The Oskaloosa herald., 1903-01-15
IOWA Law GOVERNS.
Friends May Not Be Effected BY
Military Measure.

Washington Special in Des Moines
Register and Leader: The religious
denomination known as the Friends
throughout the country is very much
exercised over the new militia law
which has passed the house and may
come up for consideration at any time
in the senate. The point of objection
is that the proposed law makes it OBJ
ligatory that a~ble-bodied citizens shall
bear arms, if between the ages of Is
and 45, and religious scruples are not
taken into account by the authorities
The Society of Friends in Iowa, to
the number of 10000 have taken the
matter up and their representatives
have addressed letters to the senators
from Iowa asking them to oppose the
bill or to secure a Iause exempting
Friends and other religious sects en-,
pertaining views along the same line.
from service in the militia. The gen.
eral tenor and purport of the letters
addressed generally to congressman
and senators are indicated by the fol,
lowing letters from one society receiv.
ed by Senator Allison:
Esteemed Friend: 1t appears that
the house of representatives has re.
Gently passed a military bill, namely.
house bill No. 15,345, providing that
the militia shall consist of every able
bodied male citizen of the respective
states, territories and District of Col
umbia, between the ages of is and As"
and that this bill may be passed by
the senate at any time.
Various reason might be set forth
why such a law would be very un'
fortunate to this country. Notwith'
standing the standing army is being
reduced as it should be, to the legal
minimum Of 10000, any one acquaint,
ed with the growing military senti,
ment of our people since the begin
ming of the wal with Spain, and in a
measure for years before, cannot fail
to recognize in such a law the definite
deplorable step toward the blind and
Durdensome militarism of France,
Germany and other European coun'
tries.
But we write to make a different
plea, that is a moral one. There are
about 125 900 members of the Society
OIL Friends of different branches in this
country, nearly 100000 of u own cor,
thodox" branch, in every state, terri,
tory and the District of Columbia.
Some 10000 Of these live in Iowa,
They are a people thoroughly convinc-
ed that the Christian who regards the
will of God and the doctrines of Christ
supreme cannot participate in the mi
litia to give it support. Hence the con-
sequences of the proposed law would
be to bring many thousands of our
best citizens into conflict with the gov
eminent on conscientious grounds,
and to great suffering at the hands OF
their fellow citizens.
We beseech you, therefore, in the
name of God, and Of the rights OF
Christian conscience, and of the hith-
erto we'll known principles of Ameri-
can and English liberty, to do all in
your power to defeat said bill. And,
if house bill No. 1886 may not be de-
feated, we beg you by all means to
have an exemption clause inserted in
the bill, excusing members of the So
ciety of Friends and other religious
organizations and citizens holding con-
scientious scruples against all warfare
and all military service.
Thanking you heartily for your
noble purposes and efficient services
in every good cause, we are, very re-
specially.
Upon looking into the provisions of
the existing military law Senator Ali
son finds that the proposed new law
is framed upon the same lines as the
old one so far as the questions of ex-
emptions are concerned. In fact,
practically the same ~phraseology is
employed in the new as in the old. The
saving clause in the existing law is
that the national law shall not conflict,
in the matter of exemptions, with
state laws. Therefore the laws Of a
state take precedence and the ques-
ton of exemptions, therefore, becomes
a matter to be determined by each
state.
Therefore, if the Friends and other
religious denominations who possess
conscientious scruples against mill
tary service of all kinds shall be able
to impress the Iowa legislature with
the business of their contention and
secure the passage Of a law making
exemptions in such cases, the new
militia law, should it become a law, or
the existing law, will not operate
in their particular cases.