Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1922-10-13
HOT SHOTS FROM DICKINSON
4 ,..,rss sS.,5.s COUNTY.

Fteeling, Va, Oct. 10-The stand
nttter regime of the Republican par
/ Gy, led by G. Bascom, L. p. Summers
and horde OF Federal office-holders,
with Mr.. Hassinger as side-show,
Is evidently finding cause for worry
these autumn days.
Alarmed by the steady and grow
ing resentment toward the Harding
administration, and the cordial man
ncr i'll which George C. Peery is be-
ing; received throughout the district,
and sensing impending defeat, they
have Embossed the walls of their
wrath and are charging fraud and
disregard of law by all Democrats,
and the registration officers in par
ticular.
Mr.. Slem.p's extension of remarks
IN the congressional record, publish
ed i'll many Virginia papers as a paid
advertisement, is virtually wall of
woe. To one rot fam liar with the
history of Ninth district politics for
the past twenty years, that state
ment might truly sound like the ut
terance of man who stands four
square to every wind that blows and
veritable pathfinder in the way Of
honest elections and the elimination
OF bribery and corruption of every
species. But history does not bear
out that possible conclusion. On the
other hand, the facts are that MIR.
Slemp is the very last man in the
world to properly and conscientious
~ send forth the call for pure cleo
tons.
To cut to the bone and state nak-
ed facts that cannot be controverted,
Congressman Slemp and his lieu
tenants blazed the way for the un-
lawful expenditure of money in
Ninth district elections on a huge
scale nearly twenty years ago. And
they have followed that policy every
congressional election unto this good
day; and they have up to this time
spent every dollar that would count
J in this campaign, and they will con-
tinue to do so until the sun goes
down election day.
l make no excuse or apology for
any Democrat who violates the let
ter or the spirit of the law. Demo-
Gratis have used money illegally in
elections in this district, admit,
and as every one knows, but not on
such stupendous scale as Mr..
Slemp's friends have in his behalf
election after election. Corrupting
the electorate by the use of money
is reprehensible and, il persisted in,
will eventually undermine and de-
stroy representative government and
bring about conditions that are ap-
palling.
But, let's reason together; let's
see who started this thing.
Back in the good year of 1907, the
year Mr.. Slemp was first elected to
congress, David L. Bailey, a pillar
of strength for generation in the
councils and deliberations of the Re-
publican party in Virginia, made an
independent race for congress against
Mr.. Slemp. A copy of the Clintwood
Times, bearing date, December IL,
1907, contains letter from Mr..
Bailey, from which will make some
brief extracts:
"Again 1 have charged Mr.. Slemp
on the stump in his home county, at
Wise, Norton and Coeburn, with as
sessing Federal office-holders thru
the power of his position as state
chairman of the Republican party, to
raise q corruption fund, with which
to debauch the electorate of this dis
trict, and he made no denial.
~ have charged, and SO far have
heard no denial, that the total amount
of salaries paid Federal office-holders
in this state is something over$600,-
600, and that MIR. Slemp, as state
chairman, levies an assessment of
five per cent, or 100000, a sum
wrung from Federal oflice-holders,
for which he renders no account. Is
it too much to ask the chairman of
the Republican party, man who
has had all the eligible members OF
his family in Office for years, and is
now seeking to perpetuate himself in
power, / say it is too much to ask
that he give an account of his stew
ardship? Thus far Mr.. Slemp has
treated the demands Of the people
with silent contempt. Is the consci-
ence of my countrymen so dead that
it does not revolt against the iniqui-
tious methods in vogue in this dis
trict?"
Mr.. Slemp made no denial of the
grave and serious charges made by
Colonel Bailey. Some months after
the election the Colonel was appoint
ed Collector of internal Revenue for
the Sixth district of Virginia, thru
and by the recommendation of Mr..
OieiHp, anu Cne Olu man was again
taken into the fold. But from that
day to this he has made no retrac-
ton of the charges he hurled at Mr..
Slemp from the platform and through
the press of the district. Inasmuch
as there was never n plea of "not
guilty" to the charges from any
source, and never retraction from
the Colonel, the inevitable conclusion
is that the old soldier knew what he
was talking about, and that Mr..
Slemp deemed it wise and expendient
to placate him and shut his mouth
with fat job.
1t is not natural to suppose that
an even larger sum is being wrung
from Federal office holders to-day
for the same purpose that it was in
AS the candidate of his party for
congress year after year, and as
state chairman, Mr.. Slemp was sure
ly in as close touch with his party
in the district as he says Mr.. Peery
is now, and he must have been fully
as cognizant of what was going