The Washington herald., 1922-01-22
VIRGINIA FARMERS
BLOC WILL FIGHT
FOR LOWER TAXES
Starts With 26 Members
In House and Seven
In Senate.

A~OA@-OAfCt 'css Sen. -
termed largely after the movement
in Congress and designed. accord
ing to Delegate George B. Reezeli
OF Rockbridge, ito see that the agri-
cultural interests OF virginia get q
square deal" an agricultural bloc
has been organized In the general
assembly here, with Senator J.
Brad Beverly, representing the
Eleventh senatorial district. a
chairman.
This body, composed largely OF
farmer members, has held several
meetings and appointed a steering
committee Twenty-six members OF
the organization are from the lower
branch. while Its strength in the
senate Is said to be even.
The bloc will fight increased tax
alton, try to cut to the bone any
thing which looks like unnecessary
appropriation, and will use Its ef-
forts to conserve as far at possi-
BILE what It conceives to be the best
interests of the State as a whole.
Tangle In Ninth District.
Democrats in the Ninth district,
virginia's one Republican strong
hold, are agog over several matters,
some of which are causing them
almost to hold their breath. Chief
among these was the report that
Representative C. Bascomb Slemp
was under consideration to succeed
Postmaster General Hays when the
latter leaves the government for
the movie field. The other Is the
plan to shoe-string Mr.: Slemp out
OF his Job. Ninth district Demo
Gratis feel that II Mr., Slemp was
called higher up ana givSn a Cab
met job IT would be easier for them
to elect a member of Congress next
fall.
1t would be good news down in
the Southwest to the Democrats to
know that Mr.. Slemp would not be a
candidate; not that that the people
of the district don't like Mr.. Slemp.
That's the real reason. for they
like him so well that he always
goes back to Washington without
the slightest trouble, and there is
room for the question as to whether
the district Is really Republican or
whether IL just likes Mr.. Slemp as
~ lAhCN ms AeNACAg anu ACCPo oChN-
ing him back at zach asking.
G. Os r. Leaders Alarmed.
Along with this comes a report
from the district that Republican
party leaders are alarmed here.
Naturally they are disturbed over
the talk OF a gerrymander, but
there is also some fear that the
Democrats will redeem the district
next fall. Early signs of activity
on the part Of Democrats and their
efforts to get the present legisla-
ture to do something for them by
the way of adding more Demo-
cratic strength to the district are
causes of more than passing con-
Germ. Often the Democrats of the
Ninth may have lost chances of
eIecting q Congressman in the dis
trict by being tardy in the field
with q ticket, but that will not
happen this year.
The proposition Of the Southwest
Democrats to add Pulaski, 'wythe,
Smyth, Washington, Scott, Lee and
the City of Bristol to the Sixth dis
trict, and to include Campbell, Bed
ford, Botetourt, Craig, Giles, Taze-
well, Russell, Bland, Buchanan,
Dickinson and wise and the City Of
Lynchburg in the Ninth district,
would, II Democrats continue to vote
as they have In the past, make inn
possible a Republican Congressman
from the southwest, but there Is a
grave question II Democrats in the
present Sixth district would stano
for such a shoe-string arrangement,
Representative Slemp Is quoted as
saying that II the Democrats are
not careful they will create two Re-
publican districts instead Of ending
Republican regime in one.
Practically all the counties max
ing up the Tenth district have ar
ranged for precinct mass meetings
for the selection of delegates to the
district convention to be held at
Staunton February IA to name a
candidate for the election to be held
March 81 to elect a Congressman to
serve the unexpired term Of the late
Henry d. Flood.
Tucker Delegate Control.
Not a little interest attached to
the meeting of the Rockbridge
County committee. because Rock
bridge has two of the candidates
for the nomination, Harry st.
George Tucker and A. Willis Rob-
ertson. Friends of Mr.. Tucker ap-
peared to be in control of the COM
mittee meeting and once they over
rode a decision of the chairman,
who held that proxies could not be
used for delegates at the conven-
ton.
Some surprise was occasioned by
the defeat of, Judge A. NJ. Aiken,
who was appointed by Governor
Davis to preside over the Seventh
judicial district, composed of the
counties of Henry, Pittsylvania and
Patrick and the city of Danyille,
for Judge Aiken, a world war vet
eran, had the backing of the Amer
lean Legion and he was defeated In
the Democratic caucus by a vote of
1o2 to "a. J. Turner Clements, Com
monwealth's attorney for Pittsyiva-
MIA County. who went into the race
for the tudgeship only a few days
before the general assembly, proved
10 be a much stronger candidate
than was generally expected. A
bitter fight was made on Aiken. led
oy Senator Rison, of Pittsylyania,
who said the Judge was a very
young man with little experience as
a lawyer and that many of the law