The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-05-29
CONSPIRACY TO
DEFEAT DRAFT IS
DECLARED TREASON
PROMINENT TWIN FALLS ATTOR-
NEY POINTS OUT GREVI0US
CHARACTER OF 0FFENSE
HOPES REPORTS OF SUCH IN
IDAHO ARE GROUNDLESS
Senator A. M. Bowen Shows Differ
ence Between Act of Individual
Which is MisdemeanOr and COmbin-
ed Effort to Defeat Law.

, Recovering from a long Illness
which has detained him from his Of
flee for many months and still keeps
him from the performance of his legal
business, Senator A. M. Bowen of this
city, one of the most prominent at
torneys in the Gem State. sends pa
triotic word of warning to all who
would conspire to interfere with the
duty of President Wilson to carry out
the registration law through the in
strumentality of the sheriffs of the
counties of the state. Senator Bowen
calls attention to the fact that while
an individual who fails or neglects to
register is guilty only of a misde-
meanor carrying with it a penalty of
year in Jail, those who would con-
spire with others to defeat the pur-
poses of a war measure of the gov
ernment are guilty of treason. He
calls upon all patriotic citizens to eX-
pose such conspiracy wherever dis
covered. The article follows:
Editor Times:
81 read in the papers that an or
ganized movement is on foot among
| socialists or pacifists to refuse to reg
lister on June 5th, as required by our
recent army law. The statement is
made that these persons prefer to go
to Jail for a year than to fight in the
trenches for humanity, democracy and
civilization. A year seems to be the
Imprisonment provided by the army
bill for refusal to register.
"I want to suggest that if there
really is q can hardly believe it) any
such foul conspiracy on foot such a
thing constitutes more than a failure
to register, it constitutes treason and
the penalty for treason may be death.
Any person who in any way urges
advises, or tries to prevent the carry
ing out of the draft law is aiding and
abetting the enemies of our country
and undoubtedly guilty of treason.
"And moreover they ought to be
treated and prosecuted as traitors. The
r penalty fixed by the army bill was in
tended merely for those who negligent
ly fail to register, or something like
that 1t certainly does not cover will
, full and deliberate conspiracy agains
our government. have no quarre
/ with Socialists as SUCH they have thu
right to their political belief the same
] as l do ] despise the doctrine of ou
so-called pacifists, but they also hav'
5 their rights of belief. l like my Ger
man neighbors as we'll as my Englisl
= neighbors, if they know and do thei
duty. But treason is treason and i
any person conspires against our ma
= ton in these days, the penalty of trea
= son may not be too good for him. lie
y every would-be traitor remember thai
e whether he call himself pacifist. con
4 scientious objector or anything else.
president Lincoln wisely choos
to ignore public clamor and refuse
S to permit extreme measures agains
= well known copperheads during tn
Civil War. Our government may ais
o deem it wise to not inflict the penalt
e of treason, but if there are any fool
o ish or unpartiotic persons who be
n lieve they can safely conspire agains
: 1.-The army law, they better think twice
# another suggestion: In view of tn
# newspaper claim that treason and cor
t spiracy is stalking abroad, l know {
Il no better way patriotic citizen ca
It serve his country than by the discoY
cry of conspiracies and assisting
e the honest and faithful carrying OF
Il of the army law. We owe it to ou
It country and the millions OF worth
n men who will be selected to fight OF
If battles.
Respectfully.
"a. NJ BOWEN