning the present Democrat
&c candidate for Governor, Judge w. H.
Mann. In his letter of January 20.
1850, to General Malone, Judge Mann
uses the following language:
If can be of any service to YOU in
this section it will cheerfully rendered. -
This was while General Malone was
In power and his offer of Service is
strengthened in the following extracts
from letters in which he not only refers
to the past but pledges himself regard
ing the future.
In Judge Mann's letter of july II.
1881, to General Malone, he says:
i am glad you were so kind as to
mention the matter under cover of our
personal relations; both because of nv
desire to keep out of politics and of the
opportunity afforded of saying that hav-
ing always supported you because 1
deemed it for the best interest of the
State, shall continue to do so, etc"
He closes his letter of July 20, 1880.
with the further assurance:
with best wishes for your future
happiness and success, / to which l shall
be glad to contribute"
Still further assurance is given in the
letter of January 20, 1880, in which
Judge Mann says to General Malone:
while much prefering that you
should be our Governor, shall, never
theless, rejoice in your election to the
United States Senate"
Furthermore, Judge Mann, being a
Judge of the Nottoway county court,
became part of the Malone regime.
The fact cannot be too strongly en-
phasized that during the period that
General Malone was IN power Judge
Mann not only gave him support and as
sured him of further allegiance but ac-
copied office at his hands, though he de-
serted his standard when Malone lost
control in the State. With these facts
and the expressions quoted in view, Mr..
Slemp maintains that the Democratic
editors of Virginia cannot consistently
criticise the Malone regime without
criticising Judge Mann himself, he be-
ing not only part of the regime but
beneficiary of it, and the fact that the
democratic press is so doing, warrants
the indictment of editorial inconsis-
tency."
Mr.. Slemp further states that in the
interview alluded to he said it was in
consistent to condemn the action of the
Readjuster caucus and not at the same
time condemn the present Democratic
State Committee in exacting a pledge
from those who entered the recent pri-
mary to support the action of that pri-
mary. To praise the action of the "Big
Four" who bolted the Readjuster eau
Gus and not praise the action of thou
sands of Democrats who do not consider
themselves bound by the primary is an
other example of Democratic editorial
inconsistency"
AS to what was accomplished by the
Malone regime, Mr.. Slemp quotes the
following from the platform adopted by
the Democratic State Convention at
Lynchburg, July, 1888:
"The Democratic party accepts as
final the recent settlement of the public |
debt pronounced constitutional by the
courts of last resort, State and Federal, |
and will oppose all agitation of the
question, or any disturbance of that set
Element by appeal or otherwise"
While among the first acts of the
Democratic Legislature of that year