The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-10-06
WAS URGED TO MAKE RACE
For Congress by MIR. Thompson
who Stated that Between Sells
andSwab He was to Swab
Editor Comet:

ult. Mr.. 5. H. Thompson gives an in
terview, relative to me, in which h
says:
"Relatiye to Mr.. Penland, it woult
seem that he is a relative of the secont
district. OF this / am not sure. Blu
as between him and Mr.. Sells, l an
sure that Mr.. Sells was just as warm 1
friend to Col. Brownlow as was Mr.
Penland. Almost the last official &C,
of Congressman Brownlow was to rec
ommend the removal of Mr.. Penland
from office on the ground that Mr.. Pen.
land had betrayed his trust. I do NOT
think the Brownlow men should quar-
rel with each other over which merits
their support. Mr.. Penland or Mr..
Sells. I feel that we are free to Judge
these men on their respective standing.
Personally l am for Mr.. Sells, in the
first place because he announced him
self early in the race and did not hesi-
tate annd declared he would be a can
didate as did Mr.. Penland. In the
second place, it seems to me that his
Legislative experience will enable him
to do as much and even more than can
Mr.. Penland, or any one else we might
send from this district"
When Mr.. Thompson says to the
public that was removed from Office
for the betrayal of trust or for any 9TH
er reason he mistates the facts and ut
ters an untruth. 1 was never removed
from office, no charge of any kind was
ever presented by Mr.. Brownlow or
any one else against me, and my rec
ord stands absolutely clean and free
from criticism. This President Taft
told me ont of his own mouth and 80
did General Wickersham, and 80 my
official record shows l served Ave
months over my time instead of being
removed from office by Mr.. Brown
or at his instance.
Again Mr.. Thompson says: "Per-
sonally, I am for Sells, first because
he announced himself early in the race
and did not hesitate and declared he
would be candidate as did Mr.. Pen
lar d." Mr.. Thompson's mind has un-
dergone a wonderful change in the
last three weeks, about which time he
wrote me three or four letters asking |
me to become candidate, that he
would like to support me or Judge |
either that the concensus of |
opinion was that / should become a |
and could easily carry Green
county. His last letter closed with
saying: l wish you would decide to
'un and help us out of the hole we are
n. / do not want to support either
5wab or Sells, but of the two l will
nave to support Swab. Within only
ew days from that time Thompson had
declared for Sells, and now says he is
he is the best man in the district to
ucceed Col. Brownlow, and especially
loes he think the people ought to sup
bort him because he came out early
IS a candidate. Well, everybody
Lnows Mr.. Sells has been candidate
ince last February and as he lived 30
lose to Mr.. Thompson and knew of
lis candidacy and no doubt of his
landing and qualifications for con-
,ress. 1t is strange he did not declare
or him before the last three weeks of
lis campaign and did not do that un-
il he had declaredshis preference for
verybody else who talked of running.
He says Mr.. Sells legislative exper-
ence would enable him to do as much
nd even lmore than anyone else we
night send from the district. This
legislative experience, Zone term in the
tate senate) seems not to have come
nto Thompson's mind until the last |
hree weeks either,
can see no reason why Mr.. Thonp- ,
on should be voluntarily giving out i
lterviews to the newspapers, as cam s
aign literature, including misrepre-
entation, as to my removal from Of c
ce, my residence, and candidacy,
hen only few days ago he urged me 3
, become a candidate so he could sup. G
ort me. q
In letters written and signed by him 7
3lf this same Mr.. Thompson charges c
Tr. Taylor with being a liquor I
ian, where in another letter written
, Mr.. Taylor month earlier he urg-
q him to become candidate for gpv.
NOR aud gave him his support for I
lat Office, when he knew that this
ear above all others we wanted we'll
nown temperance man to vote for {
n governor, and to enforce the tenn g
erance laws if elected, a thing that e
overnor Patterson refused. / men {
on these matters only to show Mr.. a
hompson's Inconsistencies and the 2
Of bis statements, Il
Respectfully, n
J. r. PENLAND.