The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1916-01-27
AUSTIN, SELLS AND COMMITTEES
FORM A POWERFUL NEW
ALIGNMENT.
SHARP AND BROCK
RUSH TO CHAT TANOOGA
TO HOLD CONFERENCE WITH
FORMER COMMANDER.
Chattanooga Times.l

Chattanooga Times.)
Has ex-senator Newell Sanders in
deed been slated for the discard by
the most powerful elements in the
republican party in Tennessee?
Events of the past few weeks have
indicated that pc ierfdl alignment
was being perfected Win this end in
view, and straws of the last day OF
so have indicated the arrival of the
hurricane even sooner than some OF
the political prognosticators had ex-
pected.
1t appears that Congressman Aus
tin and Sells, Chairman Beasley, of
the state committee, and a majority
of that body as we'll as other leaders
throughout the state have we'll
working organization perfected and
that it's operations are going to re-
suit in reducing the foremrly undis-
puted leadership of Mr.. Sanders to
service with the lowliest in the
ranks.
The following from Nashville re-
lates how Saturdays meeting in Ham
ilton county, when the Sanders-Raul-
ston element in tfe county republi-
can committee was showed under, is
regarded among republicans at the
capital:
Nashville, Jan. 23.-The dispatches
from Chattanooga, stating that the
Sanders element was defeated in the
Hamilton county republican COM
mittee meeting Saturday by 81 to 7,
confirms the rumor in circulation
here that congressman Austin and
Sells and the state executive com
mittee are working in absolute har-
mony with Sells and Austin and the
state republican executive commit
tee. There was great interest in re-
publican circles here in the Hamil-
ton county committee meeting and
when the result was known there was
considerable rejoicing evident. 1t is
understood that the new alignments
are to support Congressman Sells for
national committeeman and in the
event of republican administration,
of course, Sells and Austin and their
friends will stand in the front row at
the patronage shop. Mighty few
bones and mighty poor ones would
go Sandersward. The two congress
men have grown tired it is said, of
allowing the national committeeman
to control the patronage in the state
when all they have to do to control
it is to get together and act in har-
mony with each other. So, it APP
pears, they got together and got
with them the state executive COM
mittee, and made alignments often
sive and defensive throughout the
state, and they seem to have things
going.
Confirming this Nashville story,
Robert S. Sharp, formerly postmaster
here, arrived yesterday, and it is
said was in conference with Messrs.
Sanders, Early and Raulston. 1t is
presumed that they were trying to
mature a plan to prevent the capture
of the entire state from the ex-sena-
tor. Lee Brock was also here last
night and ate dinner with Mr.. San
ders at the Patten, after which they
talked with eX-Postmaster Sharp. 1t
seems that the new alignment has no
warfare to make on the Hon. H. Clay
Evans, but that the entire fight as
one of the local republicans put it
yesterday, is against the "one-man
rule" of Sanders.
Asked last night about this rumor,
Mayor Littleton refused to discuss
the matter mentioned in the Nash
vile dispatch but in the course of
the conversation said that Congress
man Sells would be national commit
teeman, and that both congressman
would go as delegates from the state
at large to the national convention.
Formerly this honor was conceded to
of congress. In the old
days Houk and Taylor and Evans
were sent without question, but in
recent years the Hon. Newell San
ders has so arranged it that the con-
gressmen were left out.
Mayor Littleton would not discuss
the alignment of the two congress-
men who watched and counted the
events from early December until
now, and who kept an eye on the
last meeting of the state republican |
executive committee when Austin, |
Sells ard the majority of the com
mittee rejected all of Mr.. Sanders /
recommendations; men who watched |
the meeting saturday, which was the |
largest and most representative held
in years in this county; men who
noted who was present and what was
done, appear quite sure that there is
an alignment throughout the state
and that it is compact and hard to
break.
Anyhow" said an old stager. "po-
itical leaders are short-lived. Few of
them can hold the organization as
long as Mr.. Sanders has. expect
his time has come, and that hence
forth he will be an 'ex' and a private.
Mr.. Brownlow had to let go, and he
was more firmly entrenched than
Sanders ever has been."