The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1916-03-02
BY
SAM R. SELLS
CONGRESSMAN FROM THE FIRST
DISTRICT REPLIES TO GOV.
HOOPER.
WANTS NO MACHINE
Is SUPPORTING JNO. W. OVERALL
FOR GOVERNOR.

CONGRESSMAN Sam r. Sells tonight
replied to Gov. Ben w. Hooper as to
the political situation in the repubh-
can contest in Tennessee for dele
gates to the Chicago convention His
statement follows:
Il have just read Gov. Hooper's
statement. | am not surprised. Nheh
| learned a day or two ago that HOOP
er and our old friend, u. D. Massey,
were in secret conference in Knox
Vile last Sunday night, l was GER
tain that this meeting presaged the
early beginning of a great moral re-
form movement in Tennessee.
Il would be gratified greatly if |
could permit this unwarranted ana
uniustifiable attack to pass unnOtlced
and. at the same time, to retain even
| slight degree of self respect. | have
not sought this controversy, but nave
borne silently for several weeks his
unkind criticisms, uttered throughout
the state, rather than to become a
party to what looks like distaste-
! full and disagreeable family row. Ana
that republicans may understand the
situation, | want to go back TO the
meeting of the national republican
committee which was held in Wash
ington last December. AT that tlme'
| | had long conversation with Sen
ator Newell Sanders concerning Ten
nessee politics. | asked him con-
cerning his plans for the coming
campaign. to which he replied that
he had no plans, that he had recent
| " incurred some heavy financial OBJ
| legations by the purchase of large
nlow company in Chattanooga, and
that he would have little, if any time
to devote to politics during this year.
lie did say that he thought we should
have our county delegates go unin-
structed to the state convention, and
that we could then decide what
course we should further pursue. l
was therefore surprised te" Gays
later upon my return TO the state
TO learn that Sanders and Hooper
had agreed to a plan to hold TWO
state conventions, the first to select
delegates to the national convention,
to nominate our candidates for Unl-
ted States senator and governor. And
between themselves they had agreed
10 name themselves as delegates at
| large from East Tennessee, and 10
endorse Senator Sanders as natlonal
committeeman at the first convention
and at the second Hooper was TO De
nominated for senator and sanders
for governor. This information was
verified at the meeting of the state
committee few days subsequently.
"The arrangement did not impress
me- AS a fair one. AS valuable as
Mr. Sanders services have been to
the republican party in tennessee
anC as valuable as the ex-governor
thinks his have been, | still could not
think that they warranted such usur-
patton of the party's honors.
Congressman Austin had advised
me that he would like to go as dele
gate-at-large to the national conven-
ton and | had agreed to support him.
MANY of my friends had requested me
to become a candidate for national
committeeman but | had steadily re-
fused to do so.
"I had no intention or desire to be
a candidate and not until Hooper as
sumed the authority to say to the
republicans of Tennessee that | coulo
not be national committeeman, did
finally determine to be candidate
! | thought then, and | think now, thai
! it is a position which belongs not tt
him. but to the republicans of the
} state. And it is to them and not tC
Hooper that l shall make my appeal
- He says that no member of congress
+, should be national committeeman
and yet he never uttered a protes
when the late Congressman Brown
low served in both capacities fol
nearly fourteen years. And Hoppe
= was Brownlow's friend, or professeC
d to be. until, in the hour of Brown
v lows extremity, he deserted him, ant
n that too without resigning the offic
which he held at Brownlows hands
n Political Machine.
5 "He says that through the use o
political patronage | want to buifd II
a political machine. Let me say tha
7 have no desire to become referee il
J the patronage rows of the state.
II shrink from such an ordeal, and sue
= matters should be, and will be, lei
:. largely to the state committee who's
= a privilege and duty it is to make sue
- selections. | do c0vet the honor o
~ account of the increased power an
= influence which the position bring
y and the opportunities which it al
- fords to render service to my friend
" who for many years have, with Ill
T. changing loyalty, followed my polit
: cal fortunes in victory and defea
- - No. no, Governor. don't want
% % build up another party in our stat
n ie | have no desire to form a "Sel
~ ~ party" I saw the disastrous effor
y. j. to build up a Hooper party, as yo
10 called it, and l decided then that Il
iS IS old republican party was goo
- enough for me, and I promise the I
~ publicans of the state that if thu
- elect me to this Office, it shall be n
!. constant aim to take care of them.
~ believe that there are republican
~ enough in Tennessee to fill every {
10 flee in the state efficiently and a
81 ceptably, the opinions and practic
lls of our erstwhile governor to the co
'ts trary Notwithstanding. He says tn
,r sm l have> formed combination wi
Continued on page four