The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-08
HUDDLESTON GOES ID BRYAN'S DEFENSE
Interesting Clash With Min
 nesOta Man on Floor
BOTH SHOW HEAT
Birmingham Man Says Attacks on Pacifism of Great American Are
 Pusillanimous and Should
 Be Resented
By HUGH ". ROBERTS

Fly HUGH w. ROBERTS
 Washington, February 7.-(Special.)- )-In his effort to divide the country, or to array the country against the President in the moment of international crisis, William Jennings Bryan has one valiant defender in the House of Representatives. MT Huddleston of the Ninth Alabama. is the man.
 MT Miller of Minnesota, on the floor of the House, assailed the conduct of the Nebraslxan. Tn his verbal castiga- tion he used the terms skinned milk patriotism" and shadow of treason" MT. Huddleston. in a heated retort, eulogized MT Bryan. bespoke the merits of free speech and characterized the attack of Miller as "pusillanimous."
 Excerpts from the Congressional Rec ord state the case succinctly:
 I'VE HAVE BRYAN"
 MT. Miller of Minnesota: When our fathers struggled for their independence in this land there were royalists abroad. When the dark days of the Civil war were here there were "copperheads' in the north. Today England has her pa cifists. In this hour of great peril to our land we have William J. Bryan.
 Our President has passed the hour for deliberation, has passed the hour of doubt He has taken a position, and there can be no steps backward It is the duty of every man in the United States to back him up to the uttermost (Applause). And I decry those who see it their duty to work against the com monweal by trying to create a public sentiment opposed to the President s course. (Applause).
 FIND IN TREASON
 Free deliberations and free discussions are born of legal right. We can cry out against them when they are in their place. But for one believe at this time they begin in skinned milk patriotism, and, if continued, they are destined to end in the shadow land of treason. We need united, a harmonious, perfectly organized nation of men and women in this hour. Let there be no division of sentiment, no diversity of purpose, and no stragglers from the ranks.
 FOR HIS EXPERIMENT
 I have received letter from a con- stituent of mine in whose veins flows the blood of Puritan sres, whose forefathers fought in the colonial wars of the land, in the great revolutionary struggle of our country, and in every war since. and I want to read to you what he says
 .Washington, D. C., February 4, 1917 "Hon. Clarence Miller, House Of Repre-
 sentatives.
 My Dear Sir-Mr. William Jennings Bryan asks the people to advise their representatives in Congress of their s., %l,;e ci with | would say to you that it is my opinion that the interests of our country would be conserved by the immediate in ternment of the said Bryan. Yours, sincerely, s <
 "wILL1AM E. RICHARDSON" (Applause).
 I hope that sentiment will find re- sponsive echo in the heart of every true citizen of this land. (Applause).
 SPEAKING FOR ALABAMA
 Mir. Huddleston: I rise to protest against the cowardly communication that has been read into the record attacking that splendid American. William Jen- nings Bryan. (Applause). He needs no defense from me, but the dignity of the American House of Representatives de- mands that such pusillanimous attack upon him should be resented. He has been three times the nominee of a great party for President of the United States and has received the suffrage of Amer can citizens to total aggregate greater than any other man who ever lived in America.
 BRYAN A MAN"
 This is not the time for towards; it is not the time for jingoes; it is not the time for swashbucklers, buffers and braggarts. This is the time for men, and William Jennings Bryan is man. (Ap- pleuse) In a time like this moment of the nations peril it takes a lion-hearted courage for man to stand up on his feet and dare to speak for peace; but let us not forget that peace should be spoken for sand that, after all, the great American people are the real rulers of this country, and it is their will that should be done, not the will of any exe- cutive nor of any other man.
 REFERENDUM IS RIGHT
 The American people are entitled to say whether they will go to war or whether they will stay out of war, and the most distinguished private citizen of ouc country has the right to say that he thinks this question ought to be sub niitted to the people. I want to say that if we are not to have free speech. if it is not to be tolerated that men shall give cool counsel in moments like this, all our teaching has been in vain and Americanism Is not what we have thought it was, and is scarcely worth fighting for. If the time has come when a great man may not speak earnestly, truthfully, and wisely, even though it be in opposition to the views of the highest official authority, if that time has come, then what is it that our flag stands for and what are American liberties? "ATTACK IS INSPIRED" | I protest against such an attack. protest against it because it is unfair I protest against it because it is in spired by the despicable principles, the vicious qualities, that have been SC falsely ascribed to Mr. Bryan. (Ap- plause).