The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1917-09-06

vs. sSs:...3z.es.!
CONGRESSMAN PAT HARRISON
from Mississippi. Commenting on this
note, which was approved by Americans
everywhere. Senator Vardamsh nau .iiI 70
to say: THE suggestion IS nonstrous. u
congress shall permit this country 10 Dc
drawn into war with Germany or any CT
the other belligerent powers for the rea-
sons assigned by President wilson IN MS
messages the members thereon Will De-
serve the eternal execration and final re-
nudiation of the American people, pro
test against such an indefensibie ACT pc
Ing committed in the name OF human,
ity'" 1t was such utterances as these
md the assistance our junior senator
was giving to our enemies that LED every
German paper in this country and many
in Germany to speak loud In their praise
Of him.
vardaman's Acts Dlscrcdlted.
But in spite of the. encouragement given aS,s
Germany by the junior Senator from MIS-
s:ssippi, and others, whose sympatnles
were the same as his. the Imperial Ger
man government yielded to the demanos
under international law TO legally carry
on ruthless submarine warfare, ana
agreed to conduct her submarine opera.
lions with due regard to thg ,b pignt wep pa
upheld and the patriotic stand OF the
President was applauded AROUND me
world. But as Won Bethmann- HollWeg "a
few months later said, "Germany only
agreed to make these promises so that
they might build more submarines. those
pledges were repudiated and another an
nouncemont Was MADE by Germany ,nae
IL would continue to carry on q rutniess:
unrestricted submarine WARFARE. vi
course the nation was aroused. the Amer
lean people were angered and indignant;
the press of the country clamored Tor
war. but Mr. Wilson, with characteristic
calm and reserve, raised his hands to the
clamoring throngs and pleaded with them
to be patient. He then came to Congress-
and requested, not a declaration OF war,
but a law that would give him authority
to arm the merchant vessels belonging 10
citizens OF this countrv that the hves ano
property of our people might be pro-
The bill passed the House OF Represen'
tatives overwhelmingly and went TO ths
Senate, where in the closing hours OF the
Sixty fourth Congress- six Senators. haV-
ing power, under the rules OF the Sen
ate tG strange legislation. opposed the
measure and accomplished its defeat ~
that six. the junior senator from Missls
defeat the viii of the American Con-
gregs rs was not willing to let the
President exhaust every remedy peiors
sgianv tho idea that the American people
y~efe pot behind their President. IT en-
eo1Ertaea them to further atrocities.
Tn fhp meantime we were forced to
break or diplomatic relations with Ger
1naffss ssnd our situation was rapidly grow
lsg moro intolerable. Germanvs utter
eisregard of the rights Of neutras ana
Aar contempt for humanity led her into
ersa4gfne her lawless operations. More
nf ctr ships were sunk, more OF our
property was destroyed, and more Amerl-
ean lives lost.
War Problem Fought.
a. loot ,,,l,a, tha outras res could no
longer be endured this man who for
three years had patiently waited. hoping
4 that Germany would yet allow us to re-
main at peaee, saw there was no further
hope of settlements, he convened Con-
gress in extraordinary session and re-
quested that he be given authority to use
the armed forces OF the nation. on lano
and sea, in protecting the nVeS ana prop
erty of American citizens.
The resolution declaring that state
of war existed was passed through the
House of representatives by an over
whelming vote, and III the Senate less
than a dozen Senator's voted against 1t.
OF that number we find the Junior SEN
ator from Mississippi speaking and yot-
ing against it.
This is the record of the man who Mis-
sissippians trusted to stand by his party;
his President and his government And
as bad as that is, 1t was to be hoped that
after the declaration Of war and the
country was involved in the most titanic
struggle of all time. in which, every re-
point of efficiency, in order to combat and
meet the highly efficient power OF Ger
man arms and German industry-that ne
would stand by the government and give
the comnander-in- chief of the army and
navy his support and cooperation. In
speech in the Senate he stated that he
would do that, and yet, my countrymen.
when legislation was necessary for raising
an army to fight our battles and to win
the war the junior Senator from MSSiS-
sippi persistently refused to vote for the
passage of bill for the raising OF an
ever, that while the junior Senator re-
corded his vote against other war meas
ures to which he was so much opposed,
when the selective draft bin was passed
which bill he now holds Up for derision
and contemplate did not have the cour-
age to record a vote against 1t, but mere
ly recorded himself as present and not
voting.
When it had been demonstrated that
airplanes was one of the most necessary
and useful means of waging the war and
that large number OF them WouIu prob
ably do more than anything else to bring
success to the allies cause, the President
asked Congress to vote an appropriation
that would permit the construction of
practically 20. 900 airplanes-this number
was agreed upon by the military experts
This bill passed the House OF representa-
tives unanimously. but when 1T got to the
Senate the junior Senator from MISSISSIPPI
pi made a speech on the floor OF the
Senate and opposed the bill.
Patriotism Is Needed.
After the laws for raising an army
had been passed and the boys were be-
ing modified in various sections of the
country preparatory to taking ships for
France, the President requested Congress
to pass a law that would prevent, among
other things, the newspapers from pub
fishing news regarding the movement of
the troops. The President did not think
it was right, when we have 5000 boys on
a transport ready to sail for France and
fact should be published in the papers.
that Germany, through her spy system,
might obtain this information and the
German general staff in turn send 1t
on the wings of the wireless telegraph
to submarine commanders in order that
murder those American boys. And yet,
when this bill reached the Senate, where
you and / would naturally expect unani-
nous approval of it's principles, the junior
Senator from Mississippi was one OF the
number who raised his voice in opposi-
part OF the legislation.
Ny countrymen, every means should
be granted that will assist in bringing
success to our arms and the allied cause.
II "a imperative that we should provide
for the armies in the fields and the
necessary that we should protect those
bows from back fire at home. My heart
goes out to them and Ii is not fair that
we should send them away on land or
sea and then allow their movem ents to
be published so that the enemy can at
n q. \