The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1917-09-27

| Il
upon verdict and were discharged
by Federal Judge Neterrer. Aaron
Fisherman was acquitted.
Mr.. Vanderveer, the defendants
attorney, stated that it would be
very unlikely that the case would be
retired.
A round of applause was given
Hulet M. Wells in the court room aft
er delivering an address to the jury.
The court ordered all those who APP
plauded out of court.
One woman went out saying, "To
hear that speech and express myself
on it was worth being put out for
Pm not ashamed"
| Mr.. Wells began very simply and
without emotion. at is not charg-
ed" he said, "that we did anything
that resulted in injury. We are
charged with criminal intent not with
deeds. 1t is therefore fitting that
/, who know what was in our minds,
should speak to you on our motives.
We were actuated only by the high
est type of patriotism.
81 recognize my own limitations; ;
do not claim to have accomplished
much; blu. for the last fifteen years
| have had the consuming desire to
be of some social service to my coun-
try and my kind. With this end
in view / have not spent time on
personal advancement in business;
but went into the labor movement
and devoted my best energies to
that. / have tried to eliminate some
of the useless suffering in the world,
to bring about better social relations
between man and man, between ma
ton and nation. That has been my
religion.
81 have always doubted the con-
stitutionality of CONSUMPTION for for
eign service. My study of history
shows me that even in the war of
1872, when President Madison and
his wife were fugitives from Wash
ington and our capitol was in the
hands of the invader, and troops
were ordered across the border into
Canada, the New York militia stood
on their constitutional rights and
| refused to go. l do not defend the
patriotism of their act; but l knew
that even in the extremity of lost
battle Daniel Webster argued against
CONSUMPTION and that the men were
! sustained in the courts.
~ knew that Hannis Taylor, a
leading authority on international
law, held that the Select Service Act
was unconstitutional, and wished to
have further legislation to correct
that defect. / knew that Attorney
General Wickersham, when asked by
Congress regarding the use of con-
scripted militia in Mexico, said it
was unconstitutional. With these
facts in mind l worked against the
law.
"For two or three years after the
European war broke out, l was filled
with admiration for our president.
l remember his statement about a
nation too proud to fight Some
little minds misjudged that state
ment, but | was glad that he was
great enough to see that a great ma
ton could we'll afford not to stand
upon the letter of it's rights in a
time of madness.
"Mr. Allen has reminded you of
the atrdcrSS of Belgium. | have
at times, | confess, been moved by
the fiercest passions of the human
heart; ! have wanted revenge for
those atrocities; I might even, in
the heat of moment, have desired
to sacrifice million of our own
young men for that revenge. But
in calmer hours, l have been glad
that our president guided US with
patience through those stormy times.
honor him for it.
"But as the time went on, and
the pressure towards war made it.
self felt, believed that the presi-
dent, sitting there in Washington,
could not always distinguish, above
the clamor of the jingo press, the
cal desire of the common people, |
felt that he was being pushed into
war. | desired to do my utmost to
assure him, and our representatives
in Congress, that there were many
who did not wish war, who believed
that war destroyed and brutalized
the finest instincts of humanity.
ct have been accused of heaping
contempt and SANDER on the young
men going out to fight for their
country. L have not done so.
honor those boys; my heart goes
out to them. / know the high faith
and idealism that fills the hearts of
many of them. But I wanted to
see that idealism put to some better