The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1913-02-27
New Alignments Are Said to
Have Been Made at
Nashville.
HOOPER MAKES BIG FIGHT
Remarkable Change is
Said to Have Been Made By
Mayor Crump and the Shelby
County Delegation, the Cover
nor is Not Whiting on His
Liquor Proposition.

Liquor Proposition.
Nashville, Tenn. Feb. 222.-With the
men who should be upholding his
hands to their utmost in fighting for
the. things he wants, with threats of
obstruction for needed legislation
hanging over his head, Gov. Hooper IS
making strong fight for the things
for which he contended during his two
years in office, and on the stump dur
ing the last campaign.
In the senate this week, durinp the
discussion of the recall of the refund
ing act, Senator Baxtor regular
among regulars, took ocassion to saw
that while he and the governor differ
ed politically, he believed the chief
executive to be "a man of intelligence
and ability, an honest man who was
doing what he believed to be for the
interest OF the state. He characterized
him as a fearless man who had The,
back bone TO do what he thought was
right
Governor Hooper has proved that he
has the backbone to do what he thinks
Is right, aud TO stand up for the prin-
ciples in which he believes regardless
OF what may be the result, with re-
specific pending or future legislation.
Threats have been held over his head
by parties TO the fusion agreement,
but he has refused to depart one jot or
lille from his party principles, and
has, under the most trying conditions,
stemmed The tide and now has the
law enforcement bills on the calendar,
set for the special hearing, just after
the recess and recommended for pass
age by both committees into whose
hands they have been sent.
The fight grew fierce toward the end
OF the first half of the session OF the
of the legislature, and when the end
came last night, just before midnight,
evidence was not wanting TO show
that Crump had made new deal, this
time with the regulars, based on
the immunity bill, which measure he,
more than any other man, ami his
delegation, more than any other re-
representatives.. had introduced and urg-
1.-the passage of from its very incep-
ton. The final hours OF the session
found him and his delegation turning
fright around in their tracks ana seem
ingly become parties to deal to hide
| alleged corruption. Crunps fight has
been OH Comptroller DlbreH more than
! any other. Governor Hooper inaugu-
rated it two years ago when he vetoed
the revenue and assessment bill. Then
the Banner took up the fight and
later Crump got into the game, vigor-
ousig, and went after Dibreli Not
satisfied with helping to turn him ont
OF office, he and his delegation, in the
opinion OF regulars expressed on the
floor of the house in debating the i'm
munity bill, continued after him. in-
sisting on the passage of the immunity
bill, which was aimed directly at the
comptroller, and his. back tax agents
and attorneys and no one else. a.a
The speaker OF the house. Crump's
| leader, look the fioorduring the discus
sion of the law enforcement bill and
|charged Representative Cox with dis
honesty and insincerity in his support
of these bills. To block the game, il
was purposeG to include the immunity
bin in these to be considered, and Cox
accepted the challenge and voted TO
include the bill and for full investi.
tion. The effort to bring up these bills
failed, but the Afternoon Of the same
day, the immunity bill was forced to
am issue by special ruling of Speaker
Stanton and put through the house.
Then came the change. Things had
happened too fast for even Crump TO
handle the situation. But in the few
hours elapsing between the passage of
these bills and the time it should come
up in the senate, he it is rumored,
made new deal with the regulars,
and the result was that the Immunity
bill designed to unearth alleged cor
ruption, was not acted ON in the SEN
ate, practically killing it, as the one
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