Mexico Missouri message., 1917-05-17
SPEAKER CLARK WAS RIGHT.

FOLLOWING is part OF letter witt |
ten by Robert May, of Louisiana. Mo-, |
relative to those 35 fellows who sent |
telegram to Speaker Clark urging |
him to support "Conscription." May
says he did not sign the telegram
had no knowledge of the telegram.
He makes it look little ugly for
the "signers," Hear, him, as fol-
lows:
Louisiana, Mo-. May s, 1917.
Speaker Champ Clark, Senator
James A. Reed and Senator WI ].
Stone:
Honorable Sirs:-As you are we'll
aware, the country has been very
much wrought up during the past
two weeks over the so-called "Se-
lective Draft" or Universal Service"
bill pending in both Houses of Con-
gress Many of your constituents have
communicated to you by telegram or
otherwise, expressing their views on
the subject. 1t was my pleasure to
be present as a spectator at some of
the debates, both in the Senate and
the House, while the bill was under
consideration, and 1 was deeply i'm
pressed with the earnestness and
ability of the speakers on both sides
of the question
am now and always have been in
favor of the volunteer system, and
so expressed myself to Mr.. Clark
while on my visit to Washington, and
as he knows, l congratulated him
on his noble and patriotic stand on
J the question. So you can imagine
my chagrin, when on reaching home,
learned for the first time that my
name, among others, had been ap-
/ pended to a telegram addressed to
, each of you, expressing directly the
opposite view and urging the passage
, of the Universal Service Bill" This
is, in part, my reason for addressing
= this letter to you.
) want you to know that 1 have
| no knowledge of the telegram, and
do not indorse its contents. The
e names attached are among our best
t citizens, but an analysis discloses
t that some never signed it, while 9TH
ers thought it i'll advised. Fifteen OF
the signers have no boys at all, only
. five have boys of military age, while
4 there are possibly only three out of
d the thirty-five that are subject to
e draft, none of them thus far have en-
q listed.
= Your reply, Mr.. Clark, pointing to
s them the recruiting office was, in my
e opinion, both courteous and timely;
as l believe it an evidence of patri.
e otism, as well as in keeping with Bib.
0 lical injunction to prove our faith by
e our works. But some have been per.
}. tubered thereby, and been even con.
I STRUNG literally your figure Of
). speech relating to the shotgun. :
6 l believe that inasmueh as you hi
I your game so effectively in your re.
v ply to the telegram it will not be nee
6 essary to shoot anymore. One of oul
friends appeared so wrought up thai
n. from an article he wrote to the To-
a cal papers he seemed apprehensive
n lest he and the Democratic majority
e be chased out of the Ninth Congress
a ional district.
+ 1 believe, however, that he ha.
+ overestimated the number of per
/ turbed constituents, and that upor
g taking a census thereof the number
}. would be found inconsequential ant
d that when you return to your distric
i you will be received with open arms
?. and the glad hand as of old.
O Our land is filled with patriotic
citizens, ready to fight for our coun
Il try, but I know of very few, if any
4 who are willing to be branded G
Il "conscript" or have their boys e.
! down in history as such.
q War was declared only thirty day
q ago. Enlistments from that day OF
Il have been rapid, and as time goes OF
! the volunteer enlistment is going for
= ward with increased rapidity, anC
q likely the full quota of 100000 mel
> will volunteer before the conserip
# tion bill is put in operation unless
y Congress hurries.
" We hear a great deal of noise il
favor of conscription from the subsi
died press, and from the men wht
feel secure from being drafted, bu
# do we hear the brave and stalwar
j. young men, the hope of our country
? clamoring for conscription? No
= They are ready to answer their coun
try's call, and are daily volunteering
to defend their nations honor will
their patriotic life-blood, If need be
hut their bravery and natriotisn