The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1918-07-12
Johnson City, Tenn.

My Dear Mr. Vaught:
In response to yours of recent date,
making inquiry as to an alleged alb
senteeism upon the part Of Hon. Sam
r. Sells from the meetings of the
Committee on Pensions, permit me to
state that I came to the Committee on
Pensions as Examiner and Assistant
Clerk in the spTing Of 1918 and have
been constantly with the Committee
in that capacity since that time. Mr.,
Sells was when / first came to the
Committee, as he is now, the ranking
Washington repeatedly and spent
the Committee show and my own per-
sonal knowledge bears them out as |
have never been absent from but one
meeting of the Committee during said
period that Mr.. Sells has been absent
from three meetings since 1918. One
Of these absences was caused by the
illness Of his wife and upon the other
two occasions he was absent from the
city in the discharge of official bust
ness. In fact Mr.. Sells attendance
upon committee meetings has been ex-
ceptional-no member of the commit
tee having a record which equals same.
No Member Works Harder
In view of the foregoing statement,
based upon the records of the commit
tee, any report which charges Mr..
Sells with absenteeism from the meet
ings of this committee is wholly with.
out foundation upon which to rest. If
may be permitted to so state, per-
sonally know that no member Of this
committee is better posted as to the
intricacies of the Federal Pension laws
nor better judge of the merits of a
pension case than Mr.. Sells. He is
upon the subcommittee which consid-
ers cases from Indiana, Illinois, Iowa,
Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Ken
lucky and Virginia. This sub-com-
mittee is perhaps called upon to ON
slider more cases than any other sub
committee which involves laborious
work upon the part Of its members.
No member of this subcommittee
works harder than Mr.. Sells and at the
end Of each session, due to this con-
slant attendance upon the committee
meetings and hard personal work Of
Mr.. Sells and his colleagues every sim
gle case coming before them is con-
idered and disposed of and this is only
done after each case has received care
full consideration of the evidence pre-
scented by same. Finally might say
that the fidelity upon the part of Mr..
Sells in regard to the discharge of
his duties as a member of the commit
tee, coupled with his pleasing person
atty, has made him always popular
with his colleagues and of great as
sistance to the committee in the dis
charge Of the duties coming before it,
and in the conducting Of the bills voted
out of the committee on the floor of
the house.
Very respectfully,
(Signed) VIM. MCKINLEY COBB.
Examiner and Assistant Clerk,
Finally in a reorganization of the
Republican members Of congress dur
ing the present congress, Sells was
chosen party whip for the states u
Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia,
Maryland and Kentucky, received the
votes of every Republican member
from these states, Austin not voting.
Inasmuch as one of the principal du-
ties of party whip is to secure at
tendance Of members, it appears ex-
traordinarily strange that a member,
who, as Harmon says, is never present
should have been chosen. And it also
answers most effectively his like I'M
reasonable charge that Sells is not on
friendly terms with his associates.
Looks to Interest Of Constituents
Harmon fails to tell the people that
Sells has done one thing, which but
few congressman do, and that is that
he keeps his office in Washington
open daily, whether congress is in SEES
sion or not, and any resident Of the
district who has had official business
in Washington knows that this is true
Since the outbreak of the war he has
employed additional help to take care
of the enormous business in the vol
ume of official correspondence. He
has secured many positions for his
constituents both in the army and in
the departments at Washington. He
has looked after their interests I'M
remittingly, as hundreds of them will
testify.
Harmon charges that Austin has
done more for his constituents. and
refers to public buildings secured for
his district. Austin, believe. secured
appropriations for one or two build
lngs before Sells became a member
OF congress. Since that time but one
omnibus public buildings bill has been
enacted into law, and it contained an
thorizations@for two buildings IN the
second district and two postoffice sites
IN the first. An omnibus bill passed
the house during the Gath congress
authorizing the purchase Of two sites
IN the second and the construction of
one building in the first, but this hin
failed IN the senate. Since Sells has
been In congress only one omnibus
buildings bill has been enacted into
aw-that containing the appropriation
for the two sites in this district.
l am not ready to admit in times
like these when the life of the nation
is at stake and all of our resources are
needed for war purposes that grail bling
pork barrel appropriations is the prop
er measure of craftsmanship, as Har-
mon seems to think. But apply this
test to Sells and it will show that. out
side OF river appropriations, more fed
eral money has been spent in his dis
trict since he has been member of
congress than in any other district IN
the state, whether represented bv !
Republican or Democrat. And with
one exception, he is in point Of SER
vice the youngest representative from
this state.
Cost of Nitrates
Harmon charges that Sells voted
against the nitrate plant bill, and