The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1914-11-19
SENATOR
TODD CROWS
WARL|KE
OPPOSES LEA
NOT GEN. RYE
WARM REPLY TO CHARGES
Evidence Plenty to Indicate Fight
toPreventLea from Organizing
Legislature be Spectacular

II am supporting the democratic
party and standing faithfully by Gov.
Rye in his endeavor to carry out the
democratic platform. In doing so no
truthful man will say l am anti-ad-
ministration, but in resisting the eff
forts of Senator Lea to override the
will of the people and destroy the
integrity of the legislature may
truthfully be called anti-Lea," said
Senator Andrew L. Todd, of Murfrees-
boro, last night when asked abo@t All
article in the Nashville Tennessear
charging that Senator Todd was an
anti-administratio candidate for
speaker of the senate.
Yesterdays Nashville Tennessean
carried an article purporting to give
details of conference supposed to
have been held in Nashvi|9 Sund;.y
by a number of leading democrats Of
the state. Among those mentioned as
present at the conference were T. R..
Preston, Judge A. H. Roberts, Con-
gressman X. D. Mcclellan, Congress-
man Cordell Hull, George N. Welch,
Ridley Mitchell, Judge D. L. Lansden,
&c. M. McCabe, w. H. Hartford and
Senator A. l.. Todd.
"The article charged that these men
were there to organize the legisla-
ture, and that they were fighting Gov.
Rye and attempting to embarrass his
administration. Senator Todd arrived
in the city yesterday afternoon for
conference with local democrats re-
garding the political situation in the
state.
What we need most in Tennessee
today is not only free and untram-
meled judiciary but free and un-
bossed legislature and that is what
l am fighting for" said Mr.. Todd.
Senator Lea boasts that he has made
and unmade two governors, but the
loyal democrats of Tennessee are de-
termined that he shall not have an
opportunity to add another gubernatori-
al scalp to his belt"
Senator Todd's prepared statement
follows:
I was astonished at the false and
malicious statement in an article in
the Nashville Tennessean, which was
evidently inspired by Senator Luke
Lea, in which it says that ! am the
anti-administration candidate of cer-
tain well-known democrats for speak
er of the senate, and that l had been
their anti-administration candidate for
speaker of the house on several oc-
casions.
In the first place all the gentle
men mentioned in this article are 10y
al and warm supporters of Gov. Rye
and the incoming administration. In
the second place / am the candidate
Of no faction of the democratic party,
and If could not Loyalty support and
cheerfully cooperate with Gov. Rye
and his administration in his efforts
to carry out the principles of the DEM
Dcratic platform, / would not accept
the speakership if rendered me by the
unanimous vote Of the senate.
Gov. Rye was elected by the same
democratic votes that elected the gen.
sral assembly, and as the democratic
governor he is entitled to, and will |
receive, the hearty support of not only |
he democratic members of the legis-
ature, but of every true democrat in
Tennessee. So far as I,y ambitions
ire concerned, whether [ am elected
speaker or not, nothing shall keep me
rom giving him and his ad,ninistra-
ion my very best efforts in behalf OF
! successful and peaceful administra-
ion of the affairs of the state.
The article states that was for
several terms of the legislature the
Inti-aministration canidate for speak
n of the house. The truth is / have
erved only one term in the legisla-
ure, and was the nominee of the
caucus for speaker, and
would have been elected but for the
'erfidy of Senator Lea in putting over
dirty deal with republican COVER
Ior by which democratic majority
n both houses was turned into a fus-
on machine that kicked out democrat
c officeholders and replaced them