The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-11-26
SPEAKS
Of WAR CAUSES
CONGRESSMAN ADDRESSED BIG
AUDIENCE AT BROADWAY
METHODIST CHURCH.
TRIALS or CONGRESS
Speaker Tells Of Problems That Con-
fronted Lower House-Pleads for Co
Operation Of Those Who Remain at
Home.

Congressman Scott Ferris, of Lawton.
spoke on war topics to large audi
ence in the Broadway Methodist
church last night. lie was accompan-
led to the church by Congressman c. ID.
Carter and Rev. X. +. l.. Morgan. pas
tor of that church who introduced the
speaker
Doctor Morgan said that he had
known Mr.. Ferris for sixteen years.
and that their acquaintance had been
formed at the time they were both
young lawyers at Lawton. He said he
was glad to know that his friend had
stood firmly with Congressman Carter
in sustaining the president in the try
ing times of the last session of con-
gress.
Congressman Ferris spoke, in part, as
follows:
1T is always a pleasure to me to
speak to an Ardmore audience at any
time, and it is especially gratifying to
be presented by my good friend, Broth
er Morgan, whose acquaintance / form
ed some sixteen years ago. / knew
him first as a hard working, conscien-
tious lawyer and since then as con-
secrated pastor and during this time
have been glad to number him among
L
am happy to come here and accept his
kind invitation to address you from his
pulpit
81 know that the members of the
South Methodist church always do their
duty, whatever their calling, so it is
proper that they should know what
their congress did relative to declaring
war You citizens engaged in all lines,
have your viewpoint, and / want to
present the viewpoint of my good friend
Charles Carter and myself as members
Of congress.
Prayed and Hoped for Peace.
Il desire to say at the outset that
believe the teeming one hundred and ten
million people of our country all love
peace and that they abhor a war that
takes from us the flower of our youth.
II was our prayer, by night, and hope
by day, that we would not have to de-
clare war. | also want to say that in
all the recorded history of six thou
sand years, there have never been more
fragrant outrages and glaring insults Of
fered a nation than those by the blood
thirsty German government. For two
and a half years that grand pale-faced,
patient man, President Woodrow VIII
son, pleaded with Germany not to sink
our ships and murder our citizens, and
did everything possible. consistent with
our national self-respect, to keep us out
of war. Instead of needing his requests
they sank our ships without warning
and murdered our women and children.
The president did not want war, con-
gress did not want war, our people did
not want war, but when 1926 of our
merchant ships had been sunk and the
lives of our women and children snuffed
out, President Wilson warned Germany
that if another of our ships was sunk,
or one of our citizens murdered, the
German government would be held ac-
countable. The kaiser replied that they
would be sunk on sight If within the
war zone, which was I 200 miles long
and 10000 miles wide, This meant
that we could not sail the seas where
we shipped the surplus of two-thirds of
our grain products, five-siXths of our
hogs, six-sevenths of our cotton and
seven-eighths of our beef products.
do the patriotic and thrifty people
of Carter county want the market cut
off from the six and one-half million
farmers of this country, and the twen-
ty million laborers for wages deprived
of their sustenance by not being per-
mitted to use their legitimate channels
of trade?
Former President Taft said that we
could no longer maintain our honor
and dignity and permit such a condi-
ton to exist Former President Roose-
welt said that we had reached the end
of our skein, and to longer refuse re-
sentiment would be contemplate.
President Wilson said that he could
not step on the graves of his forefathers
and permit these indignities any longer,
and put it up to congress. Neither my
colleague nor myself wanted war, nor
did a large majority of congress, nor
did the people. We did not want to send
a million of our boys into this mael-
strom, but il had to be done. When
the roll call came in the lower house
Of congress, 3S5 voted yes and fifty vot-
ed no for a declaration of war against
Germany. In the senate, the vote was
SS yeas and eight noes. 1t was then
signed by the president and became a |
law. and it is your duty to sustain con-
gress and your president.
After War Declaration.
after declaring war it was neces- |
sary to look about and see what kind |
of army we had. The regular force was |
about 10000 and scattering militia 1
brought the total to about 100000. This |
number against Germany's ten million l
of trained and well armed soldiers. Was
il our duty TO send these 800 900 Of our
boys to fight this German horde? No.
Il was then our duty to raise an army /
rs quickly as possible. We differed as /
10 the mode, most OF US then in con-
yress favoring the volunteer plan. Your /
'ar-sighted congressman here saw SOON /
sr than 1 did that the volunteer plan /
was inadequate. There were others |
who also took the same view and 1t /
was finally abandoned. We found that /
he volunteer plan too often took boys /
100 young. and in many instances those /
who could not be spared from their |
homes because Of denendents while