The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1917-05-31
Thursday, May 81, 1917.

those, WAC are willing to 49,
In my judgment it is unwise to send an army
60 Europe at this time, whether composed OF
volunteers or conscrpts; but to me this is i'm
material II those only are sent who are willing
to go.
These are some of the reasons which comne1
me to vote to give the volunteer system a trial
IN addition to these the Army bill, which we
are peremptorily demanded to vote for is OBJ
JestonabIe to me for several reasons, though by
adopting amendment after amendment in the com
mittee room and which we hope will be done on
the floor Of the House much Of it's sting and fangs
will be removed
The War College or Army bill contemplated
that military board composed only of Army Off
GERS should pass on who should go to the trenches
and who should remain at home under the select
CONSUMPTION plan, while the committee bill pro-
vlded that majority Of this board should be
composed Of civilians and home people at that
Under the Army bill the exempting officer rep
resenting the Government, whoever he may be,
Will decide who will go to war and who shall stay
at home. This officer has the life, liberty and
freedom OF every man drawn under his direction
and control He and those under him will decide
who shall go to war and who shall remain at
home. He can take a white man after being
drawn from the box and leave negro, and vice
versa. In effect, ones liberty and freedom is in
the hands Of this officer the minute his name is
drawn from the box.
The Army bill does not provide as MANY be-
lieVe, for the exemption of married men. 1t does
not necessarily follow that because a man is mar
r1ed that he will not be sent to the war. Unless
MS family Is absolutely dependent upon him
and the exempting officer is to be the judge of
this-he will be given his marching orders
In my Judgment this Army bill, if enacted as
proposed, means the beginning in this country in
times OF peace of regular standing army. It
means universal compulsory military service, and
nothing short of it, A regular standing army in
times OF peace is contrary to all the cherished
ideals of this great Republic, and repugnant to
American institutions and democratic traditions.
We should be careful lest in attempting to destroy
mllltarfsm and autOcracy abroad we will do those
things which will have a tendency to destroy de-
mooney at home. A great standing army in
America involves the establishment of a military
caste which is socially superior to any other caste
and which is not amendable to the rules of con-
duct laid down for the civilian members of So
ciety. 1t discrminates between the walks Of life,
between the Army officer and soldier and the plain
citizen in civil life.
TO those who have written me letters ask
ing me what to do, | can onl y repeat what was
said last week.
The Americans who love their sons. and
don't want them forced into the European
war, have just as much right to test the con-
stltutonality of the new law qohich demands
blood, as the Americans who loved their dol
lars, and didn't want to pay the Income tax
of 1898, had to combat that law
Those Northern millionaires did not pay
their income taxes, pending the test of the
law They got an Injunction which restrained
the Government from collecting the tax
Then when the u. S. Supreme Court de-
olared the law unconstitutional the law was
treated as dead letter.
The people have a perfect right to peacea-
bly, organize for the purpose of securing legal
services; and if the Judge to whom their at
torney applies grants the restraining order,
the CONSUMPTION stops in that case, until the
court decides the question.
When Congress, in obedience to the U. S.
Constitution, enacted a Fugitive Slave law,
the courts in the Eastern and Northern States
issued writs of Habeas Corpus, applied for in
behalf Of the negro runaways.