Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-26
HOPING TO DEFEAT
f, SLEMP IN VIRGINIA
Democrats Believe They Can
Elect Capt. Handy to Con-
uresS in Ninth District.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

RICHMOND, Va, September 20
After having told the republic
cans of the ninth district that he did
not care to return to Congress, and
leaving the fight wide open for the
delegates to the convention to name
another man. Representative c. Bas-
com Slemp, submitted gracefully
when the nomination was given 10
him and said that he would accept
and make the race. but told the mem
bers of the convention that his duties
in Washington would prevent his
making the fight that would be neces-
sary and that it would devolve on
them to make the campaign for him.
Mr.. Slemp is engaged in the task OF
seeking to break the solid south
for the benefit of his party, a task
that will require time, ability. stra-
tegy and weeks of ceaseless toll.
On the other hand, the democrats of
the ninth district are up and about IN
the matter of their campaign, they
are registering the women of the dis
trict, they are seeing to it that the
women are qualified and that they
are properly placed so that they can
exercise the right of suffrage The
democrats are saying that many more
democratic than republican women are
going to the officers and perfectinS
themselves for the voting privilege
the the coming election and that they
have every reason to believe that
Capt. Boiling Handy, who was in the
fighting with his men in France. has
more than good show to wrest from
Represe sentative Slemp the seat which
he tried TO surrender, and which the
republicans apparently realized meant
the surrender of the district in case
he sidesteped the nomination.
The Governorship.
Contrary to general belief, neither
State Senator G. Walter Mapp nor
Representative Flood has announced
for the governorship. This announce
ment was expected following the re-
cent session of the state democratic
convention. The voters are still
guessing There is no question that
Harry St George Tucker will have
opposition. that it will be vigorous
opposition and that the women voters
are on his trail. The women of the
Equal Suffrage League say that the
them and that they will do their best
to give the nomination to Senator
Mapp.
Registration of COlOred Women. :
One of the puzzling things is the
manner in which the colored women
are seeking to register. There are
many of them who are managing to
meet requirements. and there are
many others who are getting left in
this business. being incapable of
me citing the laws requirements in the
prceedings.
Just why such a large registration
of colored women has been attempt
ed no one has been able to ascer-
tain. When they began to come. in
such large numbers it aroused sus-
picion and the democrats are keep
ing tab on the registration and see
ing to it that the women meet all
requirements and complete their
registration papers without assist
ance, as the law demands. 1t is
known that several OF the women
had assistance, but when this became
known the officers cut off the as
sistance and confiscated the cards
OF instruction"
Democrats Not Boiling.
There has been considerable spec
tention of heretofore well known
democrats voting for the republican
nominees this year. Efforts to con-
firm this have not met with startling
success, and there is no reason to
doubt that the men who were say
publican ticket this year either have
disappeared or they have been
stricken dumb. Virginia will give
the usual democratic majority this
year, and that majority will be in
creased in proportion to the vote
the women will cast. Unless all
signs fail there will be a majority
of about $1,000 this year for the
democratic ticket
The republican ticket will show a
larger vote for the head than for the
nominees for Congress, due to the
fact that the colored voters are ready
to vote for Harding and Coolidge
and to "cut the life, out of the lily
white candidates for Congress. On
this is based the belief that the dem
ocrats will be able to capture the
ninth district this year.
The fight against the primary plan for
making nominations is on, and the
election of delegates to the next state
convention, to be held in April next,
is under way. The invention will
have that as bone of contention and
though there will be a determined ef-
fort on the part of some politicians
to adhere to the present system, the
belief is that the majority of the peo-
pie see what sinjustices have been
done, which. are still likely to happen.
and how some of the most accept
able men in the state have been shut
out of holding office because they
Office at the expense of time and
money required. 1t need occasion no
surprise if the next complement of
democratic officers is named at a con-
vention to be composed of delegates
elected by the voters in their respec-
tive precincts.
HORACE A. HAWKINS.
MANY mi nPEn WnMEM