Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1910-07-01

and enthusiasm OF political contro-
versies, men make statements and
predictions which do not "pan OUT
in the end.
We have a striking illustration OF
this here il the Ninth District. In
the preseat Congressional campaign.
1t ha. been bnt few weeks since
the leaders Of the Republican party
caused TO be sent out all over the
state. a romantic story. which told
of the brilliant, soul stirring, ami
mating, convincing and spectacular
address which Colonel Roosevelt was
expected to make nj the Republican
nominating convention in July, in
which hewould so eiectrify the entire
popu ace, as To make IL wholly I'M
necessary for Mr.. Stuart and the
Democratic party to proceed further
with their campaign. As the Colon
ell would say, ii was "buliy" news
paper item, but We confess when il
first appeared, we saw fiction rather
than facts between its lines. L. gave
many interesting aud touching rea-
sons why the Colonel might come
To Abingdon and get basy." One
was that ne has relatives in that vi
entity; another thai he and Mr..
Slemp had been in very friendly cor
-espondence on the subject, but the
greatest of all was that his presence
would result in bringing down "A
would-be Democratic congressman at
one wing shot, thereby saving
the @. .. p, in this hour of its deep
tribulatlon and distress, safe and
sane "sttand patter. whose services
are said to be needed to uphold "Can
nonism" and Aldrichism" aud
standpatiSm" in the next Congress
The excitement incident TO this
announcement among the Republi-
cans was somethinhg wonderful. and
many of them asserted freely that
the battle would practically end
with the adjournment OF their nomi-
mating convention.
The Democratic press ot the dis
tIict, aS rule, though having no
interest in the conduct nf a lsepubli-
can convention, promptly called at-
tention TO the doubt surrounding the
situation, and made the prediction
that the Colonel would not come.
Before setting foot upon his native
shore. he verified this prediction. by
declaring that he would steadfaStly
decline To discuss politics. either
from the stump or through the press
for two months after his arrival.
This settles IL so far rs the Colonel
is concerned, for he generally pursues
the course which he marks out for
himself. Now the party must Ioo!:
elsewhere for its red fire" and en-
thusiasm. With a convention assem-
bling simply 10 Tatify "cut and
dri d program, which il is believed
has already been made up, we would
think it at least advisable, II not in
deed almos, necessary, 10 have some
strange face TO inpsire and some elo-
quent tongue 10 enthuse.
Since the Colonel has declined 10
come, il is difficult 10 conjecture who
the hero OF this important hour
will be. MIR. Payne would no doubt
be gald To assist Mr.. Slemp, in re-
turn for the help the latter gave
him, IN foisting the present tariff
outrage upon the people, but the
Mr.. Payne is not a convention ora
tor. He belongs to what is known as
the "gum shoe, the Iceberg class
of latter day political saints, "who
move in a mysterious way their
wonders to perform.
Some one might ask: "What of
Aldrich; he must feel that he owes
similar obligation TO the Ninth Dis
trict Congressman This is most
likely true, but Aldrich like Payne,
would afilIct the convention with a
chill before he had reached the stage.
1t may be that Mr.. Leslie Nj.
Shaw will come. lie is "stand
patler" of the most pronounced type
and should this distinguished honor
fall upon him. he will not be as "a
stranger in a strange land" He has
heretofore been one of Mr.. SIemp's
crack "spell BINDERS of the rear
platform order. When n man is big
enough o"swing around the circle, +"
and make ten minute speeches from
private car. he is considered the
'real thing And then Mr.. Shaw
can not only talk protection; sound
the praises of the Payne Aldrich
bill, an I tell the people how noble it
was of their represen tative to vote
for it, but he can tell them as he re-
Gently told dinner party in Chica-
go, what a densely ignorant set he
has found on his NaIiods trips
through the South. MIR. Shaw may
come. We do not know.
w. TA1A