Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-07-11
VIRGINIA NEWS
AT CAPITAL
BY George II. Manning
Especial COrreSpOndsntJ

district are considerably increased this
year and giving Virginia solid DEM
ocratic delegation in the House by the
announcement of Congressman C..
Bascom Slemp, republican, who has
represented for Is years the only re-
publican district in Virginia in the
House, that he will not be a candi-
! date for reelection
In spite of Mr.. Slemp's announce
ment, however, many prominent dem
ocrats and many of his republican
! friends remembering that twice before
he said he would not run and then
later got into the race, still believe ne
will again be the republican candidate
The democratic prospects of success
are improved even if Slemp later
chan \es his mind, however, because of
the optimistic spirit Slemp's announce
mcnt of his retirement Will inject into
the democrats of the Ninth.
On the other hand Mr.. Slemp took
personal charge last tpril OF the cam
paign conducted to get every republi-
can man and woman in the Ninth dis
trict to register and claimed at the
end of the drive that even after max
ing full allowance for lethargy among
the republicans in November as re-
suit of later DEVELOPMENTS that so
many more republicans had registered
than democrats that republican sue
cess appeared assured. Mr.. Slemp
/ took more than the usual interest IN
the registration of the voters last
\ Al. Of al
| friends who knew that as long as ~
months ago he began preparing his
plan to retire from Congress.
Mr.. Slemp's announcement of his
intention to retire from Congress and
not again be a candidate was not a
surprise to a number of his closest
friends because he has been talking
about taking such step for six years
and has been preparing his plans to
retire for the last six months.
His decision to retire comes from
! the realization that as a Virginia
republican he has reached the height
of any career that he can hope for in
politics for at least twenty years to
come and that he has reached the point
! in life, and has before him the oppor-
tunity, to make fortune for himself.
If Mr.. Slemp was q democrat OF
Virginia, or republican from Il
Northern or Western State, he would
have. with the progress he has made IN
politics during the past fifteen years
as a background, an opportunity to be-
come in the not distant future one Of
the foremost figures of his party. But
as a Virginia republican such oppor-
/ tunity is denied him. The republican
party does not choose its leaders from
! Virginia now, and the whole sentiment
of the party would he against such a
step for the next thirty years.
NJ. Slcmp is readily acknowledged
! by those who know him well to be of
senatorial calibre, but what chance is
) there Of the republicans electing a
Senator Of their own party from Nir-
ginia for the next twenty-five years at
least?
He is n man of keen intellect, Il stu
dent and a hard worker when big
problems present themselves, and is
fully capable of holding a cabinet place
in acceptable style. But his failure
to oct a place IN the Harding cabinet
when everything except geographical
lo'otion OF his homo was in his favor
makes it quito plain that ne has moth
Nth while to hope for in that
direction.
Mr.. Slemp was held in high esteem
hv Presidont HARDING by VIII Hays.
who was his closest adviser, and bv all
! The othor clements in the republican
party, but he could not get place in
'hc cabine; because he came from
'''''~'''ia "nd the Republican party IS
a party Of the North.
He is a membe~ of the Appropria-
| ton Committee. the most important
corr~'i+toe in the House and can get
no further promotion; he is National
! Committeeman from Virginia. and
can 90 no higher; he is undisputed dis
penser Of all the federal patronage for
the State and has rewarded all has
| friends: he has the ear of, and is in
the good graces of the President, his
cabinet members and advisers. but can
not get in the cabinet; as vice-chalr-
man Of the Republican National Com
mittee he has had charge Of OrganlZ-
/ lUR lne cDIlIp INOulU, Dut NeAHliO' iiY"N
to become Republican Nationa! Chair
man. because he comes from the South.
SO. with his advance 70 the Senate
land the cabiEe, annarently barred, and
having Sr:ved fifteen years IN the
House and reached place as leader
in his party Ny Slomp naturally real
ICES he can 20 no further ahead along
the lines Of the past. and is looking
ahead TO q career in private business
in which he hopes to make fortune
while still young and active man.
For the past II or Is years and
especially during the last 10 years
Mr.. Slemp has taken an interest in
organizing several growing coal min
ing comDanies in the Ninth district
and in West Virginia and Kentucky
If he should give up his work in Con-
gress and devote his entire time to
these companies he believes he sees
at least a modest fortune in sight for
him within the next fifteen years.
Then, perhaps. with his finances
taken care Of. he could. if he chooses
and the outlook is bright, re-enter pol
itics at about the point where ne left
off. with but little lost and probably
much gained.
There is no absolute certainty, how"
over that Mr.. Slemp will stick TO his