Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1922-10-06
SLEMP LIBELS
GEORGE PEERY
Tries to Mislead Voters of Ninth
District by Misrepresentation
of Facts.

The Big Stone Gap Post of Sept
9th contains an Exclusive" inter
view with MIR. Bascom Slemp by on
George Roebuck, in which the Con
eressman, if he is correctly quoted
ieiterates the falsehood injected int
the letter published in the Roanoke
Times following the democratic con
yention at Bristol. "Mr. Hassinger'!
lifc," says Mr.. Slemp, "is full o.
service to the communities in which
he has lived. He has helped hospi
tails, colleges, etc, ETC., while thu
Democratic candidates record on this
is blank" If Mr.. Slemp was cor
rectly quoted and if he is not igno-
rant of the word BLANK" he is gull
ty of an unqualified and inexcusable
Misrepresentation, published in the
leading newspaper of Wise County
with the deliberate purpose of injur-
ing the democratic candidate. This
may be lese majesty to the Repub-
lican god of this district, but it is u
fact which can be proved by Geol ge
Peery's check book and by the tes-
timony of hundreds of witnesses who
know his record in this county from
his boyhood job as clerk in T. e.
Georges. office to this hour. After
graduating from Emory and Henry
College, where he holds record as
student and religious leader unsur-
passed in the history of that insti-
tuition, he began his career us pub
lie school teacher and Sunday school
superintendent at Tazewell AS a
young man, he was in Strengthened
financial circumstances, but, as was
characteristic of him then and is
characteristic of him now, he gave
his moral and physical energy with.
out stint in high service to his COM
munity. Later he studied law ana
became eminent i'll his profession. He
would have made good in any pro-
money, but he is not wealthy. Mr..
Slemp charges, and others are help
ing to broadcast the charge over the
district, that he George Peery) is
a penurious man; that he turns a
deaf ear and closed hand to every
call for cash; that he is a dollar
squeezer and penny hoarder who
gloats over his gold like a Shylock-
stone deaf in all instances to the
clarion appeals of charity. The charge
is utterly false and malicious in its
intent, and the time has come for
George Peery's friends to fling it
back into the faces of his detractors
and, in the name of common decency
and fair play, call for a show down
OF a shut up.
George Peery is u man Of fine
fibre and real modesty of nature and
he shrinks from the vulgarity of
money-bags campaign such as the
republican leader and speakers have
forced on the people. His friends
have too much respect for his pride
and dignity of character to inquire
into his private affairs or to exagger-'
ate his generosity for political ad
vantage. 1t is known positively, and
it is mentioned without his knowl-
edge or sanction, that in the past
few years he has subscribed thous-
ands of dollars to educational, re-
ligious, Red Cross and other good
causes, among his gifts being sub
scription of 100000 to Emory and
Henry College In the Centenary
drive his check equalled that of any
other citizen of Tazewell with one
exception-that of q wcll-known null
timillionaire of this town who has so
much money the rats build nests in
is one of indefatigable personal SER
money. He was food Administrator
for Tazewell County under Herbert
Hoover; he made scores of speeches
i'll different parts of the County in
the various Red Cross and Liberty
Loan drives, and devoted himself
whole-heartedly to the wartime du-
ties of a patriotic citizen, without
thought of reward or financial loss.
Mr.. Slemp also has q splendid war
record, but it will be recalled that
his salary of $500 year was not
suspended by the government. 1t is
recalled, too, that when the war was
over and the faces of the Tazewell
boys who didn't come back were re-
membered, and a movement was
started to honor their memory with
a memorial of some kind, George c.
Peery was the only man in Tazewell
who offered to encourage the move
ment with a cash subscription. This
act of his, which is not a rumor but
a fact, should seal with shame the
lips of those who insinuate that he
is not in sympathy with the cause
of the boys who fought in the war.
And yet Mr.. Slemp makes the un-
qualified statement that along lines
3 of personal service and generosity
CUe uciuOCidLlC CSiluludLe IeCOlu IL
blank. 1t is reasonable presump-
tion that MIR. Slemp reflects the opin.
ion of certain Tazewell republican
politicians as to George Peery's char.
acter and reputation, and that he be-
lieved he was telling the truth; but
ignorance is no excuse for misrepre
sentation for political effect. When {
real man finds out he is mistaken HI
hastens to correct himself. 1t re
mains to be seen whether Mr.. Sleml
will disavow his unjust and unfai'
attack on stainless gentleman, VIII,
has always stood, stands now, ant
always will stand on a plane abov
the foul and false filings and misre
presentations directed against hir
in this campaign. George Peery doe
not know the rules of the game i
which Mr.. .Slemp holds hand. He j
not built that way.