Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1910-10-21
by WAYS THAT ARE DARK

Courier had a very timely editorial
on the Ninth District congressional
campaign, entitled Backyard Poll
tics, in which the small methods
adopted by a certain element of the
Republican party to injure Hon.
Henry c. Stuart, democratic nomi.
nee, were laid bare to the public
We regret to note that these pea
nut politicians and petty pie-eat-
ers" have carried this branch of the
campaign far below the level indicat-
cd by our Bristol contemporary, and
have thus placed their party in POI
sition where it may be said that Mr.
Stuart s defeat is sought to be ac-
complished "by ways that are dark
and tricks that are vain.
We are not alarmed over these
usual tactics of the Republican party
in the ninth district, FOR though it is
unpleasant and annoying to a party
and candidate who strive to deal on
1.-The dead level with their political
advcrSaries to be rcvilcd and SANDER
cd and lied upon by the latter. yet i'm
the final arbitrament 10y fair-mind-
ed public such despicablc methods al
ways react and prove veritable
boomerang to the party which de-
scends to the level Of employing
them.
Driven to desperation in the early
stages of the fight 10y the overwhelm-
ing argument in favor of the Demo-
cratic position, many of the Slemp
shouters have abandoned the discus
sion Of the real issues involved in the
controversy, and have resorted to the
low method of repeating the ISLANDERS
concocted by irresponsible persons.
whose fabrications have been thor
oughly exploded by afiidavits and
signed statements from trustworthy
citizens who are acquainted with all
the circumstances of each case. Di-
rect proof however, often i'm the form
of strong documentary evidence
against these slanderous stories con-
cocted in the distorted brain Of some
evil-minded individual does not deter
these accomplished sons of Annanias
from prosecuting their nefarios
work.
But why discuss this unsecmly
and cowardly feature Of a campaipn
which Republican ISLANDERS shouted
from the housetops at the beginning
should be conducted on a lofty plane?
Nothing we can say will keep the
element We are discussing from wal
lowing in the mire Of filthy politics
which has been their dwelling place
for 10, these many years.
1t is a waste of lather to shave
an ass" according to an ancient
adage, and 10y the same token it is
impossible to make a silk purse out
of a sow's ear.
We have an abiding faith however.
in the integrity and fairmindedness of
the great body Of the people of the
Ninth District whether they be Dem
ocrats or Republicans. They know q
he when they hear it, especially after
1t has been plainly proven to be a lie.
and repeated in the face of such
proof. And, knowing lie, these
sturdy, honest conservative men of
the mountains detest a liar They
may therefore be relied upon to re-
buke by their votes any party which
permits a lot of ''camp followers
and hangers on to 90 over a dis
trict -slandering and maligning hon
est men, whose public and private
records are known everywhere to be
above reproach.
We have observed this campaign
closely in all its bearings, and we
are happy to be able to say that so
Tar as we have discovered, not sin
gle word has been uttered, nor sin
gle line written by any Democratic
speaker or newspaper editor, which
reflected in the remotest degree upon
Mr.. Slemp's Integrity, nor has anv
discussion relating to him gone one
whit beyond his public record as q
Representative in Congress.
This is clean politics. This is what
both parties promised at the start
The Democrats have kept the faith
and some Republicans at least. have
violated it in the most shameless
manner.
There can be no justification for the
friends and supporters of one candi-
date for office to hatch up and circu
late barefaced, brazen and, groundless
falsehoods against another candidate
and We do not believe the people will
be quick to condone it. The mani
fest purpose of such quagmire politics
IS TO injure man by clearing false
witness against him. when his char
acter and position are So impregnable
that they cannot be successfully as
sailed by legitimate argument and
honest, straightforward methods.
Mr., Stuart has made clean and