The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-06
TAFT'S EYE ON
OLD DOMINION
Tries to Break Demo-
Gratis Hold.
sLEMP SHES AT SACRIFICE
Representative Refuses Nomination
For Governor.
Administration withholds Appoint
nents I'm south Until Republicans
Show strensth-Thompson'
Place May He Dropped.
pY ALrRED ;. sToFER .

Wd8nlHRLOut ocVt- us--t0VoSt&eet- so
most serious effort IL being made by
Republican politicians to wrest control
of Virginia from the Democrats this
year. The Taft administration oficials
are helping all they know how. They
have been made to believe by Repre-
sentative slemp. the lone Republican
Congressman from the Old Domanion.
that there Is more than a chance 10
defeat the Democrats
Mr. Slemp has been telling II around
Washington during the past few days
that IL his party does not carry the
State 1t will come so near II that Ii
will make the heads Of the Democratic
managers swim when the vote Is count
ed on election night in November.
The Republicans Of Virginia tried to
get Congressman Slemp to run for Gov
ernor himself on their ticket this year,
but he was smart enough not to accept
the nomination. He talked around
Washington to the effect that IL he had
thought II best for him to lead the fight
he would have financed the campaign
literally out of his own means, but ne
said he was of the opinion his place
was in the House OF Representatives
that 1t would be better to run some
one else for Governor.
The Slemps-the Congressman and
his brother-are reported to have
turned much more than half million
dollars recently in q coal mine deal,
and they had previously made about the
same sum, so they are tolerably well
fixed in money matters. But 1t is mo-
ticed that they did not care to risk
much of their cash on the uncertainty
Of beating the Virginia Democrats.
Taft Recognizes Virginia.
As IL well known President Taft has
given the Virginia Republicans one Of
the best paying offices here in WASH
ington in the appointment OF Royal E.
Cabell, Of Richmond, who was the 9TH
er day sworn In as Commissioner OF
Internal Revenue. This place has q
salary Of $1,000 a year attached to It.
and the Commissioner has supervision
Of a large number of men who could be
to q certain extent influenced by him,
In swelling the vote for the Republic
cans in Virginia this year. In appoint
Ing census supervisors the word has
gone forth that the men selected for
this work shall not be identified with
the political organization OF either
party, but 1t Is not understood that
this rule 10 being applied to other
branches Of the service.
A number of Republican Congress
men are volunteering to speak In vir-
glnia during the campaign. Twenty
years ago when the late ex-senator
william Malone was the Republican
candidate for Governor OF the State
quite q number of Republicans. went In
to Virginia thinking they could help
him defeat the Democrats. inasmuch az
he had done that very thing several
times while at the head of the Read
juster party which held political sway
in the State from 1879 TO 1888, during
which period the Democrats were de-
cidedly in the minority.
VIII Invade South.
President Taft and some OF the high
offcials OF his administration are I'M
derstood to be very hopeful Of cutting
seriously into the ranks of the Democ-
racy In at least four " the Southern
states during the next four years.
These States are Virginia, North Caro-
lima. Kentucky and Tennessee. Now
the Republican spellbinders think a
good opportunity presents itself and
they have therefore determined to see
what they can do In Virginia when u
full State ticket is to be elected.
They will, of course, talk largely on
national subjects and will doubtless
tell the natives what a great tarin bill
the grand old party has recently
passed, ana that 1t is the duty of the
people to rally more generally to the
support of the Republicans II they
want to keep up with the procession
and enjoy prosperity. etc.
These outsiders will be hampered II
they were to touch on State matters.
In the first place 1t would be tmperti-
hence on their part, and in the second
place the Democratic administration OF
state AFFAIRS has been splendid. Com
pared with other States. taxation Is
low, the school system is fine and int
proving, and the roads are being inn
proved, and there have been no scan
dals in connection with the afrairs oil
the commonwealth.
If there Is a falling or in the Dem.
ocratic vote in November. I'D there
probably will be, 1t will be due almost
II not wholly to a dissatisfaction on
the part Of a considerable per centage
of the Democrats tn the machine
which Senator Tom Martin has set up
in the State. A great many Demo
Gratis also are opposed to the primary
system that has been IN operation for
the past six years, and they refused to
be bound by the pledge that was exact
ed and would not therefore go to the
polls on August S. Just how many
will hold out In November only the
balIoting then will show.
withhold Rewards.
President Taft appears to be holding
back the of1ces in Virginia and the
other Southern States he hopes will
eventually slip away from the Demo-
Gratis 1t Is said that the policy of the
administration Is to have the local Re-
publicans hrst prove what they can do
in cutting down the Democratic vote.
and the rewards will come when they
have earned them.