The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1912-02-08
BIG CROWD BRAVES THE
WEATHER TO HEAR SELLS
Courthouse Was Filled When the Congressman Spoke Here
Saturday He Made Fine Impression. Again Asserts
That by No Single Act Could the Doctor Prove That He
Was Even Entitled to be Called Republican,

In spite of inclement weather, Con-
gresham Sam X. Sells addressed
crowd here Saturday which filled the
courthouse. He told his, hearers that
he was exceedingly pleased to see such
alarge attendance on Saturday, and
stated in the beginning that he had
hoped to meet DR.. Massey here, but
that the Doctor had never even replied
to his letter asking Il series of joint de-
bates, and that when the Doctor gave
out an interview to the effect that he
would meet him, that he had sent him
notice of his appointments, but that
this notice, too, had been ignored
Mr.. Sells told his audience in the
beginning that he desired to he fair
with DR.. Massey in his absence and
that he would leave unsaid many of
the things he had said to the Doctors
face. He impressed his audience with
the fact that there had been no demand
for opposition to himself at this time,
except from Divine, Shipley and few
others and he explained how Shipley
and Divine had set about TO capture
the committee, by naming puppets o,
DIR. Massey, and personal enemies oi
the congressman to positions on it, and
finally by the addition of thirteenth
member when there was no precedent
for such action.
The crowd applauded with much
glee the description of the men who
wanted him ousted, as pictured by the
congressman. This description is as
follows: "E. A. Warren, a misrepre-
sentative of Sullivan county; Crawford
Alexander, another political Eunich
from Carter; Paul Divine, betrayer of
Brownlow and peddler of private let
ters; A. l.. Shipley, half knare and
half fool; Frank Long, another eX, in
that list of ilustrious list of postmas-
ters, which were, but are not now, and
will never be again, and behind them
all that sineous oily Uriah Heep, John
]. Cox. These are the men that set
up the deal and are attempting to con-
troll the destiny of the Republican par
ty and yet they criticise me because 1
cussed at the Bulls gap meeting.
Why, gentleman, if that crowd would
not make man swear, he won!d be
an angel ready for paradise and like
Elijah, ought to be transmitted in a
chariot of fire."
The congressman reviewed the plans
for the convention; showed how the
voters Of the district were not given
any authority in the matter; how a
primary proposition had been turned
down, and finally how the committee
had even refused TO submit to count
TO determine the crowd in the MAORI
ty. He stated also that he had recent
ly asked DIR. Massey to agree on the
appointment of tellers to make the
count OF those voting, and that the
doctor had rejected this proposition.
Mr.. Sells insisted that the unfairness
of the scheme had already re-aclcd
against those fostering it, and he again
served notice on the people of the dis
trict that if he was beaten at Greene
vile that it would have to be done by
iair and moi by foul means. He told
his audience that it would have been
an easy matter for him to have captur-
ed this nomination without opposition
as he had several times been approach
ed by liquor men and overtures made,
and he recalled the fact that one time
during the recent legislature when an
effort was being made to appeal the
manufacturers bill that Ire was ap-
preached by a whiskey representative
who was serving as member OF the leg
| islature, and told tha, but four votes