Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1900-08-10


cnl unless he thinks his presence
may he necessary to make quorum
So MIR. Sims charge that | was absent
is not only proven false by the record,
but is absolutely false in toto. was
present during the entire session at
tending to my duties, aud il | missed
single day do not recall it.
1t has been the custom since the
government was established for mem.
bers of congress of opposite pai ties to
pair with each other when requested
to do so, so that neither party will
suffer, or the policy of the government
be changed by the accidental illness
of member, or by sickness in his
family, or by his necessary absence
from his seat.
The record will show that | did
more work in congress, and had
more business OH my hands as rep
resentative to wind up that session,
which was my last congress, than Mr..
Sims has had or attempted to have
during his four years of service, and
he cannot by subterfuge and sophistry
convict me of neglect of duty. If he
means to charge that 1t is crime for
a member of congress to pair he is
himself guilty of that crime in com.
mon with every other member who
ever served in congress.
You would think from his attack
on me, which falls to the ground like
cob house when you hit 1t with the
truth, that he had never been guilty
IT the crime Of being absent from his
post of duty during the sessions of
congress, but saw him in Nashville
during the State Convention last May
busy among the delegates Working
for his reelection. From Nashville
he came to this district and was cleo
tioneering OH his way home and back
while congress was in session. He
was absent from his post of duty on
that trip about twenty days altogeth-
er, and missed every roll call aud
every call of the house that occurred
during his absence. He was not
there to help make q quorum. The
house was forced to adjourn because
he and others were not there to, make
a quorum. l would not have re-
ferred to such small and profitlcss
point as this except to show you how
like drowning man he is catching at
straws, aud recklessly charging me
with an offense of which he is guilty,
and of which | am not guilty.
My voice and my influence were there
and l was there to help make a
quorum. His voice and his influence
were not there, and when a quorum
was needed he was not there to help
make 1t.
| Mr. Sims has explained that he
came home to bring his family be-
cause he was afraid they might get
sick In Washington, If he considered
1t necessary to come with them do
not criticise him for pairing and
leaving his post to escort them home.
/ am satisfied the country did not
lose anything by his absence, nor do
l believe it will gain anything by his
presence, as Lis record in congress
will show. will state that when my
family wanted to come from Wash.
ington when congress was in session
they came without me.
In furthervnce of his scheme to
provo that was derelict in my duty
he has published letter from the
clerk of the Committee on Wal
Claims showing that | was not pres,
ent at any meeting of that committee
during the third session of the fifty.
i third congress, and perhaps If he had
asked the clerk to state the truth he
might have learned the fact that the
committee did no business at thai
session OF any consequence, If II die
any at all. The business of that com.
mittee for that congress had beef
done at the two former sessions O.
} congress. That was the closing SEES.
sion and there was nothing that they
: could do that would be of any value
to anybody because that committee
. had large number OF bills on thu
calendar that could not possibly b.
reached or considered by the house
1t is fact known to Mr.. Sims that al
bills and reports OH the calendars die
with the congress that originates
them, and 1t would be a useless vast,
, of labor and useless waste of publ,
money to have reports printed ant
bills piled up in the closing hours
, of the session to die OH the calen
dar. lie charges that the Commit
tee OH Education had no meetin,
during that session and that | wa
, chairman of that committee. / d.
not remember whether the COMMITTEES
, had any sessions or II OF, but If it dir
! not it was because there was no bust
ness before il that we thought /
, necessary to consider in the closin,
q hours of the session.
8 Thus, fellow citizens, you see hoy
the fog raised by Mr.. Sims in hi
e labored attack on me as all absente
| and dereict vanishes into thin air i
q the sunlight of the truth.
g The eight hour law passed an
t Sims was absent.
: The bill to prevent the shipment Q
e cenvict made goods from one stat
0 into another passed and Sims wa
absent.
e A man drawing salary Of 81 800
= year as clerk in the Interior Depar