Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1909-02-26
TO THE NEWS LEADER:

My failure TO respond more
promptly TO the fiattering suggestion
made by you and other friends that
i should become candidate for the
high office of Governor of Virginia,
has been caused by the fact that /
have been quite unwell for the past
several weeks.
/ have received many kind words
of encouragement and approval from
my many friends in every part of
Virginia, and these are more TO me
than any political honor. / sincere
ly regret that my professional and
other business engagements are in
such condition as 10 make il impos-
sible for me TO lay them down or
sidetrack them for a day without
great sacrifices TO the interests of
others, TO say nothing of my own.
If 1 were in situation TO do so l
would galdly adopt your suggestion.
even at this late day, and break a
lance with the worthy gentlemen
now in the field.
In my estimation, the office of
Governor of this grand old Common
wealth is the highest and most
honorable one on earth. 1t has been
filed by many of her greatest men.
1t aas been occupied by some who
were near-great.
In the days before the primary
came the Democratic party met in
convention every fourth year and
adopted a declaration of principles
aud progressive policies looking 10
the advancement of the best interests
OF the State, called paltform, and
placed its candidate upon it. If there
were mistakes in it they were the
party's mistakes and not the nomi-
nee's. He was independent. Those
who choose to become candidates
now must make their own platforms,
and they do so with fear and tremb-
ling, feeling as best they can the
pulse of the public which proyerbial-
ly uncertain and irregular in its
beats.
Up to this time / have heard no
suggestion of measures looking to the
good of the State. The paramount
issue, if not the only one, is "whai
shall we do with John Barleycon?"
This problem has veXed the human
race ever since that pious old Mar
riner, Captain Noah, steered hi.
bark Into port at Mount Ararat, anC
proceeded to get drunk on the frs
opportunity, an example which has
been followed by many others whC
encountered stormy voyages on tn,
briny deep. John is once more to b
beheaded and otherwise done t,
death. John has become accustome,
to those periodical assaults on hi
life. Thoughtful observation ha
reached the conclusion that John ha
as many lives as ten thousand cats
The local option law and the Byr
law have been wisely adopted t
keep him within reasonable bounds
but these do not satisfy his relent
less enemies. We are told that tn
men of Virginia have become degen
crate and have lost self-control I
such an extent that they must b
regulated to tie custody of "m
brothers keeper"
So far as l can learn the gentleme
who are enlisted in this worth
crusade are of several classes, that
to say: Those who have never ha
any intimate personal acquaintan,
with John; those who have love
him mot wisely but too WE'LL" an
the moonshiner.
i believe that the first and the la
will be seen going to the polls, har
in hand, and voting the same ticke
If 1 really felt any uneasiness as
the out come would exclaim =" Gt
save the Commonwealth
ROBERT Il. HENRY.
Tazewell, Va, Feb. %, 1909.