The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-26

the CAV after war was declared had
asked the congress to authorize him
! to call for 100000 volunteers, or even
a million. both houses would have
passed the bill. in forty-eisht hours. and
by this time we would have thousands
I OF volunteers already in camp and in
Z training"
/ Son GoinR In Array.
/ The speaker concluded with ref
J erence to his son. Bennett Champ
! Clark. parIiamentarian OF the house
! He said:
Il am sure that the house will par
! don a word purely personal. My only
/ living son is with my fun consent
/ going into the army IN any capacity
/ in which he can be useful OF course.
/ hate to see him go, but he thinks
/ it's his duty. and | would not have
J IL otherwise. ! hope and pray that
when the hour may come when he Us
subjected to the ordeal of fire he may
go into battle. not by the side of slack
erS and loafers whom the advocates or
this bill say they desire to reach, but
shoulder to shoulder with free men.
who serve gladly. willingly. to fight for
the honor and the perpetuity of this
republic should he fall. I want the
privilege OF carving on his tombstone
these words
This man, a Missouri volunteer,
died fghting for his country"
Speaker Clark's voice broke as ne
uttered the word tombstone. He
fumbled for his handkerchief He An
ished the sentence as a sob shook his
burlv frame and then he turned from
the iecturn and left the house weep
ing.
As his shoulders were shaking with
the emotion of the moment every men-
Der OF the house rose to his feet
Many. unashamed. shed tears. and there
was a sudden grasping for hip nocke'r
Handkerchiefs were in evidence all
over the chamber. Even members who
before the end of the week will record
their votes against the principle Tor
which Champ Clark was contendin<
Welded to the sincerity and earnestness
Of his pieadtrg and gave him the trio
ute OF wet lids and quiverins lips.
sherlcy Takes Floor.
As the speaker was giving his
peroration Senator kellogg. OF Min
nesota, escorted Sir George Foster.
Canadian member OF the British war
mission, to the floor of the house. Sir
George was welcomed by Republican
Leader Mann and shown to vantage
point on the minority side. he listen
cd with rapt attention to the speech
of Representative Sherley which FOL
lowed the speakers address.
Representative Sherley said he
hoped he would not considered as re-
plying, directly, 10 the speech OF
| Speaker Clark He read a telegram
from Henry Watterson. editor of the
I Louisville Courier-Journal. denounc-
/ ing supporters Of the volunteer plan.
] While Speaker Clark was speak
| ing" Representative Sherley said. Il
| received telegram from n dis
| tinguished constituent OF mine. a
| soldier through all the long bitter
I years OF the Civil wsr. In that tele-
/ gram he makes request OF me with
which shall comply. The telegram
reads
~ have Gent this letter to Champ
clark. If he doesn't read it to the
house hope you will
&c.," Watter-on To Clark.
AS an old and steadfast friend
1 whom you sometimes honored by
calling him Your teacher. | am con-
J strained to challenge the vote it is re-
ported YOU are about to cast upon the
army bill. II the war should last long
enough to put the issue to actual test
It will surely return to dog your poll
tNifta6 Lhh1lt anu bHi 1Nh' bfNNA''N'7N 80
public life.
i "'Our beloved countr" never faced
more exigent situation Congress
will make mistakes at the peril of all
We hold near and dear. The volu-
teer System, like the stage coach
served its purpose in primitive times
het like the stage coach, 1t proved
unequal to the expanding needs OF
modern times. The selectve draft
l. 4.-skS fotx
pericnce offers to intelligence. The
talk about PrussIanizinE our army Is
the chatter OF unrefieCtinE dema
goguery and we must meet organza-
ton with organization. and fight tho
enemy with both hands. not with one
hand tied behind us.
"'Out here in Gods country peo-
pie understand the question perfect
~. They know that the volunteer
system fsvors the siackers and the
shirks, while the selective draft sys-
tenn is fair to eaci' and every man
but above all they know that the
volunteer system has been failure
wherever tried and. seeking effici.
ency. they prefer the selective draft
Just AS saekirg speed thy would pre-
fer locomotive to an OK cart.
y am distressed that you cannot
sec your way to this view. but seem
ABOUT TO ANY SpufseiI Will pOIcS
IT obstruction. which can only en-
barrass us and aid the enemy. And
it is In deep solicitude for our coun.
try and sincere affection for you thai
venture to ohtrudc this protest.
HENRY WATTERSON'
Blood IS the price of the honor
ard the sovereignty OF a nation" as.
serted Mr.. Shcrley In the early part
OF his speech. He set forth the prin-
ciples back of the selective draft sys-
TEN as based upon the constitutions
principles of the American nation.
Eve hear too much about the rights
OF this and that man and not about
the duties due America.
The right 10 volunteer liz not a
right at all. The citizen has no right
TO volunteer: He has no right Ia
refuse to volunteer He has a duty
to serve when and how and where his
country calls him. And no nation can
live that hasn't the right TO compel
! the citizen 70 do this very thing. And
| to do all things necessary for the ma