Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1910-08-05
INCONSISTENT

tney became involved in series of
bitter joint debates.
Finally they got To invoking sar-
casm, and on the occasion OF a great
meeting in large city, one said Of
the other: my opponent is the
most even tempered man I ever
knew. lie is always mad"
The Republican party of this
country is one OF the few human in
stitutions OF which we have ever
heard or read that is always "consis-
tently Inconsistent" 1t has more
diametrlcal contentious in its plat
forms, and more conflicting views
among its leaders concerning public
questions than the wisdom and fore
sight of a generation can reconcile,
and even though il is now upon the
threshold OF the greatest battle OF its
existence, these chasms appear TO be
widening almost every day
Strange as it may seem this lack
of harmony is not confined TO a few
states or congressional districts, but
ii appears TO have reached to nearly
every section where the party is
strong enough TO have an organiza-
ton
And so ii is that here in the Ninth
Virginia District, we find stand
patters" and "Insurgents," and we
find as well, an apparent lack OF I'M
dersIanding even among the stand
patters' with reference to the con-
duct OF the campaign.
Their treatment of the Stuart Gus
toms House incident furnishes an il.
Illuminating example Of their utter
lack OF understanding with reference
TO policies and indicates swash-
bucking campaign fraught with the
widely divergent views of individual
leaders.
On this subject the Abingdon Vir-
giuian says:
In his speech upon Opencing the
republican convention Wednesday,
MIR. L. J. Davenport, chairman of
the district committee, said, i'm refer
ence to the Stuart custom house epi-
sode that he took no stock in il be-
cause il was too small and contemp-
tible matter, that il was beneath
notice and he hoped never TO hear il
mentioned by n republican. II these
are not his exact words, his senti-
ments are SO clearly expressed that
the difference would be rs between
tweedledee and tweedledum. "
But reports of the convention tell
us that the applause that greeted
these manly utterances Of Mr.. Day
export had na!dly died away, when
the permanent chairman OF the con-
vention man named Dickinson we
believe, made mean and vicious at
tack upon Mr.. Stuart, such as could
properly be construed only rs falling
within the smallest class of peanut
politics.
Now both OF these men are Repub-
Iicans and they were both addressing
the same Republican convention on
the same day
But this not all On this same
question, the Bristol Evening News.
the only Republican daily in the
district, has inaugurateed "A debate
In It's own editorial columns One
editor In the early stages OF the cam
palgn took the position held by mir
Davenport but later on, one of his
co-workers seized the pen, and wrote
some extremely bitter articles about
what he termed the trunk ISSUE
Then editor No l explained that his
views had not changed, and that his
did not wish To be blamed for the
deliVerances of editor Mo-
Commenting on the declaration i'm
the Washington County journal that
the matter IS completely settled i'm
the minds OF all honest and fair
men that Mr. Stuart never dreamed Of
anything smacking of the nature of
wrong doing, and those who shall At
tempt TO injure him before the peo-
pie by such methods will place
themselves upon level to which
Virginia gentlemen OF whatever par
ty faith never descend" editor No l
Of the Bristol Evening News had
this te say:
1t strikes us that this is the pro-
per view to take of this matter and
that hereafter its should be entirely
dismissed from the campaign in this
district"
Then editor No opened up his
batteries in the same columns deal
ing With the subject as grave and
serious issue, upon which he seemed
10 think the result OF the contest
would ultimately turn.
But this is not all. We hear the
eloquent voice of Mr. l. p Sum-
mers, First Lieutenant, Co. A..
Virginia Division L SA O III, In
the Abingdon convention declaring
l have no apologies to make for the
pariy's failing to reduce the tariff"
anc from the verdant plains OF Iowa