Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1917-08-17
V0TdOmGn Earning the Koiser's
Ir0H CFoss.

Explaining his vote against th'
declaration of war with Germany
Senator Vardaman, as quoted by
the Associated Press, closed as
follows:
~ am not going to vote for this
resolution" said Senator Varda.
man. ~ do not believe it Is nee.
essary to 60 to war. But l am not
going to delay or interfere with its
passage" and he added that iii
the war came he would support
the President and give him the
men and money he needed for the
war.
How unguardedly he then spoke
will be read in the following ex-
cerpt taken from q meandering,
maudlin statement given out on
Saturday last by Senator Varda-
man:
You will recall that the first ex:
cuse for entering into the war was
to protect American rights upon
the high seas and to keep the seas
neutral. Then there was q change
of front. 1t was a war waged
against autocracy in the interests
of world democracy. American
youths were to be fed to the Mo.
loch of war in order that the Eu.
ropean people who prefer a king
should be forced at American die.
tation to take q republican or
democratic president as their ruler.
Then again it was proposed if we
did not fight Germany now-stab
her in the back while England and
France have her down-that we
would have to fight her alone, and
Otner excuses or causes, imaginary
and real, for war were assigned.
Now, personally I think the cause
or this war was the interference on
the part of Germany with com
merce between New York and
London. I have always thought
it was purely . matter of pecuni,
ary profit and I think so still, but
I have no objection to discussion.
If the submarine warfare by Ger
many had not interfered with
business and profits there wohld,
in my judgment, probably have
been no war. An untrammeled
press and free speech will enable
men who pay taxes in time of
peace and shed their blood in
time of war to find out the real
truth for which they are to be sac
rifced. I think they know it now
but probably presidential and con.
gressional specifying will illumi.
nate the darkened mind of the
plain man at home on the subject.
So the United States is stabbing
blood guilty Germany in the back
this wretched, screed
Judge R. F. Cochran, of Meridian,
is like to be confirmed in his "ma
ture judgment, that Vardaman-|
the man / offered up my life to
elect to to the Senste-snd his
fellow cOnspirators ought to be
shot," Those who do not endorse
this severe sentence will at least
agree that well does Senator Var.
1aman deserve the Iron Cross that
was sent him by a constituent!
Surely all true men will ask, is
this q proper time for the people
Of the state to tolerate the injec.
tion of such vile and discord.
breeding drivel into their consid.
Grafton of affairs-for such a di.
version from the one paramount,
patriotic and purposeful issue be.
iore the American nation? The
'ule Of all great wars-a rule
lrawing the line between patriot
SIN and treason-is concentration |
If the spirit, energies, resources
Ind manhood upon the winning of
;he war-to upholding the authori.
~ of the President in steering the |
hip of state safely through an
.wful crisis of the nations life.
The quoted excerpt from the
Vardaman address insults the in.
;elligence and the patriotic spirit
# his constituents. The German
declaration of a ruthless and in.
discriminate submarine warfare
which he degrades himself by
styling "the excuse for entering
;he war;" was in fact the precipi-
ant, the elimination of wrongs