The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1912-01-11
MASSEY IS TOOL OF
WHISKEY DEMOCRATS
Sells Had to Spend Much Time in Nashville to Counteract
Work Being Done by DR.. Massey, Who Was Working
for Whiskey Democratic Election Law.


DR.. Massey has opened his campaign.
He has spoken in Granger, johnson
and Carter counties. Congressman
Sells has yet to open his broad
side upon The record Of the former
congressman, but it is expected that he
will be able to give the matter some
attention in the next few days. The
time is getting short, but Congressman
Sells says that a short campaign is
just what he wants as he can tell the
voters of the district what they ought
to know about DR.. Massey in very
brief time. Congressman Sells re-
Trained from opening his campaign
before January first, for fear that he
would drive DR.. Massey out of the
race, and some man of real strength
would have been put into the fight by
the whiskey Republicans and whiskey
Democrats who are backing Massey in
this race.
1t is generally understood that the
supporters of DR.. Massey have no hope
of his election, but that whiskey DEM
ocrats who dictate to Chairman Ship
ley what he shall do in first district
matters hope to see the fight carried on
until November, thus giving the wills
key Democrats a chance to trade with
both sides for votes for the elections of
a legislature which will not only re-
peal the liquor laws, but the election
laws as we'll. The first plan has been
formulated with the idea of forcing
Congressman Sells to bolt the Greene
Vile convention, but his strength is
such in the distric: that 1t will not be
surprising to see the Massey crowd do
the boiling instead.
The sentiment throughout the dis
trict is overwhelmingly for Sells and
for primary. This is proven by the
fact that there are 1900 signatures TO
the petition asking that the Shlpley
committee recind it's action in calling
for convention. Friends OF Congress.
man Sells apparently have little hope
of the committee needing the petitions.
but it will let the voters know that
they have a committee which cares
very little if any about the wishes OF
the people. DIR. Massey in his open
ing speeches attacks Congressman
Sells for spending SO much time in
Washington during the last legisla-
tyre, but he does not explain that
much of Congressman Sells time was
required at Nashville because DR..
Massey was there, conspifing with the
whiskey Democrats for the passage OF
an election law which iwould have
made chance of Republican success in
any election an impossible. 1t is as
serted that DR.. Massey used his posi-
ton as manage, of the soldiers home
!, to promise positions jim that home tC
members of the legislature in return
for their vote'for the whiskey election
laws. These promises proved allurine
and Governor Hooper and other Re
publican leaders had TO frequently cal
Congressman Sells from Washington
in order that he might counteract tht
work being done by Massey.
Doctor Massey in his opening
speeches has not found very enlhus
astic receptions. 1t was reported from
Carter county thai he had spoken to :
big crowd, where as matter OF fac
all of the 200 people in the court room
left when ii WAS announced that tn,
doctor would speak, excepting 76 b.
acial count and fully one third of thi
number were Sells people who wante,
TO hear the line of thought, runnin.
Though Dr.. Massey's speech.
1t is said that regardless of tn
methods resorted TO by the men desig
mated to hold the conventions ia tn
various counties in February, tha
Congressman Sells will have larg
majority Of The delegates. In Cock
county which had Shipley commit
teemsn, it will De- impossible for ID,
Massey TO secure the delegates, al
though il is said that couple hundre'
negroes will be brought TO Neypor
from North Carolina to vote in Ii
convention, but the coot Republican
will so out number tha impo ',ed voter
that Sells is certain to gel the delegs
+ ton. All OF his friends here are pull
ing together In perfec, harmony an
, this means that the counly is safe &c
him.
, Reports from Sewer county woul
, indicate that Congressman Sells wi
1 carry that county. although there is
a possibility Of the doctor getting Ii
!, delegates there as many good Repul
licans who are opposed to bis nethG