The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1912-08-29
JUDGE CAMPBELL TALKS
OF SELLS-MASSEY. RACE

The race between Congressman Sam
r. Sells and DR.. u. d. Massey, for
congress in the First district of Tenn,
is assuming the ridiculous according
to Judge H. T. Campbell, of Bristol,
one of the state leaders of progressive
party, who is urging the nomination
of bull moose candidate against
them.
"The game of hide and seek being
played in the Sells-Massey congress
sional fight seems to be matter very
largely between themselves and one in
which the people are not very much
interested" said Judge Campbell.
ain the beginning Massey hurried to
the imaginary powers at Washington
for the purpose of having the regularity
of the Greeneville convention and its
candidate passed upon, but congress-
man Sells declined to join issue, and
the matter slept until after the Chi
cago hold up, where both candidates
clamored for seats as Taft supporters.
"Recently, Sells seems to have as
snmed the iniative and hurried before
the aame imaginary authority, but this
time Massey seems to have declined as
did Sells in the first instance, each evil
IDENTIFY considering this imaginary au-
thority in the light of the moons
phases, changeable.
"Thus there have been two abortlVe
attempts to barter away the rights OF
the people of the district before this
imaginary committee, who evidently
have no regard for party sentiment,
and whose purpose seems to be only to
subserve their own personal interests
by rendering sop to the master of cere-
monies around the flesh pots at Off
cial Washington.
"Who is more competent TO pass
upon the political rights of the people
than the people themselves? 1t can't
be based upon the idea of party reg
ularity as expressive of the will of the
people, for that theory was exploded
by the administrative forces at Chi
cago, who ruthlessly tore from the
citizen his badge of freedom and
placed instead collar of political
tyranny as indefensible as the badge
of slavery in its rankest form.
"Guardians act for people who are
incapable of acting for themselves:
Bosses act for those who are willing to
wear the yoke and bear the lash of a
master, but free, intelligent people
act for themselves, and the action of a
so-called committee created evidently
for the purpose of helping themselves,
rather than the people, would not
change single vote, and the attempt
to thus submit the free mans right of
action to a body thus constituted
smacks sharply of an insult to the
people whose rights are being passed
upon-its equal to taxation without
for all things pertaining
to government, personal liberty is the
dearest.
''Let the people of the district settle
their own political differences at the
polls, if they cannot be settled by con-
ference, and in doing this, exercise the
spirit of intelligent free men. If pres
ent conditions are not satisfactory,
then let them meet in council here at |
home and do that which will best sub
serve their interests as party and
people, for it is not merely postmas-
ter and rural carrier here and there
that naturally comes to the district,
but question of vital Importance and
interest to the great masses of the COM
raon people who are laboring for liv-
questions settled, not in the
interest Of the office holder and favor
ed class, but in the interest of the peo-
pie themselves, for in that way only
can we have good government, and al
ways their representatives must be
servants of the people, not their mas
ters, remembering that they are meas
ured by their representatives. ability
and fitness for the place. Party lash
welded by the wouldbe political boss
has served its day and the people must
assert their rights and control these
questions of representation for them
selves.
retrospective of promises for em-
ployment in the mail service as post
master or rural carrier on the part of
me, or as landscape gardner or dim
ng room waiter of the other in the
soldiers home at johnson City, the
people are looking to that which per-
aims to the general welfare regardless
# these empty political promises, the
Usual stock in trade of latter day poll
icians. The necessity for active par
icipation in measures for the relief of
business and the great army
# consumers and laboring people,
ather than who shall distribute mail
II a L III