The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-10-17
1t Exempts From Service All
Those Who Are Conscien-
tiousIy Opposed to War;
Beveridge Is Thanked.
EVIDENCE is SHOWN
OF SECTIONAL FEELING.
Affairs of the Negro Cause of
A Spirited Discussion in the
Five Years Body--- Other
Business Transacted.

Never in the history of the Friends
denomination was there a better bit
of legislation secured, through the in
strumentality of Friends and for the
Friends, than the amendment to the
United States militia bill in 1908, when
at the urgent request of the Five Years
meeting legislative committee, Senator
Beveridge, of Indiana. and Senator
Hoar and others fought battle to ex-
empt all Quakers from militia service,
with a favorable result Such was the
opinion of the hundreds of Quakers
assembled at the East Main Street
church Wednesday afternoon, when
Timothy Nicholson, chairman of the
legislative committee. in a volumin-
Gus report. outlined the work of the
committee and the work that had been
done to head off the passage of the mi
litia bill in the national houses, which
If it had passed uImolested, would
have required Quakers, notwithstand-
ing their scruples against doing SO, to
serve in the army. There was great
of the meeting, when Mr. Nicholson
read the brilliant speeches of Senator
Albert J. Beveridge on the floor of the
senate, while the members from Mas
sachusetts paid high tribute, as did
all others to the late Senator Hoar.
1.-The grand old man of the senate" for
his active participation in the fight for
the exemption of the Quakers from
militia service.
Sweeping in Effect.
Although in a sense, a strictly mill
tia bill. the amendment freeing the
Quakers from militia service, will free
them from military service of any
kind. it is thought, and in addition,
will free all those young men of what
soever religious denomination over Is
and under 40. who have conscientious
seruples against fighting. The report
of Mr. Nicholson elected much discus
sion, and the committee was thanked
heartily for it's labors in securing the
legislation.
Wednesday, the first opportunity
that has offered, the Five Years meet
ing, in addition to paying high trib-
ute to the senator's who have taken
a firm stand for the passage of the
prohibitory amendment, Senator Al
bert J. Beverdge and Others" We're
given a vote of thanks by the entire
meeting, repre- senting the Friends Ct
ha I,
lengthy treatise, which also contains
references to the work of securing
laws for prison reform, marriage an
divorce laws, and various other lc
islation, the speeches of the senat.
who stood for and against the amC
ment to exempt Quakers from milit;
service, will be added to the repo.
that it may become matter of Friends
history. The record of the passage OF
the bill by the house of representatives
after second consideration Of the
measure, viii also be added.
Why Did He Do It?
After Mr.. Nicholson had read the
many speeches Of Senator Albert J
Beveridge, James Wood, who very oft
en- adds life to the meeting by his wit
ticisms. was led to say that from the
way Senator Beveridge referred to the
Quakers as "a grand and intelligent
people, he could not really see wheth
er the senator from Indiana was real
~ saying it to affect his hearers in the
senate, or to make a favorable impres
sion on the greatest body of Quaker
voters in Indiana. The little bit oi
by-play at this juncture evoked q
round of laughter from The meeting.
Benjamin F. Trueblood paid high
trioute to the Legislative committee b,
adding that throughout the history OF
the Quaker church there had neye,
been a committee that has done as
great a service as the one which re
ported Wednesday. He believed the
amendment had been passed as trib
ute to the Friends, and was a tribute
to the freedom of conscience.
James Wood, clerk of the meeting
John f. Hanson of Oregon, Chas, Teb
belts of California, ]. Elwood Page or
North Carolina, Joseph Ellington OF
Philadelphia and Charles Sweet o.
Iowa yearly meeting all commended
the high order of the bit of legislation
and further commended the commit
tee who so industriously labored tt
bring it about.
Still Sectional Feeling.
That there is still a sectional feel
ing between the people of the Nortl
and those of the South was evidenced
Wednesday. when the discussion aros,
over the report of the condition of ne
groes in this country. submitted by Al
len Jay, chairman of the committee IL
lC0ntinuad ON Page Ennrl