The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1912-12-05
WILLING TO
MAKE DEAL
Regular Democrats in Tennessee
Legislature Seeking a
Trade.

NasnNilie, Tenn, Dec. AS an
aftermath of the conference Of the
house regular members here Saturday
afternoon ut the Maxwell house, ii has
leaked out, purposely, that a commit
tee was appointed to "confer with in
dependents
Another leakage from the same
source has it that committee was APP
pointed TO confer with like commit
tee from the senator-clect and 10 take
such action as may be necessary to Sc
cure control of the two houses and to
effect an agreement OH state legisla-
tion.
State legislation is the secondary OBJ
ject now. To save the machine is the
first object TO view. State offices ana
everything else are to be subordinaied
to that one end and any kind of trade
will be put through and almost any,
but not all, leaders will be sacrificed, if
necessary, TO gain that end.
If i'm the end the two houses are or
ganized by the regulars and the COM
bination in that way saves Dibrell and
his machine, which is now considered
the backbone of the regular organiza-
ton, it will be felt that good work has
been done and the situation saved.
To this end this committee appoint.
ed vii continue the work already done
to secure control of the two houses. 1t
is claimed by the regulars that they
now have fifteen regulars tn the senate
and one republican. In the house they
claim forty-seven members without
counting the Shelby delegation. fhey
hope to whip this delegation into line
by crying "regularity,n but they are
working night and day to get a MAORI
ty without having to depend in the
least on Mayor Crump. Reports from
the committee room yesterday after
noon state that the members present
confined themselves, during the two
hours session, TO thequestiony ypf organ
izalion and the matter which the in
dependents had placed before them.
Whether or not any independent
placed anything before them is moot
ed question, but the general belief as
to the meaning of this yelled informa-
ton or no Information, the regulars
believe that they have chances TO get
few regularly elected independents
into party caucus if they will agree
to knife Patterson. Many regulars are
ready TO sacrifice Patterson for the
general good of the greatest number,
and it is vel known fact THAT Pat
:erson has been solclted to get out of
the race, which he has positively signi-
! fled that he has no intention Of doing.
This committee isnow proposing TO
go ahead and satisfactorily adjust
certain matters" which means that
they will agree with certain indepen-
dents TO eliminate certain matters on
which they arepledged, including Mr..
Patterson's candidacy for the senate.
if in return they will simply agree to
20 into caucus and be bound hand
and foot.
At the same time the committeeman
are working for an independant vote
or two they have not given up all hope
Of gaining republican vote or two by
indirect or outright bribery.
1t is known that more than one re-
publican member has been approach
ed" in the desperate attempt to get
more votes for the regulars. Most
hope is placed now in few indepen-
dent as it is generally understood that
every republican in the legislature has
lined UP soiNily with the administers
ton.
In the meantime Mr.. Patterson Is
friends are wide-awake themselves,
and will not be caught mapping. Ac-
cording to his stauncn supporters he
is in the race to stay. He claims that
he won his nomination fairly and that
if any crI:iscism can be offered as 10
the way the nomination was won the
blame is not on HIM. but on the state
committee or, in word, on the regu-
lar organization. The real friends OF
Governor Patterson have lost patience.
They say that if man ever won a
race for the nomination fairly and
through his high standing and rank
with the democratic masses of Tennes-
see, Governor Patterson is that man,
and his friends are not going TO for
sake him: but are going to stand
sguarely and Loyalty by him as the
nominee for senator, and compel all
others TO show their colors.