Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1911-09-01
DIR. C. W. CREEVER
SPEAKS AGAIN
Replies to Last Article of MIR.
Barns, Submitting The
Propositions Offered


To the voters of Tazewell County:
While deplore the necessity of ap-
pearing second time in the public
press relative to my posotion with re-
ference to the Convention, which has
been called for September End, can
not, in fairness to myself. refrain
from making brief reply to the
article by my friend and opponent,
Mr.. Jonhn 7. Barns, which appeared
i'll the current issues of the county
papers.
In the first place-first not only as
regards its precedence as to space, but
first also as to its Importance as a
part of my reply-I desire to assure
Mr.. Barns that nothing could have
been further from my intention than
the wish to assai his character as
man or his fairness as candidate ::
but that, to the contrary, | believe
he is an honorable gentleman, and
insist that his Interpretation of my
letter, in so far as it concerns him
self personally, was unfortunate and
erroneous. Furthermore, repudiate
as unwarranted and unjustifiabe, the
charge that in my statement was
unjust to "the Republican party in
this county," Neither MIR. Barns nor
any supporter of his can point to
single sentence or phrase in my COM
munication that, in substance or by
any possible implication, contains
reflection on the integrity of the Re-
publican 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 organ
ization as represented by Mr.. Barns
as chairman and by some other gen
tIemen. his friends and mine, consti-
tute or represent the sum total of re-
publicanism in this county? Certainly
ots-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
nre vain," within the Republican
party,a clique,a nucleus of wealth and
power, avelvet gloved iron hand guided
by personality gifted with an intui-
tive aptitude for political organiza-
tion and generalship, at whose COM
mand troupe of hypnotized satellites
have danced like puttppets in show
when the master pulled the string
en- hn Oh II
of affairs, herein outlined as existing
in the county, be construed as an in
sinuation that the Republican party
as whole in this county is boss
ridden and helpless in the grasp of a
political octopus?
l repeat the first charge and en-
phatically deny the latter. MIR. Barnes
says the proposition is too silly for
serious consideration, and l give
him credit for perfect sincerity in
this statemnt. 1t must be remember
ed, however, that in case of this
kind, it is much easier to see with
clearness of vision from the outside in
than from the inside out / will not
contend that Mr.. Barns is conscious
member of this elusive ring, but /
will dare say that some of its emf
ssaries are his sponsors. 1t is but
fair in this connection to say that l
here serve notice to my Republican
friends that in this contest / shall
stand or fall by the position in regard
to this matter which took in my let
ter of the 9th inst,. and in which
position reintrench myself now /
have planted my guns to stay. The
Republicans who agree with Mr..
Barns that the charge of missrule is a
bogyman born in my imagination, will
naturally vote for him, and those
republicans who concur with the idea
that ring tactics. such as have men
toned, are not creation of my
brain but an actuality in the political
life of this county, do exist and have
existed, and are amenace to the mater
ial 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 in
cluded in my charge. This question
do now and shall hereafter ignore
If the shoe don't pinch, no one bu
myself will be hurt. have dared t,
throw down the gauntlet and the lin,
of cleavage has been made plain. l
there is no ring, ! have invited dis
aster-if there is clique, as main
tain, which seeks to control the poll
tical affaira Of this cnuntv If ahoul
and, / believe. will be put out o
business.
Mr. Barns calls me to task for tn
assumption that news item appear
ing in the Tazewell Republican o
April the 20, was statement I
4 L u