The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-05-09

lStraClOn. IL Is no SUCH CnluS, dHS
the men who wrote those letters anC
the newspapers who published those
articles had never seen the commit
tee bill, as is shown by an article in
the Washington Post of Sunday
They had roasted US, called the mem.
bers of the committee traitors, and
said that we were not true to the
country, because we were supporting
the Dent bill, and then this same
paper came out Sunday morning
and said that Col. Roosevelt would
have a perfect right to raise volun'
teers while conscription was being
put into effect, and take them into
France. If Col. Roosevelt has that
right, why has not anybody the same
right? And that is all we are con
tending for.
There are q great many reasons
why am opposed to the bill; anc
there are great many things II
which our bill improves it. In the
first place, they say that boys from
the age of 19 to 25 shall be called
into the service of this country, ant
they say further that out of the
something over 100000 available
men possibly AZ per cent of then
will be put aside for physical OF
other reasons, and that out of s
balance of approximately 4,000,00(
men the first 5OO,O troops will be
drawn. How do they propose tt
draw them? They say, eve are 60
ing to have the selective draft
What sort of a selective draft are
we going to have? The committee
has not been able to find out. You
do not know what it is. Why die
not they cause the exemptions al
they are proposed to be put in to be
published, as were the British orders
when the war started there? We dc
not know what sort Of an exemption
they are going to give US, but we dc
know this: That under the volunteer
system we can use the exact exemp'
ton that can be used under the con,
.scription system. And I say that we
can use it to better advantage, anc
why? Because, gentlemen Of the
committee, all that the Government
has got to do. is to instruct the en-.
listing officers when men are coming
to enlist to question them, to finc
out what their avocation is, to FIND
out what business they are engaged
in, and if they can better be used
at home than at the front, refuse to
accept them, and give them q button
to signify they have offered theil
services to their country.
Now, why from 19 to 25 years OF
age? I never heard of as unfair 8
Mr.: Iann. Will the gentleman
yield? &C.
Mr. Nichols of South Carolina.
No, can not. When I get through
I will let you have all day.
Why, gentlemen Of the committee
do they limit it from 10 to 25 years?
Who voted for this war? Did the
boys who are not even entitled to g
vote have anything to do with it!
You men voted war, and if you vote
to make this 10 to Is I hope some
widowed mother will come to you
when you 60 home and say, why
do you represent me in Congress?
Why do you take my boy and fix q
law for him that keeps you at
homer" That is what you deserve.
and there is no way to get around
it.. Our bill raises that limit from
21 to 40 years, and all of you who
are so bloodthirsty and hate Ger
many 80 much can get an opportun-
ity to fight for your country. ZAP
pluase.)
I am getting tired of newspaper
editors sending out these reports, be-
cause can you tell me anything that
they are going to do to make the
war go on after it has started?
Mr.. Huddleston. I want to sug-