The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1906-06-21
JAMES ALLEN STRIKES BACK.
lie Gives the Bristol Courier and the Cox
ties Terrific Jolt.
To the Editor of the Bristol Courier:


untruthful statements in reference to
myself contained in an editorial of your
paper issued June 5, 1906, / desire to
submit to such fair minded democrats
as care to know the real facts in the case
the truth concerning my relations with
Gov Cox and Gen Patterson in the con-
test for the nomination for governor.
The key note of your editorial by
which you seek to brand me with
treachery and dishonor is that | was
under a sacred promise to Gov. Cox, or
his friends, to deliver to him the TWEEN
ty-one votes of Greene county IN the
tate convention. state unequivocal-
ly and most positively that the charge
that | promised Gov. Cox to deliver
him the vote of Greene county is false
and without any foundation in fact. l
never gave Gov Cox nor his friends
any promise that would deliver to him
4 the vote of Greene county. Some time
before the Sullivan county convention,
when in Nashville, Gov. Cox asked me
to pledge him the vote of Greene coun-
ty, replied TO him that | could not do
it, that | would not undertake arbitari-
ly to pledge the vote of Greene county
to any interest, because | would not as.
snme that / arbitrarily could control
my county. | assert positively that
there was never at any time during the
campaign any promise or agreement
made to any of Gov. Cox's friends by
me TO cast the vote of Greene county
for him. | am very frank to say that
before the action of Sullivan county, in
which Gov. Cox refused to allow instruc-
tions for me, and before the convention
in Washington county, in which the
Cox supporters refused to instruct for
me, after promising me that they would
do so, felt inclined to support Gov.
Cox because we we're in the same con-
gressional district. This disposition
ON my part to favor Gov. Cox was bas-
ed on the reasonable assum ption that
be would not interfere in my own dis
trct to prevent Instructions for me, af
ter | had convinced myself that he had
done so, never felt that | was under
any obligations whatever to Gov. Cox,
aud realized that could expect no aid
from him. Therefore, Greene county,
repeat, was never, by me, committed
to Gov. Cox or his friends. On the
day of our county convention when
delea ates were selected to attend the
convention at Nashville Gov. Cox was
present III Greeneville seeking to have
the convention instructed in favor of
bis candidacy. If Gov. Cox felt that l
had sacredly promised him Greene
county, why did he deem it necessary
to be present in Greeneville on the day
of the convention and conduct au ener-
getic campaign on the street in his own
behalf? In spite of the aggression OF
his friends, the convention sent the
delegation of Greene county to Nash
vile uninsructed, and out of the sixty
four delegates appointed by the con.
yeution, the decided majority were
anti-Cox.
On Saturday before the Tuesday
when the convention assembled one ol
Cox's political lieutenants, whose name
[ eau give, appeared in Greeneville tc
see that Cox delegates got to Nashville.
1t would be supposed if had sacred
ypronised the county to Gov. Cox,
and had myself committed to him, this
lieutenant would have conferred witt
me on that day, as | was in Greeneville
Instead of that he was closeted with
two ardent Cox men, and did not SCI
him ou that day or even know that ht
was III Greeneville until after his de
parture.
On the assembling OF the delegation
in Nashville on the morning of the con
ventfOn, in my room at the Tulane no
tel, vote was taken to determine wha
the delegation should do. A resolution
was passed by vote of 93 to IA tha
= the chairman should cast the vote o
Greene county on every proposition
before the convention in the interest c
my candidacy for railroad commission
er. This vote of 90 to 14-23 Patterson
IA Cox-represented the comparatiy
strength of Gov. Cox and Gen. Pattel
son in Greene county uninstructed de
egation present in Nashville.
The action of the Claiborne, Sulliva
= and Washington county conventions
counties in my own congressional dill
trict, which | had been led to beliey
byGov. Ooxs friends in those counties
would instruct for me in instructin
n for Gov. Cox, and refusing to instru'
for me, practically destroyed all hope
ever had of receceiving any assistanC
from Gov. Cox.
| frankly state that, being a candida
for railroad commissioner, and N
county being uninstructed, my frienC
q started out with the avowed purpose
u use all honorable means to bring abo
, my nomination, and were more inte
ested in my behalf than in either ca
, didate for governor. 1t became spps
Y ent to me and my friends that | hi
q nothing to hope for whatever by allyn
Y myself with the interest of Gov. Co
,s This fact was doubly confirmed to I
u -. 1.---Ll. - g.. e. h;.,nn