Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-26
Tennessee Representative An.
nounces His Candidacy for
the Upper House.
DECLARES OPPONENT
NEGLECTS HIS DUTIES
Quotes Record of Being Absent
From More Than Half Sen
ate Roll Calls.

Representative 1netuS w. sims OF tHo
eighth Tennessee district today announced
his candidacy for the United States Sem
ate against Senator Luke Lea, whose
term of Office expires March 3. 1917.
Mr.. Sims, who is in Washington, has been
a member of the House for eighteen years.
and has been reelected to the Sixty
fourth Congress. Senator Lea is one of
the young men of the Senate, being only
thirty-six years old. He was elected to
the Senate by the state legislature in
January, 1911.
In announcing his candidacy for the
Senate. Mr.. Sims gave out a statement
criticising Senator Lea vigorously be-
cause Of absenteeism from the Senate.
and because of persistent mingling in
local politics. when, as Mr.. Sims
charges. Senator Lea should have been
attending to his duties in Washington.
Senator Lea is accused also of show
ing his personal likes and dislikes in
voting upon nominations made by the
President.
Senator Lea is not in Washington.
Mr.. Sims Statement.
Mr.. Sims statement was. in part, as
follows:
Our senior senator was elected by
a fusion of democrats and republicans
without party nomination or indorse-
ment of any kind. BY such fusion of
democrats with republican members Of
the legislature, he was able to defeat
the regular democratic nominee Tor
senator, Benton McMillin. l have never
known of an instance where the d.
rect and immediate beneficiary of party
disruption and defeat has been re-
wardeI by subsequent party approval
and Endorsement.
Our senior senator is possessed Of
q n "
and of much personal magnetism. He
has had all the advantages OF education
and environment that wealth and
aff1uence could give him. and from a
man blessed with such endowment and
opportunities the people of his state
had right to expect and to exact
faithful. efficient and meritorious pub
lie service. 1t is. therefore. pertinent
to examine his record and from 1t de-
termine whether or not he has been
faithful to his trust by rendering such
service
Absent From Roll Call.
From the records of the Senate 1t
appears that during the four years of
his service which expired March i, 1915.
our senior senator has failed to re-
spond to more than one-half of the roll
calls. His delinquency in this respect
during the first year Of his service no
doubt was due in large part to causes
over which he had no control. and for
which in fairness and justice he should
not be held responsible. But. after
making all due allowances, his absence
from the Senate has been so persistent
and so continuous as to establish be-
yond a reasonable doubt absolute and
willfu, neglect of duty. Indeed. he is
the first senator from Tennessee. SO
far as the records show. against whom
compulsory process of the Senate had
to be issued in order to compel his at
tendance upon its sessions-and that,
in power in all branches Of the gov
eminent, and when an administration
measure of the greatest importance
was the unfinished business of the Sen
ate Besides being an administration
measure. it was also an emergency
gencies OF the great world war.
1t was also at a time when a most
determined filbuster was being con-
Quoted by the solid republican men,
bership Of the Senate in a desperate
affort to defeat the democratic admin
istration bill. At that same fateful
hour democratic senators much older
and less vigorous and strong than our
senior senator were standing like Spar
tans through long weary days and
nights, without sleep, food or drink, in
a continuous session of the Senate in
order to force a vote on the Woodrow
Wilson ship purchase bill. And our
young. vigorous, athletic. Sampson
like senator was nowhere to be found.
Should Be on Duty"
The real and essential duties Of SEN
satorial service must be performed at
our country's capitol in Washington.
They cannot be performed elsewhere.
They are wholly personal and cannot
be delegated. A senator has no moral
or legal right to leave the Capitol of
the nation when the Senate Is in ses-
sion in order to serve his private per-
sonal interests.
The people can certainly be trusted to
look after city, county and state politics
properly without the managerial aid
and assistance Of a United States sena-
tor, and especially at a time when he
must leave his post of duty in order to
give such aid and assistance.
Judging from some Of his political
acts our senator can only be character
lied as a political despot. who, If he
had the power, would not permit any
man to hold any state or federal Office
who was personally or politically Of
fensive to him."
Mr. Sims stated that Senator Lea had
defeated the confirmation of Mr..
BACKYARD, who was nominated postmas-
ter at Jackson, merely by. declaring
BACKYARD to be personally offensive to
him.