The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1917-02-16


front to the common enemy. shall
vote to give the President men and
money to the last soul and dwind-
ling farthing to be used in the Ma
TONS behalf; but / can not vote for
this resolution for the reason that it
does not express my sincere and
best judgment. / do not believe
that the presidents course was wise,
prudent, justified at this time by the
facts and for the best interest of the
American people and the peoples OF
of the world.
do not in any sense cOndone
murder upon the high seas, of which
Germany may be guilty; nor do l in
any way extenuate Great Britain's g
insolent, cruel and persistent viola
tion of international law and her
contemptuous disregard of the rights
of neutrals upon the high seas. Both
of these nations are culpable. Their
crimes differ only in degree The
motives behind their every act are
identical. Cruel selfishness that
would crucifv truth and immediate
justice to promote personal end is
the impelling purpose. Nor would l
be understood as questioning the
correctness of the presidents inter-
pretation of the cold, technical let
ter of international law. He is, in
all probability, correct in his state
- hax h1 10
but
New conditions teach new duties;
Time makes ancient good uncOuth.
And l think that the time is at hand
and the circumstances demand that
America. occupying a position Of
such commanding advantage should
write little international law-law
with heart and soul in it, adaptable
to the new conditions, placing the
rights of man and the human ele-
ment above the increment of COM
merce Such a law would vastly
promote the welfare of humanity
the world and better pro-
tect the interests of the American
people.
l admit that American citizens
have the technical right. under in
law, to enter the danger
zone 1t will not, on the other hand,
be denied that their forbearance to
exercise that right or privilege at
this particular time would rebound
to the peace and perma-
nent prosperity of the world. l sub
NIT that it would be the highest
evidence of perfect neutrality if the
United States GOvernment should
see to it that our citizeus forbear the
exercise of such a right. For our
to be drawn into this vortex
Of blood and p1under to satisfy the
greed and cupidity of those who
would coin the blood of the murdered
soldier and the tears of the broken
hearted women into dollars or per-
haps to crafty the desire and vanity
of few daring spirits bent upon
bold and venturesome enterprise,
would be calamity, aye, more, a
on the part of this admins
tration, the cruel consequences of
which the president as we'll as count
less generations yet unborn must
sorely suffer.
/ trust that Gods loving provi-
dence may save our common cOun-
try from further implication in this
world disaster, this inexcusable,
horrible and heartless slaughter of
human beings; but am afraid that
only through Divine Intervention is
there basis for such a hope. The
men of Europe are mad, the brain
reels with suffusion of hot blood,
and the passions of hate poison the
heart. They are, as wild beasts fol-
owing the instinct of self-preserva-
ion. fighting for existence. In this
state of mind l am afraid that some
hing may be done without intend
ng to offend the American people
% justify the president of the United
States from his own sense of duty |
n doing what he has said he would |
10 in the event that Germany per-
lists in her threat to blockade the
ports of Great Britain with her sub
marine fleet. The traffickers in the |
'poils of war, the sharers of enor-
nous profits of international COM
nerce, have done their pernicious
work in the creation of an unhealthy, |
abnormal. pernicious sentiment in
avor of war which seems to have |
temporarily dethroned the reason of
men the world over and poisoned
he very current of human love.
God give us pause to contemplate |
he consequences that will inevita- |
by flow from the things we are |
lbout to do. Let prudence. love. |
ortitude and truth characterize our
today.