Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1917-09-07

nom Mississippi. Commenting on this
| note, which was approved by Americans
| everywhere, Senator vardaman had this
| to say. The suggestion IL monstrous. II
| Congress shall permit this country to be
| drawn into war with Germany or any Of
the other beligerent powers for the rea-
| sons assigned by President Wilson in his
| messages, the members thereof will de-
serve the eternal execration and final re-
| pudiation OF the American people. l pro-
| test against such an indefensible act be-
| ing committed In the name OF human
and the assistance our Junior Senator
| was giving TO our enemies that led every
| German paper in this country and many
| In Germany to speak loud in their praise
| Of him
Vardaman's Acts Discredited.
| But in spite of the encouragement given
Germany by the junior Senator from Mis-
sissippi. and others, whose sympa thies
We're the same as his, the imperial MI. d Ger.
of the President admitted her inability
under international law to legally carry
on a ruthless submarine warfare, and
agreed to conduct her submarine opera
tons 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- Hollwsg a
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
II would continue to carry on ruthless
unrestricted submarine warfare. or
course the nation was aroused, the Amer
lean people were 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 law that would give him authority
to arm the merchant vessels belonging to
citizens of this country that the lives and
property of our people might be pro-
tccted on the high seas,
The bill passed the House of Represen-
tltives Overwhelmingly and went TO the
Ser lte where In the closing hours of the
Sixty-fourth Congress, six Senator'S hav-
ing power, under the rules of the SEN
ate to strangle legislation. opposed the
n easure and accomplished its defeat. or
t at six. the junior Senator from Missis-
sippi was one VINO persistently fought to
oefeat the will Of the American Con-
g'ess. He was not willing to let the
President exhaust every remedy before
s ctually going TO war. The failure Of
that law to pass only magnifted in Ger
mary the idea that the American people
Were not behind their President. 1t en-
couraged them to further atrocities.
In. the meantime we were forced TO
break off diplomatic relations with Ger
many, and our situation was rapidly grow
ing more intolsrabe. Germanys utter
her contempt for humanity led her into
enlarging her lawless operations. More
OF our shipS We're sunk, more OF our
property was destroyed, ana more Amsri-
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-
main at peace, 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 1t.
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, 1t 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 industry-that he
| would stand by the government and give
| the commander-i n-chief Of the army and
| navy his support and cooperation. In a
| 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
| passage of a bill for the raising OF an
| 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 much opposed,
when the selective draft bill was passed
which bill he now holds up for derisioH
and contemplate did not have the cour-
| age to record vote against 1t. but mere
! ly recorded himself as present and not
When 1t had been demonstrated that
| airplanes was one of the most necessary
| and useful means of waging the war and
| that large number of them wouiu prob
| ably do more than anything else to bring
| success to the allies cause, the President
| asked Congress to vote an appropriation
| that would permit the construction of
practically 20 900 airplanes-this number
was agreed upon by the military experts.
| This bill passed the House of Representa-
tives unanimously, but when 1t got to the
| Senate the junior Senator from Mississir~
| pi made a speech on the floor of -.
| Senate apd opposed the hill
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
country preparatory to taking ships for
| France the President requested Congress
to pass a law that would prevent. among
| other things, the newspapers from pun
| fishing news regarding the movement OF
the troops. The President did not think
| it 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 ruthlessy
| murder those American boys. And yet
| when 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 opposi-
| ticn to 1t and assisted In defeating THU
important part Of the legislation.
My countrymen, every means should
be granted that will assist In bringing
| success to our arms and the allied cause
| 1t is imperative that we should provide
for the armies in the fields and this
sailors on the seas, and 1t Is just al
necessary that we should protect thos,
boys from back fire at home. My hear
/ ant m a nj r a fr bo