The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-16


Wesley L. Jones' circular letter to
folks back home, attempting to
apologize for his filibustering ac-
ton on the armed ship bill and
for his pro-German utterances,
has been answered straight down
the line in reply sent to Wash
ington's senator by P. c. Sullivan,
Tacoma attorney.
Every point in Jones' speech on
the bill, which the senator sought
to justify, is met with condemna-
tion-the condemnation voiced by
the people of the state. as Sulii-
van says-and is backed up with
sharp reasons why the Tacoma at
torney signed The Times coupon
calling upon Jones to resign.
Why He Signed Slip
"You are entirely mistaken in
your assumption that ! did not
care to send TO you directly the
substance of the slip forwarded to
you by the Tacoma Times, asking
for your resignation" says Sulli-
vans letter.
This was done for two reasons.
First, l was busy when l first read
the newspaper accounts, intending
to write you and finally signed the
Times slip without writing.
Besides, also thought 1t en-
tirely appropriate that the Tacoma
Times, which has made a most en-
ergetic and intelligent effort to
convince people that the time ls
past when the democracy Of Amer
lea should longer submit to the
arbitrary government of the
kaiser, was entitled to be encour-
aged in its efforts.
genuine, the depositing Of the let
genuine, the depostiting of the let
ter in the post office by myself, l
take 1t, was not essential.
Says He's Not Fit
at strikes me that you have no
more right to condemn those VINO
have asked you to resign on news
paper accounts of your speech
than you have to ask them to wait
until they read in the Congress
sional Record the revision of that
speech made by yourself.
However, that 10 not material,
so far as l am concerned, for
believe that your entire attitude
both n and cut of the senate in
regard to this foreign question has
bsen a detriment t the interests
of America and its people, and
that any person who holds the sem
timents that you evidently had at
least prior to the time when you
voted for the declaration that a
state of war existed, Is wholly un-
fitted to represent the people of
this state of any other state.
mo, ] do not condemn you If
you were In favor of voting on the
bill. That is, ! do not condemn
you for being willing that the vote
should be- cast. Not only do / not
condemn you for this, but think
that you should have omitted your
speech entirely against 1t and &C
lively urged its passage.
Not in Sympathy
Eyes. condemn you for speak
ing on the bill. You manifested a
most hostile spirit towards 1t and
your speech disclosed that you
were not in sympathy with the
sentiment of those in this country
who believe that America should
align itself with the allies, believ-
ing 1t to be necessary to the civili-
zation and future progress of the
world, and essential to the very
existence of the United States OF
America as democratic govern
ment.
II unhesitatingly condemn all
others who spoke against this bill
and even II you had spoken for 1t
II the delay would have occasioned
any danger of its not being voted
upon, then it would have been bet
ter had you not spoken.
Eyes, i condemn your state
ment in connection with
which II was used to treat all
belligerent countries alike.
There was only one country
with its co-devils, seeking to
destroy by brutal power the
very life of other nations and
the result of It's success
threatening the existence Of
all governments. IL was only
the central powers that were
numbering American citizens.
IL was only these powers that
had any desire, with ability,
to injure the American people.
under these circumstances the
thine was not one In which any