Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1911-08-31
ANOTHER LETTER
FROM DR.. GREEVER
To the Voters of TazewelI County and the
Proposition Which Was Made BY
His Friends to Mr.. Barns.

been called for September End. | can
not, IN fairness to myself, refrain from
making a brief reply to the article by
my friend and opponent, Mr.. John T.
Barns, which appeared in the current
issues of the county papers.
In the first place-first not only as re-
CARDS its precedence as to space, but
first also as to it's Importance as a part
of my reply-I desire to assure MIR.
Barns that nothing could have been fur
ther from my intention than the wish
to assail his character as a man or his
fairness as candidate; but that, to the
contrary, / believe he is an honorable
gentleman, and l insist that his inter-
probation of my letter, in so far as it
concerned himself personally, was un-
fortunate and erroneous. Furthermore,
| repudiate as unwarranted and unjusti-
fable, the charge that in my statement
| was unjust to 1.-THE Republican party
IN this county" Neither Mr.. Barns
nor any supporter of his can point to a
single sentence or phrase in my COM
munication that, in substance or by any
possible implication, contains a rehec-
tion on the integrity of the Republican
party as whole in this county. Who
constitutes the Republican party in this
county? The answer to this question
lies largely in the angle of vision. Does
the Republican organization as repre-
resented by Mr.. Barns as chairman and
by some 25 other gentlemen, his friends
and mine, constitute or represent the
sum total of Republicanism iu this coun-
ty? Certainly not. Then is the charge
which here reiterate, that there has
grown to full fiedged maturity in this
county, by ways that are dark and
tricks that are vain," within the Re-
publican. party, clique, a nucleus of
wealth and power, velvet-gloved iron
hand guided by q personality gifted
with an intuitive aptitude for political
organization and generalship, at whose
command troupe of hypnotized satel-
htes have danced like puppets in a show
when the master pulled the string-can
the charge, say, that a condition of
affairs, herein outlined as existing in the
county, be construed as an insinuation
that the Republican party as whole in
this county IS boss-ridden and helpless
in the grasp of political octopus?
l repeat the first charge and emphat-
ically deny the latter Mr.. Barns saws.
The proposition is too silly for serious
consideration" and l give him credit
for perfect sincerely in this statement.
1t must be remembered, however, that
in a case of this kind, it is much easier
to see with clearness of vision from the
outside in than from the inside out. l
l will not contend that Mr.. Barns is a
conscious member of this elusive ring.
but l will dare to say that some of its
emissarles are his sponsors. 1t is but
fair in this connection to say that here
serve notice to my Republican friends
that In this contest / shall stand or fall
by the position in regard to this matter
which l took in my letter of the 9th
inst, and IN which position l reintrench
myself now. l have planted my guns
TO stay. The Republicans who agree
with Mr.. Barns that the charge of mis-
rule is bogyman born in my imagina-
ton, will naturally vote for him; and
those Republicans who concur with the
idea that ring tactics, such as l have
mentioned, are not a creation of my
brain but an actuality in the political
life of this county, do exist and have
existed, and are menace to the ma
terlal and moral progress of our people,
Will give me their support. | have
been, and will doubtless again be asked
to name the man or men included in nv
charge. This question l do now, and
shall hereafter, ignore. If the shoe
don't pinch, no one but myself will be
hurt. l have dared to throw down the
gauntlet and the line of cleavage has
been made plain. If there is no ring.
i have invited disaster-if there is a
clique, as | maintain, which seeks to
control the political affairs of this coun-
ty, it should and, l believe, will be put
out of business.
/ wish here to brand as a lie a report
which Is being circulated by some un-
scrupulous scoundrel mot by Mr. Barns.
he is gentleman) to the effect that
when treasurer of this county failed
or defaulted, and my sureties had some
50, 600. 90 to pay for me, also the report
that have this or that gentleman as
sociated with me who will do or aid in
doing the business of the office should l
be elected. l hereby brand these re-
ports as lies of the whole cloth and
brand him or those who repeat them as
base liars, and serve notice that l will
continue to do so in all such cases. L
assure each and every voter of this
county that am keeping nothing con-
cealed from them, and that should any
alliance be made they shall know it.
AS to the charge made against nv
'brother-in-law, Mr.. Nj. L. Peery. and
the action of the County Committee-I
leave these for him to answer.
Mr.. Barns calls me to task for the as
sumption that news item appearing
in the Tazewell Republican of April the
10th, was a statement of facts. The
Republican is the official organ of the
party, and the accuracy of its news
service l have never heard questioned.
If the item in question was incorrect, in
common fairness, is it to be presumed
that should have known it?
One other thing shall refer to and
close. Mr.. Barns assumes and charges
that my original announcement, which
was made subject to convention. was
not made in good faith. Let me 90 into
this a moment with my friends. The
Supreme Court of the United States
read the word unreasonable" into a
very important decision. / claim the
right to amend my announcement with
the word reasonable" 1t is ALWAYS
understood that when an announcement
is made subject to party convention,
that such convention shall convene
within a reasonable time. After my
announcement as a candidate for the
cleTkship, my friends insisted that
convention should be called. There is
no mistake about this. l stood ready
to enter a convention and submit my
self to its will. AS time passed it be-
came matter of general understand