The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1912-01-25

Iltt III Joiul ueDate AT blOunlNllle,
Sullivan county, Monday, and the re-
ports indicate that the two gentlemen
had lively session. DR.. Massey had
been advertised to speak and a Massey
crowd composed OF a few Republicans
and large number of regular Demo-
Gratis had gathered. Mr.. Sells asked
for division of time, but this was re-
fused by the doctor, owing to the fact
that he wanted to force Mr.. sells to
speak first. The doctor had Just start
ed his address when Mr.. Sells came in
and then and there Or. Massey chal-
lenged Mr.. Sells to step to the platform
and say anything he wanted TO, ard
Mr., Sells promptly took him up.
The congressman spoke for an hour
and half. He shot holes through the
doctors record and not only did he
show that the doctor had stood with
the liquor men Oh every question, but
that he had voted for the most in
famous election law ever thrust upon
the Republicans of the state, and that
his pcriidy to his party should not
make ii possible for him to be recOg-
nized as a Republican. He accused
the doctor of lobbying at Nashville for
the John [. Cox election bill during
ihe last session of the legislature. and
stated that the doctor had been driven
from Nashville by no less person than
the governor. Mr.. Sells explained that
he had been forced to remain away
from Washington very much during
the last session of the legislature be.
cause he had TO overcome the influence
of DR.. Massey and other whiskey Re-
publicans at Nashville. He stated
that his own boiling record was not a
bad one, as he had bolted but once, and
that was when he supported All Tay-
lor, at which time, he said, he had put
up 5000 of his hard earned money
and six months of his time in the sup
port of Mr.. Taylor's candidacy, and
for this he had long since repented.
He said he had no apologies to offer
for suggesting and helping to carry
out the idea of breaking the quorum in
the last Legislature, and that he was
willing to take his share of the blame,
as he had taken his share of the cost,
for the exodus to Alabama had caused
him to dig down into his pockets t)
the extent Of 500.
Mr.. Sells denounced the convention
plan. Said that the triumvirate of
political nondescripts, Paul E. Divine,
Albert Shipley and John /. Cox had
conceived the plan. That they had
secured control of the committee by
appointments. That men,
ber of the committee had died in Cooke
county and puppet of Or. Massey's
was put on in his stead; that a vacancy
from Carter county was filled by the
of Crawford Alexander,
a postmaster who had been fired, and
that still not having a majority of the
committee a second member was added
from Washington county, and Paul f.
Divine, who could not have secured
two hundred votes for that office. in
the county, was given the job. Mr..
Mr.. Sells said that he had been criti-
cised for cussing at the Bulls Gap
but he insisted that the crowd
behind that convention idea had con-
ceiyed il for the sole nurposeof robbing
him, and he stated that the thief who
was crucified on calvary was an honest
man and q gentleman in comparison to
them, and that if such crowd would
not make a man cusS, then that man
ought to be an angel in paradise.
Mr.. Sells accused DR.. Massey of
having repeated statements which
were recently circulated in the news
papers. written by Paul Devine and
signed by Albert Shipiey, and that the
doctor had stated that he knew that
the contents of the articlSs was the
truth, bat, Mr.. Sells said, when tbs
doctor made such statement he knew
he was telling deliberate lie. The
told DIR. Massey that if he
could snow by one single vote in the
senate why he should be called Re-
publican that he would get out of the
road. He characterized DR.. Massey as
being OF the old school of Republicans
of this section who believes that the
party exists solely for the purpose of
him job. He stated that
the doctor began as postmaster at Sc
vieryille and that he resigned and went
to the state senate, his wife being
named postmaster in bis stead. He
served two terms in the legislature and