Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1911-08-11
DIR CREEvER TALKS
Expresses Hi m S If About
Things And The County
Convention In Particular

"" ehS 0eh udy VI ldSt MarcD an
nounced myself candidate for clerk
against Mr.. John L. Barns. made
my announcements subject to a re.
publican convention, and I made that
announcement in good faith. Both my
friends and | asked that this conven-
tion be held at once, and the party
organization, of which Mr. Barns is
Chairman. went so far as to call the
republican committee together away
back in April for the purpose of al
lowing Mr.. Barns to resign and also to
call this convention. (See Tazewell
Republican, dated April 25, 1911
When that convention met MIR.
Barns did not resign or offer his res
ignation, nor did he or his friends
mention convention. We believed
then an d we think so yet, that if it
was good politics 10 call convention
the proper time was then and not now
so as to allow the free and untra M
meled Republican voters to pass on
this matter between us.
Mr.. Barns and his associates, who
were and are in control of the party
organization, said, 'no, will have no
convention; it is bad politics. - Inas-
umch as they were in control of the
party organization and we could not
call this convention, have gone on
with this canvass for the past five
months, believing there would be no
convention and making no preparation
whatever. for it. With two days no.
tice, Mr.. Barns, as chairman of the
committee, calls the committee to-
gether and on August 3rd the com
mittee, in a cut and dried way, every
move mapped out before hand, calls a
convention to meet on September End,
not to name Republican ticket, but
candidate for Clerk only.
Now, Mr.. voter, please note that
Mr.. Barns and his friends were in
complete control and that they have
had nearly four months since this
April meeting in which to prepare for
this, THEIR convention. During all
this time we were kept entirely in
the dark and were not expecting a
convention to be called unless a Dem
ocratic candidate appeared in the
field. Please note, no other candidate
has appeared, and no good reason has
arisen, so far as we can see, for call
ing this convention, other than that
they had gotten THEIR trap set, each
of THEIR men had been seen and
they believed that the time was op-
perfume and the slaughter was ready.
Mr.. fairminded and honest voter, do
you believe this is square deal?
Did not Uncle Joe Cannon meet his
Waterloo by failing to realize that
his day of usefulness was over and
that "the iron hand" would be no
longer tolerated? We believe like
conditions prevail in good old Taze-
we'll county today.
My friends, in this committee meet
ing, pointed out the unfairness of a
convention at this time, and under
these circumstances, and asked for
two things-first, instead of this doc
tored convention, that an old time
mass meeting be called, in which ev-
cry voter might have the privilege of
standing up and being counted for the
man of his choice. Second, Ethat full
Republican ticket be placed in the
field. Both of our suggestions were
spurned and turned down-the old
time whip was cracked, held and
welded by the iron hand, and THEIR
Convention was called.
Now Mr.. voter, we believe this to
be free country. We believe each
and every voter should have voice
in the affairs of this county. We be-
lieve that the boy in the log cabin
should have an equal show with the
one born in the manor. We believe
there is no place among the voters of
this county for the blue blood" mo
holy of holies," into which only
"OUR PEOPLE" may enter. And
we don't believe we have been given
a square deal. We DON'T believe in
one man power. We DON'T believe in
ring rule. We DON'T believe the vot-
ers OF this county, great and grand as
it is, in everything else that makes
progress, owe every Office in the coun-
ty to one man, any one set of men, OF
to any one family. We DON'T believe
you voters will stand for any of these
therefore 1 have decided to run this
race through to finish, regardless
of any action that Mr.. Barns and his
friends may take in THEIR conyen.
tion September End, and let the voters
settle this matter at the polls on No
vember 7th.
If the voters of this county are il
favor of fair play and the square dea
and / know they are, believe the,
will stand by me in this fight against
ring rule, one man power and famil,
domination.
For thirty. years have stood wit
tho ,anuhlioop ,,arfo of fh,a oo,,nt,, :.