The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-05
( TIONS FIGHT
FOR. FEDERAL JOBS
Early Test of Strength Between
Republican Forces Is
Expected.
KEEzELL FACING CRISIS
.kEEzELL FACING
If Paul Becomes Seventh Dis
trict Referee, Slemp May
Lose Prestige.

Close observers OF political condi.
tons in Virginia are coming more and
m. every day to the conviction that
me me hnaI. supreme test of strength be-
licanism in this State will come. not
over bossism or freedom at the polls.
over over. high or low tariff, over negro
suffrage or lily white domination, but
oyer the eternal question of Federal
| pie. The particular job which is ex..
pected to esta blish the supremacy OF
one or the other faction is the post
mastership of the town OF Harrison
burg.
Gratis OF Virginia are a set OF loving
brothers, a united and affectionate
family, a hundred thousand souls with
! but single thought. when compared
with the Republicans Of the state.
| Where questions of legalized primary
or unlegalized primary. or no primary
at all, or tax equalization. or fee sys-
TEN. trouble and divide the dominant
party, there is a far more soul-search-
ing and agonising difference OF opin-
ION IN the ranks of the G. o. P.-who
shal have the post-otllce or the col
lectorship or the marshalship or tho
1anltorship, whose salary comes once
per month from the treasury OF the
United States Of America.
Strenuous Fight
THIS MS struggle has reached the point
OF dividing the body OF Republicans
asunder In some instances. Republic
cans who attained unto power In the
party and were not wise enough, or,
perchance., We're too patriotic and un-
selfish, to seek an appointment, have
been cast aside as unutterable MIN
compoops by those VINO keep their
lamps always trimmed and burning.
In some congressional districts the
powers that be viii not permit the
nomination of party candidates. for
fear that the nominee will thereupon
appropriate unto himself the. position
or leader and carver OF pastry.
party candidate for Congress secured
a grand total of 25s votes in the capt
tai city at the recent election. and
whose nomination was preceded by
Is WHISPERED that John G. Luce and
Melvin Flegenhefmer, while not them
selves the authors of certain recent
i my anent pernic'ous poliu-
tossing ali night on their downy
couches in dire distress over the row.
But. as Kipling says. that's another
story.
Two Powers.
Harrisonburg gets into the game
thusly: Postmaster Keezell and his
fellow-county man, John Acker, have
been for years leading lights in Re
publican politics in the Seventh Dis
trict They have been TO some extent
the directors of party management.
and Mr.. Acker has been known as the
!; official referee for the Seventh Dis
trict in matters of Federal appoint
ments
So when Mr.. Keezell and Mr.. Acker
went to the Charlottesville convention,
which was to. name a candidate to op.
pose. representative James Hay, the
their minds that they would select the
man.; But they found a new Roland
for their Oliver in the person of Cap
tain John Paul, a young harrisonburg
man, who was destined to show them
that he knew few things about run
ming politics himself. The result was
split More people have Joined the
Anantas Club IS the result of trying
20 say VINO had the regular convention
IN that district than were made any
where in the country this year, save
OF course, In New York. SO no effort
Will be made here to express an opin-
ION on this sub iect.
Rival Republicans.
TWO nominations were made-Cap-
tain Paul was named by the insurgents
ana Hugh sidwell Lupton. of Winches-
ter, was selected as the standard
An appeal was made to the State
ommittee-to-wit. Representative c.
5 a,9 siemp and Alvah H. Martin. 1t
decided that the. man who could get
the most votes should be regarded as
the regular" Republican, Solomon
himself has nothing on the Republican
state Committee, it will be observed
when 1t comes to wisdom.
During the campaign it became
noised abroad that the refereeship had
been ruthlessly taken away from Mr..
Acker by Postmaster-General Hitch
cock and vested in Captain Paul. Mr.
on this point. and 1t was printed, but
Z, most people believe Captain Paul had
| received some assurances along this
The fight was hitter and tho Demo
Gratis sicked the combatants on with all
their hearts. In fact. some Of them be-
game so much interested that, knowing
they voted for one or the other of the
Republicans to oblige personal friend
who wanted a post-office and whose
getting it depended upon the triumph
CAPTAIN Paul beat the boots off Mr..
Lupton.. The two together got within
few thousand votes Of Mr.. Hay
Been Too Active.
Result: An investigation Of POST
I master keeZell for pernicious political
, activity, The postmaster ordinarily
does not mind this: for he has been .
office. But his faction has heretofore
| been the power that was, Now. accord
ing to the, ruling of the state Com.
no one doubts. but he Ell is not blamed
| for 1t, for without political activity
no Virginia Republican can gain or
hold Federal position. The pernicious-
ness depends entirely on who he is.
| Now. II Mr.. Slemp, who has always
| been regarded as the champion Of the
/ Acker-Keezell side. stands by his
/, promise, will it not give Mr.. Paul the
controlling voice in the Seventh Dis Dis,
/ he make a noise Hike letting his politi-
cal enemy, Mr.. Keezell, keep his job?
These are the questions upon whose
| answer before the end OF this year OF
| premacy OF Mr.. Slemp or of tho ele-
| ment which would have a new deal In
| Virginia Republicanism.
THE WEATHER