The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1916-04-14

Senator Vardaman on Federal
Reserve Plan.
Section Sc of a bill to increase
the efficiency of the military es
tablishment of the United States
embodies the plan of creating q
Federal reserve and provides un
iversal military training under
exclusive Federal control. Speak.
ing to this section, when the bill
was up for consideration in the
Senate, Thursday, April 9th, Hon,
James X. Vardaman said:
Mr.. Vardaman: Mr.. President, /
think the kilograms and letters that
are sent to members of Congress are
either from motives eff patriotism ol
pelf. | have no objection whatever
to a member of the National Guard
of my state or any other states Civ
ing me his honest opinion as to the
value of the National Guard to the
general plan of our army. do not
object to anybody giving me an idea
or fact, but l do not care to hear
from any one who has Pc
cuniary interest in the matter of leg
islation: | have received a telegram
such as the Senator from Missouri
(Mr. Reed) has Just read.
Now, if this great army is to be
organized | have no objection to IA
volunteer force at all. | have no OBJ
lection to these camps in the sum-
mer time for the purpose of training
men in the use of arms, and teach
ing them the lessons of war. | think,
however, the tOilers of the country
can i'll afford to bear the burdens of
taxation incident thereto at this
time. Personally, | had hoped that
all OF this great plan, the Organiza-
ton of the army and the building of
IA navy, might be postponed until
after the war in Europe is over, so
as to permit the American people to
survey the situation and organize an
army and build navy to meet all
the exigencies and the necessities of
the future And | think that prob
ably would have been done but for
the energetic efforts ON the part Of
those who are largely interested in
the profits derived from the manu-
facture of munitions of war Mani
festly this congress is not going to
take the course which | would die
tate or prescribe had | the power,
but on the contrary, | am afraid it
is going to undertake to lay the foun-
da.iCn OF IA great systemic build a
house as it were, when the flames
are leaping heavenword and the
storm is raging furiously about us.
That such a structure, whose foun-
dation is laid under such circum-
stances, will meet the demands of
the future, if we shall do our duty
rs Christian nation and the civil
lized peoples of the earth shall show
themselves capable of self-govern-
ment, have my serious doubts.
My especial objection to section
56 is rather local in it's nature. /
am opposed to the whole scheme at
this time, but the peculiar bearing
it has upon the affairs of Mississippi
makes the local question of para
mount importance. ! pointed out
certain provisions in the section a
day or two ago which vitality affect
the people of the State from which
come. My purpose in calling atten-
ton to the Objectionable provisions
Of section 56 are purely patriotic.
My only desire in the matter was to
serve the people of Mississippi and
America. But, Notwithstanding my
l notice in the Record that
my warnings and suggestions have
been made the subject of ridicule by
a distinguished member of this body. |
. Iwant to say, Mr.. President, that
there is no argument in epithets, no
in ridicule; and satire in the
discussion Of a serious question is |
the refuge of the intellectual bandit. |
In the consideration of this great |
4uCotAOAI SiIC CttlAlCSt. llOel SERIOUS
should be given to |
every provision of this bill. When
| said that under the terms of Sec
ton 56 there might be organized in
the State of Mississippi camp to
which the negroes of that State
would be invited, / did not say that
hat would be done. God forbid
hat there should ever come to the
White House man so utterly re-
,ardless of the interests of the peo-
,ple OF America to do such a thing.
But this is an age of change. Mar
,elous changes have taken place in
'ecent years. Things are happening
,oday that we did not dream two
years ago could possibly happen. /
10 not know what is going to hap
ben in the coming years. But l do
know that the race question is in
he South, and that it is of over
'hadowing. paramount Importance
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