Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-08-29
M'GAVOCK DEFENDS
CONGRESSMAN SLBMP
ReSenls Attacks On Ninth District RspreSen.
iatiTe by Democratic journals And Shows
Up Part of The Virginia Judiciary
With Regard TO COHgpting Voters

NFP ~ yNNA paper VI august lOIu,
an attack upon Mr. c. B Slemp. copied
from the Richmond Journal, vsguely
crying to fix upon him he responsibility
for the corruption said TO exist in he
Ninth congressional district OF Virginia
The Journal praises the efforts made by
Judge Skeeh to put an end to vote buy
ing in his judicial district and say s that
the efforts Of the judge have been so
sGccessful as to frighten MIR. SlemD and
cause him to decline the nomination.
The whole spirit of the attack, if such
Jncalled for SANDER may be dignified by
calling it an attack" is a veiled as
Iertion that the Slemps, father and son,
owed their elections to the unlawful use
If money, and that the people of Vir-
-,nia, ant especially of the Ninth dis
.I.c', never knew of or experienced the
.srmful effects of corrupt practices in
lectious until these two gentlemen en-
cred the political arena. 1t is no labor
: love for any Virginan, proud of his
ate, 70 wade through tha sea of polit-
;ai filth which for the last thirty years
rs been overwhelming and rendering
1in ali efforts toward decency and far
.1sliug in politics
Have we come to such a state of po-
,tcai corruption that the most InsignIfi
'lt person can feed fat his envy and
Is hate, finding ready believers, by cir
C'ating monstrous statements deroga-
ory to the fair name and fame of any
eHtiemsn in public life?
Have the people of Virginia 80 lost all
7stirct Of generosity that they can ap-
.,aId the effort of the Richmond Jour
81 To bring into disrepute the two latest
c0ugressmen from the only white mans
district in the state? Since time was,
has been the custom TO forbear from
ny unkind reference TO the dead, and
amOnE gentlemen and high minded foe
men it has been the practice to look for
h.ngs to commend in the character and
deeds of a man retiring from public
life.
Should |, in this letter, mention the
name of any democrat, | distinctly state
that it is not for the purpose Of render
ing him odious, but because could not
defend Mr. Slemp fully, nor place the
blame where it justly belongs, at least
n great measure, if did otherwise.
From a close study CT the data bear
ing upon the question, have concluded
that, in the Stuart and Slemp campaign,
there were added to the voting list the
names of six thousand seven hundred
men. not including the young men just
coming of age. OF this number five
housand two hundred were democrats,
sCd one thousand five hundred were re-
uublicans. 1t required four dollars and
seventy-fve cents each to qualify these
Men, and besides this, the usual amount
which has, for years, been expended for
poll taxes. The whole amount expend-
ed for the payment of poll taxes in that
campaign was approximately, in the
aggregate, sixty thousand dollars.
Tairty-nine thousand dollars was paid
by the democrats, and twenty-one thous-
and was paid by the republicans. This
ls IS nearly accurate a statement as it is
possible to make. Recollect that Stuart
received 5, 200 votes more than any 9TH
- democrat had ever received before,
since 1902, and Slemp received 1,5OO
more votes than either of the Slemps
aad ever received before.
Among democrats it had always been
considered a corrupt practice to pay
he poll taxes of the impecunious voter
The republicans have always held to the
contrary doctrine. Mr.. Slemp, if he
contributed to this fund, did not have to
render an account of it under the law,
because he was not at that time nor for
some months afterward the nominee of
The republican party. Mr.. Stuart at
he time of the payment of these taxes
md for months before, was the nominee
of the democratic party, and if he con-
-Iihuted any money toward this expense,
Under the law, he was required to certi-
= to il, in as much as it was an cleo
ion expense and incurred after his nom-
nation.
As Mr.. Stuart did not certify to this
Expense he, Of course, did not incur it,
that burden fell upon the shoulders
.. ais many warm, but poor, admirers.
NOw, shall not go into the matter of
uy.ng votes, but will content myself
vitn referring to single fact which,
ike a straw, will indicate how the cur
rent ran on the memorable occasion.
Both democrats and republicans paid
the travelling expenses of their voters,
who were away from -heme; but the
republicans had to be extremely eco
nomical, only paying from nearby points
The democrats, however, brought them
from Buffalo, N. Y, and from Atlanta,
Ca, ano on every check was this most
encouraging and Illuminating legend
''tside the Pullman"
And SO impressed are he people of the
Ninth by this concise ald epigrammatiC
Injunction, that when they visit Roa.
i