The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-17
FURTHER INQUIRY INTO HUDDLESTON'S RECORD ANSWERS RECENT CHALLENGE Case Where He Voted Against Administration
 and Nations Best
 Interest JEFFERSON NOW ON TRIAL AS WAS CASE
 WITH WISCONSIN Alabama Man Voted for War and Against Only Re maining Method of
 Raising Army
By HUGH W. ROBERTS

tent thought of the people of Jefferson county, has entered the damage suit business, he has become subject of contin- uous discussion in Birmingham.
 The fact coupled with his candidacy for reelection, and his expected return in the i'm mediate future to the bosom of his constituents, has rendered an inquiry into his official rec ord not only interesting but highly pertinent.
 Especially is the above true inas- much as Mir. Huddleston, by formal challenge, has defied his critics. In an address entitled, "Why Do the Heather Rage?" the representative, after boasting that he had purchased Liberty Bonds and that his every word ''breathed the highest patriotism" ex- claimed: "They have tried to make me out as opposed to the administration; now then, I challenge my critics to specific statements"
 OTHERS MAKE SAME BOAST
 It is probably true that MT. Hpddies- ton did purchase Liberty Bonds. IL is also true that Kaiser Bill' Thompson, Al of cago, likewise invested his money in the sum of s2500. MT TIuddlestons boast 'T challenge my critics to point to a word which does not breathe the highest patriotism" is singularly and significantly similar to the contention of w. T. Roe, attorney for Senator LaFollette, who naively affirmed to the committee appointed to investigate al- legged seditious utterances of his client, that the notorious St. Paul speech, in- stead of by treachery, was inspired by and freighted with sentiments of the loftiest patriotism.
 Irrespective of the value of these pretty speeches and excellent bits of pleasantly, the demand of MT. Hud- dleston for recitation of specific state ments proving his opposition to the administration, is of the greatest iia- portance. I think it positive that one can prove that MT. Huddleston has Tot only failed to stand with the adninis- tration, but that he has failed also to stand with his country. It is a matter of record that Mir Huddleston voted for a declaration of war. and then voted against sole remaining possibility of raising an army to conduct-nay, to defend-the war which he had aided in declaring.
 ENACTMENT OF DRAFT War having been declared early in April, 1917, Congress undertook the preparation and passage of legislation under authority of which an army might be raised. The President of the United States urged Congress to put into effect the selective draft method A formidable array of members of the House undertook to amend the Prcsi- dents bill by striking the selective draft provision and inserting in lieu thereof volunteer provision.
 Tn effect the country was at war with the most formidable military power on the face of the earth. It was confronted by the necessity of rais- ing an army. There were but two methods-the selective draft and the volunteer. MT. Huddleston voted in favor of the volunteer. That method was defeated. There then remained but one possible method by which n army might be raised--the selective draft MT. Huddleston voted against that method.
 He was then in an attitude of hay ing declared war against the greatest military power of the world, and hav- ing positively and premeditatedly re- fused to raise an army to defend that war. In other words, had Congress- the volunteer method having been de- feated, emulated the example of MT. Huddleston and defeated the selective draft method, Congress would have been in position of having goaded the bull of Germany to fury and held up to it's impetuous charge the helpless in- fant, America, to be slaughtered.
 HUDDLESTON'S CHALLENGE
 MT. Huddleston has challenged one to state a case based on his opposition to the administration. The above case is based on such opposition. It is also based on an indicated opposition to the welfare of his country
 If MT. Huddleston voted for war and against raising an army to prosecute or defend that war, was he not either in different to the fate of the United States, or guilty of that grossness of stupidity Of which a schoolboy of average intel lirence could not by any means have been guilty? He did vote for war and against sole remaining possibility of raising an army.
 At the same time, MT. Huddleston kneW tnat Jefferson county, which he represents, was animated by cordial in- dorsement of the action of Congress in declaring war against the German em- pirc. He knew. therefore, that the people for whom he spoke and acted desired that an army be raised to prosecute that war. He knew or should have known that the majority of his con stituents stood with the President in this selective draft programme. He knew that in standing against the President and the safety of his country he stood also against his constituents.
 He was, therefore. apparently de- termined to present this district in an attitude other than one inspired by patri- otic fervor. JEFFERSON COUNTY ON TRIAL
 I believe that Jefferson county is on trial just as Wisconsin was and again will be on trial. For obvious reasons MT. Huddleston has not attracted the attention attracted by LaFol- lette. But LaFollete never more egregi- ously blundered to the distress of his country than MT. Huddleston in declaring