The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-05-09

No"1 W PaSo ou, mS 1EleHuSJ kueIS
Is another opposition to this bill of
the department., and that is this:
They say to US, eve have a right to
run one recruiting station in your
town. When a man comes there to
enlist he can be either placed by the |
enlisting officer in the National
Guard or in the Regular Army. He
has no right to designate which he |
will take. We will put him in where |
we see fit to use him. In other words,
he belongs to the Government from
that time on" Now, let me tell you,
we do not know anything about war.
I do not think any of us know any
too much, including the War College
and the General Staff. (Aplause.)
But we do know this, that when q
man goes out to fight for his coun-
try he would rather fight side by side
with his neighbor than with a for
eigner; that there is q great incen-
tive for him to fight for his coun-
try when he knows if he is wounded
there is somebody there to take care
of him and send word home that he
is wounded. And for that reason
I am in favor Of keeping the State
units together. You take a boy
from Mississippi-1 do not think the
Government would do this, but un-
der this bill they would have the
right to do it-you take a white
boy from South Carolina and put
him in a negro regiment from Mas
sachusetts or anywhere else, and you
would not have to 60 to Germany
to have war, for you would get war
right at home. (Laughter.) That is
another reason why I am opposed to
the proposition from start to finish.
: Now, gentlemen, let me tell you
something else. The War College is
not always right. I can recall some
little history for some of you gen.
.tlemen. Last year when the Hay
bill was introduced it was opposed
absolutely by the War College and
the General Staff. The original bill
had the backing Of the President.
The President agreed finally, how.
ever, to accept the Hay bill instead
of the Continental Army. At that
time the papers called US all trait
ors, including my friend from West
Virginia and myself. They said we
were traitors for not accepting the
General Staff proposition.
Now, what would have happened
if we had accepted the General Staff
bill? The National Guard would
have been dismissed. and the Con-
tinental Army would not have been
constructed; and when the Mexican
trouble came up whom in the world |
would we have had to send to the
border to protect the Regular Army
and to keep Villa from stealing their |
horses? daughter and applause.)
When this trouble came up, where is |
our national defense? It is the Ma
tional Guard. The very organization !
that is kicked around is the Army
that they want to defend themselves
with.
Now, the only word that I have
heard that appeals to me as practical
from the standpoint of those gentle
men who favor the conscription bill
is this: They say they wish the Presi-
dent had come over and that we
could have gotten together. God
knows, we all wish that. But they
say, "We believe in standing by the
becaue if we do not and
it goes out to Germany that we have
not stood by the President it will
have bad effect" I grant you that,
absolutely. But there is another
view to take Of that. This country
has always fought its
wars with volunteers to start with.
This country has had as brave and
as patriotic men as ever went to the
front in an army. Suppose that Ger
many is informed that after war
has been declared the President is
forced to compel men to fight. Will
they then think that the sentiment
Of this country is behind the Presi-
dent? (Applause.) Which is the
worse of the two evils, my friends?
"Oh," they say, England has con-
scription." Of course England has
after 100000 volun-
teers went to the front, just like the
Union Army and the armies of the
South were conscripted in the War
between the States after years of
fighting. But it was five years be-
fore they had to conscript. Canada,
which has had to do most of the
fighting, or as much of it as any one
branch of the British Army, has
never yet resorted to conscription.
than whose troops there
are no better in the world, has not
yet resorted to conscription, and the
are doing their part in
this war.
Mr.. Gardner. Mr.. Chairman, will
the gentleman yield?
The Chairman. Does the gentle
man from South Carolina yield to
the gentleman from Massachusetts?
Mr.. Nichols of South Carolina.
do.
Mr.. Gardner. The gentleman does
not overlook the fact that Canada
pays $33 month to each of its SOL
diers and $40 for separate allow
ance?
Mr.. Nichols of South Carolina.
Oh, I had not overlooked that fact;
but 1 hope the people of Canada do
no fight for money, but for love of
country, al our people do. (Great
applause and cheers.)
No.,, of tho onropoi{-