Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-05-17
THE CONSCIENTIOUS
DIRECTOR
From Tho New York Independently

The for compulsory milf
tary service which has received b
approval Of congress exempts no one
on the ground Of conscicnaous
to religious organizations which make
war an article Of their creed. Need
less to say, this will leave subject to
the draft many young mel Who have
opposed our entrance into the great
war and are still perplexed ~ to their
duty at time of war, Perhaps = WORD
Of friendly counsel MAY prevent some
Of these young men from resisting the
operation Of the law before they have
clearly understood. the situation that
now exists.
Before congress declared war IL was
your right as q citizen to exert your
personal influence in every legitimate
way to prevent your country from
making what you felt to be an unwtse
Of the nation. deriving their power
from the will Of the majority. decided
to enter upon the war policy with
you opposed and there II no possibility
Of that decision being soon reversed.
Therefore. the question Of peace or
wal no longer exists n an attempt
to revive it u ~ impossible bow as
battle Of Waterloo. The question Of
peace and war has been settled, battle
has been Joined, and the only possible
present issue IL, who shall win the
war. Or, in other words. You can d
nothing to prevent q war with Ger
many which has already occurred, but
you can do something to prevent =
yet been achieved.
and Burke for unfolding the Of
the colonies against the British king.
and that today we applaud LIB.
necht's bold stand against the kaissr's
policy. The Independent has never
taught the Prussian doctrine that
obedience to the state comes before
every other duty. In csrtain extreme.
tary law. just a it might be right to
resist . fugitive slave law or 2 law
furnishing heretics with death. But to
justify such resistance on the ground
that you think q law OF policy merely
unwise or mistaken Ia an insult to
democracy, It implies that . majority
of your fellow citizens cannot lesis-
late unless you approve. In time Of
war this II the test: do you wish to
have the enemy win the war; II you
do. you ~ At least consistent In your
faith. II not, you are hardly acting
conscientiousty In eb6tructtng the con
duct Of the war by your government.
LA k&&0 S00N Wk4010 w0 0VpION0 OE
condone continued opposition to wal
after It has once begun, It IL because
the conscientious objector does think
1t would be better for the world IL his
country should lose. Burke did not
merely dislike the attempt to coerce
the American colonies, he redoiced to
soc them resist. Liebneoht II distinct
|ly q pro-ally. OF course, such men
are TECHNICALLY traitors, but thsy may
be justified by . higher loyalty than
that to the state. But that be
the case with you7 Do you really,
as a convinced pacihst wish the most
aggressive military machine in the
world to triumph YER our good-na-
tured, tolerant, pacific demooracyf
Even IL we are wrong In resenting the
murder OF our citiIens on the high
seas, IL the murderer more right than
we? Would you rather have the
Hindenburg than by Wilson? II you
can answer all these questions in the
Affirmative, then only you may be Jus
tiled In refusing to serve your coun-
try's cause. But In that case you are
not . pacif1st You are an apologist
Of tyranny and an ally Of militarism.
You are the sort Of man who would
write In hearty commsndaton OF the
late lamented Duke Of Alva's benev-
! olent rule over the u~ngrateful Dutch
orovincAa. t =t