The Washington herald., 1917-04-26
DRAFT BILL fight Won
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the English speaking people He cited
the instance OF Canada's refusal to en-
ploy the conscription system.
The Speaker concluded with a reference
to his son. Bennett Champ Clark. parHa-
mentarian Of the House. He said:
II am sure that the House will pardon
word purely personal My only living
son is, with my full consent, going into
the army in any capacity in which he
can be useful. OF course I hate to see
would not have 1t otherwise hope and
pray that when the hour may come
when he IS subjected to the ordeal Of IRE
he may go into battle not by the side Of
slackers and loafers, whom the advocates
of this bill say they desire to reach, but
shoulder to shoulder with freemen who
serve gladly, willingly. to fight for the
honor and the perpetuity OF this republic.
Should he fall, I want the privilege OF
carving on his tombstone these words:
4" This man. a Missouri volunteer, died
lighting for his country"
Speaker Clark's voice broke as he ut
tered the word Tombstone" He fum-
bled for his handkerchief. He finished
the sentence as a sob shook his burly
frame and then he turned from the
lecturn and left the House weeping.
As the broad shoulders were seen to
be shaking with the emotion of the mo-
ment every member OF the House rose
to his feet. Many unashamed shed tears
and there was a sudden grasping for
handkerchiefs.
As the Speaker was giving his perora-
ton Senator Kellogg, of Minnesota, es-
corted Sir George Foster. Canadian mem-
Der of the British mission, to the floor
Of the House. Sir George was welcomed
by Republican Leader Mann and shown
to a vantage point on the minority side
He listened with rapt attention to the
speech OF Representative Sherley which
followed the Speakers address.
Message from watterson,
Representative sherley onened his re-
marks saying that while Speaker
Clark was speaking I received a tele-
gram from a distinguished constituent
of mine. a soldier through all the long
bitter years Of the civil war. The tele-
gram reads:
IT have sent this letter to Champ
Clark. II he does not read 1t to the
House hope you will.
."As an old and steadfast friend whom
you sometimes honored by calling him
your teacher, I am constrained to chai-
lenge the vote It is reported you are
about to cast upon the army bill. II
tue war ldSl lOIl6 70 put
the issue to actual test, It will surely
return to dog your political future and
bar your usefulness in public life.
Our beloved country never faced a
more exigent situation. Congress will
make mistakes at the peril of all we
hold near and dear. The volunteer sys-
tenn. like the stage coach. served its pur-
pose in primitive times, but like that
stage coach it proved unequal to the
expanding needs of modern times. The
selective draft system Is the contribution
which experience offers to Intelligence.
"'Out here in Gods country people
understand the question perfectly. They
know that the volunteer system favors
the slackers and the shirks. while the
selective draft system is fair to each and
every man, but above all they know that
wherever tried and. seeking efficiency,
the volunteer system has been a failure
seeking speed they would prefer a loco
motive to an ox-cart
! Blood is the price of the honor and the
sovereignty Of a nation" asserted Rep
resentative sherley In the early part Of
his speech.
The right to volunteer Is not a right
at all The citizen has no right to volun-
teer. He has no hight to refuse to yolun-