The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1917-12-13


every right TO be where they were
and the wanton and ruthless murder
OF American women and babes mean
nothing to the junior SENATOR l can
a0t believe that the senator believes
what he says he does about the causes
OF the war. Be that as II ma. he evil
IDENTIFY intends to stand by that charge
against his government. because ne
has not as yet stated that he was quo
ing somebody else when he used that
language.
ITO show you that I am not m.srep-
resenting the attitude OF the senator
or doing him an injastice-T would not
knowingly do that for anything in the
world want to read from speech
he delivered on the floor of the United
States senate on January 20, 1916,
page 1911 OF the Congressional Rec
ord. Here are a few of the obserya-
tons he made ON that occasion:
"'But | maintain it is incumbent
upon the United States government 10
protect the business interests of its
citizens. I hold it is just as much the
duty OF the American government to
protect her citizens against robbery,
against plunder; in other words, pro.
fect them in the enjoyment of their
liberty and property as 1t is TO protect
them in the enjoyment Of life. Unless
they shall be thus protected, life would
not be worth living. If the business
rights of the citizens are not protect
ed. If international law shall be vio-
lated and our citizens robbed and plum
dered without interference or protest
on the part of our own government, 1t
il but short step from such viola
tion of the law to that of murder.
My friends, these bellicose remarks
OF the junicr senator were made at a
time when England was interfering
with our commerce and involving
questions that could be amicably set
tied in the prize court or by diplo-
macy. The blood il innocent. help
leess women and babes was not on the
hands OF the British government; our
factories were not being destroyed by
English spies; English propagandists
were not sowing the seeds of discord
among US and plotting against our Sc
curity. And just in this connection
want to say that thank God that the
methods on the assassin and the muir
derous scoundrel who would destroy
the property of citizens of neutral
country are not the methods OF Anglo
Saxonsi
Now, to say continued the junior
senator, that we will permit England
to continue the methods of the high.
wayman, which she has persisted in
for nearly year without protest, lest
she may retaliate by cutting off all
business intercourse, is askingS the
American people to be guilty OF some
thing which. to my mind. approaches
pusillanimity II the congress shall
pass an act putting an embargo upon
the shipments of munitions to the Al
lies, to remain in force until the Allies
shall cease to interfere with trade be-
tween neutral nations, it would be do
ing no more than we have a right In.
herently to do
Not Concerned With Murder.
"My friends. want to say right here
that the junior senator went on the
warpath. as the language ! am quot
ing indicates. because England had
been interfering with shipments of mu
nitions Of war and other contraband
that were going to Germany, If not di
rectly. through neutral countries that
were friendly to Germany. The charge
OF numbering our citizens and sinking
without warning ships carrying our
commerce does not stand against her
''The junior senator went on 20 say
We have right to employ retaliatory
or any other measures for the prot sc
ton of the American people, ana il
war should come from the exercise OF
our inherent, legitimate rights the re
sponsibility for war will not be upor
the American people. hope, Mr.. Pres
dent, that we have not become a nation
OF cravens I've will not sell our man
kind for 4 cents a pound ON cotton;
we will not yield to the tyrant's de
mand, even though IL should involve III
In war My, but the senator mus
have been hot in the collar when h,
was giving England such verbal lam
basting. but, my friends, you may
search the record through and through
and you will not find where he eve
advocated any drastic action againsi
those gleeful murderers of our womer
and children, those cowardly assassini
of The sea 1t is hard to follow thu
reasoning of one who can find excuses
for the murder of American citizen.
and yet sounds the war cry when
Ehspns ant OF merchandise is ccnfigca at
ed. and for which full PREPARATION car
be had through peaceful negotiation
with a nation that has not lost all ma
tional honor"
Comes Down the Line.
Congressman Harrison then Cant
down the line" so to speak, taking
Vardaman's record of the past year VI
step by step, reading frequently from
the Congressional Record quoting tn
junior senator's uttoTances, which III
speaker declared, embarrassed the ad
ministration time and again, gave com
fort to the kaiser in Germany and re
Elected discredit upon those wEom h,
was supposed to represent iI the sen
ate. He graphically described hoV
Germany had murdered helpless Amer
lean women and children Oh the higl
seas, how she nad insulted the Amer
lean nation with many notes, and a
last sent the ultimatum that she woul'
sink all neutral ships without warning
He strongly defended the attitude tina
President Wilson then assumed in up
holding the honor of the American ma
ton and the flag of the country. H
told of the cares and burdens born
so patiently by President Wilson. o
his calling his cabinet members tc
gether and proposing his war mes
sage, describing how the chief execu