Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-04-11
MISUNDERSTANDING
CONGRESSMAN SLEMP
The lynchhurg News is Taken 10 Task For
Editorial Comment on Interview Not Given
Out by Ninth District Representative.


Washington, D. c., April 6. 1912.
To The EDITOR OF THE LYNCHBURG
NEWS. LYNCHBURG. VA.
Dear SIR
A friend has sent me copy of your
paper containing your editorial of April
2ud, entitled: Not Creditable to
Slemp." You based your editorial on
an alleged interview by me with the
Washington correspondent of the Rich
mond Times-Dispatch. know of moth
ing less creditable in an individual
than for an editor of a newspaper to
base an editorial rejecting on another
on printed interview where he had i'm
mediate means of verifying the inter-
view, but did not do so. You have a
correspondent of your paper here in
Washington and you could have ask him
whether or not the interview correctly
represented my views. This you delib-
crafty neglected to do. The Vidette. a
weekly newspaper published at Glade
Springs, published the interview, but at
the same time stated that it would re-
serve comment until had opportunity
to state whether or not l subscribed to
1t as my own. If you had had the SEM
blance of fairness as well as a proper
appreciation of newspaper ethics YOU
would have adopted the same course.
The facts are that had q talk with a
Baltimore correspondent in regard to
general election conditions in our state
and district. The correspondent of the
Richmond Times Dispatch came to nv
office late the same day, and, after a
few minutes conversation, l referred
him to the other correspondent as l was
leaving the Office at the time l did not
see what ne sent out nor did l know un-
til l saw your editorial the language he
had used in undertaking to convey my
position. Had seen it l would not
have subscribed to the language l am
credited with in that interview. think
the better way to discuss this matter is
for me to state my position, ask you to
state yours and see wherein we differ.
First: ! am In favor of no money belnq
used In campaigns except for purposes
considered by every one as Ieqlti-
male. believe that the best way at
the present time to bring this about is
through an agreement between candi-
dates, county committees and psrty
leaders of both sides. making it a mat
ter of personal honor
Second: | am IN favor Of both uoIIti-
cal parties having equal representation
at the ballot box, and l say equal
advisedly. The best and only way
to accomplish this under present
conditions is by agreement also. The
law should be changed to permit equal
representation in my judgment. In the
district there are, l imagine, some 500
judges of election. Four hundred of
these could be democrats and 400 could
be republicans, the candidates or COM
mlttees agreeing on each individual so
as to secure the best possible men. At
each voting place each political party
should have at least one Judge of its own
selection. You contend that IN equal
division is impossible Under the law
there are three judges of election at
each voting place. 1t is impossible to
divide these into two equal parts as you
say. 1t is not impossible, however. to
have at one precinct two republican
judges and one democrat judge, and at
the next precinct to have two demo-
Gratis and one republican, and so op.
alternating around the district. l re-
peat that this can be accomplished by
agreement among the candidates in the
district and no Judge need be selected
not agreeable to the other side
Third: hold that under any and alt
circumstances the minority party should
have representation of its own selection
at every voting precinct, one Judge sud
one clerk
Fourth: l contend, unles YOU advo-
cate the third position as well as the
first, and personally l believe the sec
old, that your demand for fair elections
IN the Ninth district or anywhere else
Is hum5ug, farce and lacking in all
sincerity.
ask that you answer YES or NO to
each of these propositions After you
have stated your views with absolute
definiteness we are all then in a position
to establish the correctness of the posi-
tion by reference to past elections in the
Ninth district or elsewhere, but first, Mr..
Editor, let US have your answers yes or
no, without equivocation, hedging or
evasion.
You realize, of course. that the con
vention for the nomination of a Repuh-
lican candidate for Congress in the
Ninth district has not been called and
until it is and unless am selected as its
standard bearer. speak only as a citi-
zen of the district interested in every
thing that will promote higher standards
in the State as we'll as the district.
Very truly,
C. B. SLEMP.