Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1917-09-06

| SSseSs8SS82sl
CONGRESSMAN PAT HARRISON
/ from Mississippi. Commenting on THE
note, which was approved by Americans
| everywhere Senator Vardaman had TINS
| to say: THE suggestion Is monstrous. IL
! Congress shall permit this country to be
drawn into war with Germany or any Of
| the other belligerent powers for the rea-
sons assigned by President Wilson IN his
messages the members thereof VIII de-
serve the eternal execraton and final re-
| pudia ton of the American people l pro-
! test against such an indefensible act be-
! Ing committed in the name Of human
| ity" 1t was such utterances as these
! and the assistance our junior Senator
! was giving to our enemies that led every
| German paper in this country and many
| i'm Germany to speak loud In their praise
of him.
Vardaman's Acts Discredted.
But in spite Of the encouragement given
| Germany by the junior Senator from Mis-
| sissippi. and others, whose sympathies
were the same as his, the imperial Ger
man government yielded to the demands
of the President, admitted her inability
under international law to legally carry
! on a ruthless submarine warfare, and
agreed to conduct her submarine opera.
lions with due regard to the rights OF
/ neutrals. Again American rights were
upheld and the patriotic stand OF the
| President was applauded around the
| world But as Won Bethmann- Hollweg
| few months later said. Germany only
| agreed to make these promises so that
| they might build more submarines those
| pledges were repudiated and another an
| nouncement was made by Germany that
! 1t would continue to carry on ruthless.
| unrestricted submarine warfare. or
| course the nation was aroused the Amer
| lean people We're angered and indignant;
| the press of the country clamored for
war but Mr.. Wilson. with characteristic
| calm and reserve, raised his hands to the
clamoring throngs and pleaded with them
to be patient He then came to Congress
and requested, not a declaration OF war.
but a law that would give him authority
to arm the merchant vessels belonging to
citizens of this countrv. that the lives and
property of our people might be pro-
tected on the high seas.
The bill passed the House of Represent
tatives overwhelmingly and went to the
Senate, where in the closing hours of the
SiXty-fourth Congress six Senators, hav-
ing power under the rules of the Sem
ate to strange legislation opposed the
measure and accomplished its defeat or
that six. the junior Senator from Missis-
sippi/was one who persistently fought to
defeat the will OF the American Con-
gress. He was not willing to let the
President exhaust every remedy before
actually going to war. The failure Of
that law to pass only magnified in Ger
many the idea that the American people
were not behind their President. 1t en-
couraged them to further atrocities.
break off diplomatic relations with Ger
many, and our situation was rapidly grow
ing more intolerable. Germanys utter
disregard of the rights of neutrals and
her contempt for humanity led her into
enlarging her la+vless operations More
OF our ships were sunk, more Of our
property was destroyed, and more Ameri-
can lives lost.
War Problem Fought.
At last, when the outrages could no
longer be endured this man who for
three years had patiently waited. hoping
that Germany would yet allow us to re- j
main at neace, saw there was no further
hope of settlements, he convened Con-
gress in extraordinary session and re-
quested that he be given authority to use
the armed forces of the nation on land
and sea, in protecting the lives and prop
erty of American citizens.
The resolution declaring that state
OF war existed was passed through the
House of representatives by an over
whelming vote, and in the Senate less
than a dozen Senators voted against It,
OF that number we find the junior Sem
ator from Mississippi speaking and vot-
ing against it.
This is the record of the man who Mis-
sissippians trusted to stand by his party, |
his President and his government. And
as bad as that is, it was to be hoped that
after the declaration Of war and the
country was involved in the most titanic !
struggle of all time in which every re- |
source must be organized to the highest |
point of efficiency, in order to combat and
meet the highly efficient power Of Ger |
man arms and German industryx-that he |
would stand by the government and give |
the COMMUNICATIVE ief of the army and |
navy his support and cooperation. In |
speech in the Senate he stated that he |
would do that, and yet, my countrymen, |
when legislation was necessary for raising
an army to fight our battles and to win |
the war, the junior Senator from Missis-
sippi persistently refused to vote for the |
mas aoO GA of a hill for a raising NJ a
army. 1t must be said to his credit. how |
ever, that while the junior Senator re-
corded his vote against other war meas |
ures to which he was so much opposed, |
when the selective draft bill was passed |
which bill he now holds up for deffsion |
and contemplate did not have the cour- |
age to record vote. against it, but mere ,
W recorded himself as present and not |
voting
When it had been demonstrated that I
airplanes was one of the most necessary |
and useful means OF waging the war and
that large number of them wou.u prob |
ably do more than anything else to bring :
success to the allies cause, the President I
that would permit the construction Of
practically 1000 airplanes-this number !
was agreed upon by the military experts. I
This bin passed the House of Representa-
tives unanimously, but when 1t got to the |
Senate the junior. Senator from Misslssip
pi made a speech on the floor Of the :
Senate and opposed the bill.
Patriotism Is Needed.
After the laws for raising an army
had been passed and the boys were be-
ing modified in various sections of the I
country preparatory to taking ships for /
France, the President requested Congress
to pass law that would prevent, among
other things, the newspapers from pub
fishing news regarding the movement OF
the troops. The President did not think
1t was right, when we have 5000 boys on
a transport ready to sail for France and
land at some unknown port that the
fact should be published in the papers,
that Germany, through her, spy system,
might obtain this information and the
German general staff in turn send II
on the wings of the wireless telegraph
to submarine commanders in order that
they might lie in wait and ruthlessly
murder those American boys. And yet
wien this bill reached the Senate, where
you and would naturally expect unani-
NOUS approval of its principles, the junior
Senator from Mississippi was one Of the
number who raised his voice In OPPOSE
ton to Il and assisted in defeating this
important part Of the legislation.
My countrymen, every means should
be granted That VIII assist in bringing
success to our arms and the allied cause
At Is Imperative that we should provide
for the armies in the Tiei6s and the
sailors on the seas, and It Is just as
necessary that we should protect those
boys from back fire at home My heart
goes out to them and 1t Is not fair that
we should send them away on land or
sea and then allow heir movements to