Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-06-01
As to Traitors and SlaCkerS

service on June the fifth next will be liable to
IMPRISONMENT for year in the pententiary as
the least of the penalties upon his dshonorable
conduct.
And IL anyone thinks he engage safely In
the traitorous work of attempting to thWart or
hinder registration, he will be prosecuted 10 the
full extent of the Governments power and VIII De
branded by all loyal Americans as an enemy 10
their country and helper of the Kaiser
For the vast majority of the people these re-
minders are altogether needless. The great rank
and file of our young men from ocean to ocean
and from the Lakes to the Gulf are awaiting reg
isration day with patriotic eagerness TO enron III
the country's cause. 1t is only here ana there
that a downright Stacker is found, and he as rule
"a mentaIIv or morally incompetent. But there is
undoubtedly concerted movement on the part OF
Prussian propagandists and their hired American
agents to confuse and far as possible frustrate
the Governments plans for raising an adequate
army These servants of the Kaiser are playing
their desperate game under various DISCUSSES.
They have accompIices in almost every part OF the
country They have them in Georgia-shameless
Benedict ArnOlQS
men from obeying the registration law and from
serving the country ir this time of immeasuraole
need
Punishment for these traitors and those VINO
foolishly follow them will be as swift and certain
and severe as the Governments prosecuting pow
ers uphed and reinforced by patriotic public SEN
timent can make it. AS the law now STANDS any
with he registration
process either by Fersuading men between tne
requisite ages not to register or in other ways Is
liable to a year in the penitentiary. The penalty
is made far more drastic under the espionage Dill
now awaiting passage in Congress. That measure
provides that:
"wboever. when the United States is at
war. shall wilfuIIy make convey false re-
ports or false statements with intent to inter
fere with the operation success of the mil
itarv or rayal forces of the United States, or
to promote the success of its enemies, and
whoever, when the United States is at war;
shall wiIfully obstruct the recruiting or enlist
mani service of the United States to the in
Jury of the service of the United States shall
be punished by fine of not more than ten
thousand dollars or imprisonment not more
than twenty years, or both"
II is not simply matter, however, of the law
and the Governments prosecuting power. 1t Is
fundamentally matter of the American peoples
heart and conscience and the patriotic wrath they
are certain to pour upon deserters and traitors to
the country's cause. sentence in the peniten-
tiary can be lived down when it has been imposed
for ordinary wrongdoing. But one ever will be
able to live down the felony and disgrace of trea-
son to the cause of liberty and humanity for which
America is mastering its manhood. Mr.. Hooper
Alexander United States District Attorney for the
northern district of Georgia, struck a responsive
chord of public sentiment when he said that if the
people of this State do their duty.
They will amend the constitution of this
state by providing for the absolute disfran-
chisement of every traitor who seeks to en-
barrass his country and of every coward who
refuses to enroll his among the list of
those who are willing to the country"
This is no time for traitors or slackers and
there will be no tolerance for them. Whoever seeks
to dissuade young men from registration June
the fifth is a criminal and whoever is thus misled
is a fool. For both, punishment will be certain
and