The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-22

racy could raise an adequate army. In addition to voting against the meas urc he issued and circulated two speeches filled with the poison oi class prejudice and with opposition to the war itself.
 We have seen this draf. law brought into effect. We have seen IL operate. Thousands of our own coun- try and the civilized word gaze at the wonder and splendor of the result. Three million men under arms. nearly 100000 in France. and the hand of the American soldier throttling the throat of the German beast as he makes his last desperate 1unge. With out the conscription act the war would have been difficult, but yet, your con sressnlan threw the weight of his in- fluence against the law that has saved not only America, but that has saved the world.
 THE EXPLOSIVES BILL
 Another one of the war measures that he voted against was the explo- siyes bill. We know that the German Emperor threatened our country with soc O0e Germans in this country. Many of these Germans are loyal Americ can citizens, but we have many alien ene- mics here, a recognized spy system ready to stab America in the back Some people say that there is no fear of acts of violence, yet, within a few weeks time, even here in Birmingham, your Prett City school, your Central High school and your County High school were burned to the ground
 Danger is here The serpent is waiting to strike when it dares raise it's head. The purpose of this eNpIo- sives bill was to keep a record of all sales of explosives and dynamite in order that the government might keep a check on it. It puts no obstruction of any kind in the way of procurin,g dynamite or other explosives eor any legitimate purposes, but only for some nlalcontent or some traitor who would use explosives to this country's great harm, the government by it's strong arm, and by means of this bill, stops. One stick of dynamite could destroy any public building here, or ruin the water works system on which the health of this town depends, or men, ace many of the plants here engaged in war activities. And yet, when the government found it necessary to en- act a law to reach this threatened evil, itself, your congressman voted against it.
 THE ESPIONAGE BILL
 l ne neAi WAT measure which MT. Huddleston opposed is known as the espionage bill. When the war broke out there was only a weak an1 in- conclusive statute covering this sub ject. The government was slow to take hold of those pro-Germans and traitors and spies who were stirring up sedition by preaching treason and disloyalty to our countrymen, white and black. The government was prone to wait for some overt act, when every American knew that the traitors arm was ready to fall. There spranA into icing certain patriotic organizations composed of the best and the truest and the bravest men of this and other communities. These men did without the law what the espionage act would enable the government to do within the law.
 Suppose the espionage act had failed of it's passage. The safety and 5ecur- ity of the Birming gham district and it's people would have to be conserved by the vigilantes, and if their orders were nc- obeyed, it would be up to them to enforce them, and this we would have been compelled to do without the law The absence of this act called the Nig- ilantes into being, and imposed upon them the heavy burden and responsi- bility of doing what the government it. self was powerless to do and what your representative would have kept