▁ax - m ur der ▁case ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁young ▁district ▁att orney , ▁Harm on ▁C ald well ▁D rew , ▁led ▁the ▁pro sec ution ▁against ▁several ▁African ▁American ▁and ▁white ▁suspect s ▁charged ▁with ▁the ▁Christmas ▁Day ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁murder ▁of ▁the ▁John ▁Nelson ▁Re e ves ▁family ▁in ▁the ▁rural ▁Gro ve ▁community ▁north ▁of ▁M inden . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁Sand lin ▁was ▁a ▁delegate ▁to ▁the ▁Democratic ▁National ▁Convention , ▁which ▁met ▁in ▁St . ▁Louis , ▁Missouri , ▁to ▁ren omin ate ▁U . S . ▁President ▁Wood row ▁Wilson ▁of ▁New ▁Jersey ▁and ▁Vice ▁President ▁Thomas ▁R . ▁Marshall ▁of ▁Indiana , ▁for ▁their ▁second ▁terms ▁in ▁office . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁president ial ▁elect or ▁for ▁the ▁fourth ▁term ▁of ▁Franklin ▁Ro ose vel t . ▁ ▁Cong r essional ▁ten ure ▁▁ ▁Sand lin ▁was ▁first ▁elected ▁to ▁Congress ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁when ▁he ▁denied ▁ren om ination ▁to ▁the ▁inc umb ent , ▁John ▁Thomas ▁Wat kins , ▁also ▁of ▁M inden . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 1 , ▁Sand lin ▁proposed ▁the ▁" cot ton ▁hol iday ", ▁under ▁which ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Department ▁of ▁Agricult ure ▁advanced ▁lo ans ▁of ▁nearly ▁double ▁the ▁price ▁of ▁cot ton ▁to ▁southern ▁far mers ▁to ▁prevent ▁massive ▁bank rupt cies . ▁Some ▁eleven ▁million ▁dollars ▁went ▁into ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁Louisiana ▁far mers