The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-08-22

has decided to defend its national
honor. There is no looking back now.
We are in this var and any man who
does anything to hinder u success
halfway ground. Every one of US is
his country and is not worthy of the
respect of a patriotic citizenship.
Before war was declared we all
had a right to our opinion, but since
a state of war exists there can be no
halfway ground. Every one of us is
either for u country or for Ger
many. There is no lodging the issue.
People Are Loyal.
"Robert E. Lee was opposed to Sc
cession, but when his mother State
,, declared for it he resigned his com-
mission in the United States army
and drew his sword to carry out the
mandates of his people. You can't
make me believe that the people of
this country are any less loyal today
than they were in 1776. You can't
make me believe that the people of
this country are any less loyal than
we Southerners were in 1861. And
I know you we'll enough to know that
you will do your duty. The mar that
deters his country at this time for
any reason is the enemy of every pa
triot who lives in our broad land.
Suppose that they should succeed in
blocking in any. way the early termi-
nation of this war. Every day will
mean thousands of lives lost, every
day will mean millions of dollars
spent; and can you tell me that a man
who takes this position is a friend
of his country?
"There have BEEN differences of
opinion as to the way of raising the
army to fight this war. ] personally
believed in and fought with all the
might that 1 possessed for the ~volun-
teer system. I gave my reasons in
a speech which I made and which I
mailed out to you for my attitude in
this matter. The majority of the
house and the administration differ
ed with me, and as between the draft
system and the volunteer system vot-
ed for the draft system.
Stood by Majority.
CATER I had been defeated for
the volunteers I voted for a bill
which followed the ideas of the ma
jority. 1t was a question of voting
for this bill or not having an army
with which to fight this war.
"It was such a case as would be in
our election system, when in the pri-
mary I could not win for my man,
and, although I thought that he
should have been elected, 1 voted in
the general election for the candidatei
whom I had opposed. I think this
explains to you my position. After
the draft bill was passed it became
the only law in this land for raising
an army and I propose to uphold the
law in every way within my power.
81 have talked to you longer than
I intended to I hope I have given
you our reasons for getting into this
war. We may have been wrong. I
do not grant that; but, right or
wrong, I am for my country, and /
have no respect for the man who is
not"
AS MI. Nichols so we'll shows, no
country eve had more cause to
make war than this country had to
make wal against Germany, no coun-
try and no Chief Magistrate Of a
country was ever more long suffer-
ing and plenteous in mercy than was
the President of these United States.
He sought by all honorable means to
avoid war;. he went almost to the
length of humiliation in his efforts
to avoid it. Our people were muir
dered on the high seas, on the public
lanes of travel, where they had a
right to be unmolested, and without
notice. Not only men, but women
and babes were sent to their graves.
We protested and Germany, -recog-
nizing that we were right, promised
to obey international law, land to
respect the rights of the people of
this country ON the high seas. But
the promises were only made to be
broken. Time and time again our
people were murdered, and as often
a chance of explanation was given,
and all doubts solved in favor of
peace.
Finally, when we had borne all too
much, the German government in
formed us that we could not travel
the high seas except on days and by
routes marked out by that govern