Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1916-08-24

cratic course which this bill outlines.
This bill violates the sacred tradl.
tlons Of the Democratic Party. II 10
an affront TO the teachings Of Thomas
Jefferson, 10 at variance with the time
honored policy Of the Government
since its organization. II gives the lie
to the Sermon on the Mount and
makes the decalogue but a concatena.
tion Of meaningless words.
And all for what? What influences
call for II? Not a threat of invasion
by a foreign foe-no necessity under
Gods sun, that ! can see, but on the
contrary, the horizon of our future 10
without one speck Of war cloud to mar
the wide expanse Of Its peaceful blue.
Less danger, in fact, Of war than this
country has enjoyed for the last so
yeara or course, no one really con-
siders seriously the little fiasco with
Mexico. Now, who demands this legls-
lation? Nobody except the profit
sharers Of such policy, and the poll
tlclans who imagine that the brutal
passion Of war has 30 benumbed the
Christian instincts and beclouded the
Judgment Of civilized peoples that the
voters can be mlsed or used for parti.
san political purposes.
The United States Government, Mr..
President, Notwithstanding what the
advocates Of preparedness" have said,
and the slanderers of the American
Navy may suggest, has the greatest
Navy today IN the world except Great
Britain This Nation is better equipped
to defend it's right on land-it is bet
ter equipped in men and material re.
sources to defend the American flag
both on land and sea than ever in its
history. That statement can not be
successfully contradicted And, in ad-
dition to that, | want to repeat, there
is less danger Of foreign or domestic
war than this country has enjoyed
since 1865. Mr.. President, the Ameri-
can people are won't to denounce the
selfish and ambitious rulers of Europe,
and charge them with responsibility
for the cruel war being waged over
there today. join with them in that
criticism. 1t is a war brought about
by the ambitious, designing criminal
few, to be fought and suffered by the
exploited many. The men and women
who are suffering and sacrificing in |
this war were not consulted about it |
at all. And yet in utter disregard of |
that terrible example the Congress of |
the United States is pursuing the same |
course, doing the same thing, that the |
rulers of Europe did prior to and lead
ing up to that fearful conflict. Getting |
ready for war when no war is threat
ened. Taking the money that ought |
TO go for the support, maintenance and |
education Of the children of the toiInq
masses and investing II in eunboats,
cannons, and other forms of arma-
ments that will never be needed
that is, if the men responsible for the
official affairs of this Nation shall do
their duty. We propose to build bat,
tleships that are not needed. We pro-
pose to organize armies that are not
needed We are martialing the forces
of war, not for the purpose of defense
but for the purpose which organized
and martialed physical forces in the
forms of armies and navies are al
ways used by ambitious rulers. 1t
seems to me that this Congress has
lost its iscretion-"j judgment thou
art fled to british beasts and men
have lost their reason"-under the in
Huence of an abnormal pernicious sen
tment Old and tested moorings are
broken, and in the midst of breakers
the ship of state is to be turned over
to the commercial pirates. | cannot
it.
| have listened in vain for one word
For peace to be spoken-one note of
peace to be sounded by this admins
Lration. No organized official effort
has been put forth by this Government
n the interest of peace. The Presi.
lent, in his admirable address to Con.
sress on the Sth of December, 1914,
declared purpose and outlined a pol.
cy which, if pursued, would have
given this Republic position of moral
altitude which would have command.
I'd the admiration of the peoples of the
earth and won the gratitude of every
'ational Christian man and woman in
he world. Mr.. President, l am going
o ask permission to insert here in
ny remarks an extract from that Won
lerful address. I regard it as the
effort OF great brain, glo
flied with the rare fragrance of
leart imbued, at the time, with genu
ne love IOT humanity
l beg to be permitted to employ the
Presidents words as the better ex.
ression of my own views on this mo-
nentous issue.
The VICE PRESIDENT. Without
bjection, it is so ordered.
The matter referred to is as fol.
ows:
Speech Of Woodrow Wilson.
at is not expenditure, but ex-
travagance that we should fear
being criticized for; not paying
for the legitimate enterprises and
undertakings of a great Govern
ment, whose people command
what it should do, but adding what
will benefit only few or pouring
money out for what need not have
been undertaken at all or might
have been postponed or better or
more economically conceived and
carried out. The Nation is not
niggardly; it is very generous.
II will chide us only If we forget
for whom we pay money out and
whose money it is we pay. These
are large and general standards,
but they are not very difficult of
application to particular cases.
"The other topic l shall take
leave to mention goes deeper into
the principles Of our national life
and policy. Il Is the subject Of
national defangA