The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1912-05-23
HARMONY CONVENTION
WAS A LIVELY AFFAIR

mony" and with the assistance OF the
officers of the convention, the ser
geant-at-arms and q number of the
peace makers, the combatants were
separated and Mr.. Dibrell and his be-
ligerent followers were forced off the
stage, But he wouldn't stay of and
came back under escort and took
seat at the right of the stage surround
ed by number Of his militant friends.
One man was placed under arrest by
the police but on the insistence of
others was allowed to 60. The rest of
the session was held with sergeants-at-
arms guarding all parts of the stage and
with squad of police guarding the
steps to the stage up which no one was
allowed to 60 thereafter without spec
ial permission.
When Mr.. McKellar resumed his
speech he stated that he was sure Mr..
Dibrell's actions had been misunder-
stood and that he came on the stage
on pacific errand. Where Mr.. D. B.
Puryear spoke OH the opposite side he
explained that Mr.. Dibrell came up to
try and get his friends 10 be quiet and
give the speaker patient hearing.
When Gen. ID. J. Caldwell, the tenn
porary Chairman, had chance to get
in his word, he gave the convention to
understand that no man could come on
the stage and take his gavel, but that
he could and would preside without
the aid of anybody. This trouble was
all due TO the Credential Committees
report, which recommended that both
delegations from Shelby be seated
with half vote each. The committee
had previously agreed to seat the
Crump delegation. The convention
concurred in the report of the COM
mittee.
The next row came over the adop-
tion of the report of the committee on
Resolutions. This committee recon-
menGed two primaries, and Mr.. H. &.
Carter offered an amendment provid-
ing for one primary and a platform
delegated convention. A storm at
once arose over this, but, without de-
bate, it went to vote. The Patterson
"Regulars" went for the one-primary
plan and the Independents and Ver-
trees "Regularso went for the two
primary scheme.
Mr.. McKellar had been interrupted
time and time again while speaking,
and he openly charged that it was the
paid hirelings of Comptroller Dibrell,
who were responsible for it. Inciden-
tally he attacked the back tax system
and declared war on it for all time 10
come. The hot shot appeared too much
for the Dibrell people and when their
leader came on to the platform his
friends thought it was signal to break
up the convention. They rushed to
his aid. Shelby County was seated in
strong numbers just to the right of the
platform, and led by Representative
Ernest Miller they rushed in solid
phalanX across the stage and swept
everything before them. More back
tax attorneys precipitated themselves
into the melee, and the rush centered
again in the middle of the stage.
The last row came up over the dele
gates to the Baltimore Convention.
This was, outwardly, the real object of
the convention. After the four head
quarters had fought for weeks and
months looking to convention day,
they finally threw up their hands and
agreed on slate in which all candi-
dates were equally represented and the
delegation was uninstIucted. Th e
nearest thing to what may be called q
victory may be given to Underwood,
as his only contention all along has
been for an uninstructed delegation.
He got that, and as many of the dele
gates-at-large as the strongest of his
competitors. Under the agreement,
each candidate has two delegates and
two alternates.
Mr.. Charles A. Steinback started the
trouble over this in sarcastic speech,
in which he thanked ex-Gov. John 1.
Cox, Mayor Hilary Howse and others
for their kindness in settling the mat
ter for the convention, but he was of
the opinion very strongly that the con-
vention could and should settle this
question for itself. A roll call was
loudly demanded, but the Chairman
calmly put the question to viva voce
vote, declaring it carried. Since the
candidates had agreed, it is probable
the delegates slated would have been
elected on roll call, but the storm of
l"noesn which were heard indicated
that differences would not have been
so great as might be imagined.
BALTIMORE DELEGATES