The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1918-07-19

pans, including many of Vardaman's
former supporters, are asking why,
if he is so loyal and patriotic, certain
actions and utterances are found in
his record. They would like to know
why in the early days of the war,
when it began to be matter of our
country against another country,
when it was right and proper that
every man, woman and child show in
an unmistakable manner whole heart
ed allegiance to the flag, why, re-
peat, did Vardaman refuse to stand
at attention while the band played
"The Star Spangled Banner" 1t is a
custom all over the country, from the
humblest citizen to the President of
the United States, to show their re-
spect and reverance for the flag in this
way, and yet he refused to thus honor
the flag on one OCCASION at least. 1t
must have been very pleasing to
Bernstoff and German sympathizers
and propagandists to find one high in
the councils of the nation, a member
Of the Presidet's own party, fatty re-
fusing to show the customary homage
to the flag of his country. >
Did it sound loyal and patriotic for
him to say in his statemen. issued
four months after the war began that
he thought the cause of war was in
reference, by Germany, with "com-
merce between New York and Lon
nj of ~,
the cowardly position of "stabbing
Germany in the back while England
and France have her DOWN." Does
that statement have the loyal and pa
triotic ring to it? Did he ever stop to
think of the harm such a statement
was capable of making? The Ameri-
can people are a brave, chivalrous
people, quick to fight for the right,
prompt to resent an insult or avenge
a wrong, but they despise, above all
things, a cowardly bull, and to Gre
ate an impression that our country
was assuming that contemplate role
was more harmful in its results than
the most poisonous German propa-
ganda.
Did it sound patriotic for him to
say that the United States would dc
the things Germany is doing if she
found herself placed in a like post.
ion! No greater injustice was ever
done our nation by one of her son:
that when that statement was made
AS stcadfastly as we believe in thu
Justice Of our cause and as much a.
we detest the barbarious Hun and al
that he stands for, do not doubt tina
Americans could and would tight tt
the last ditch and to the last man ant
never sink to the level of the German
hordes who prostituted Belgium, VIII
sabered the children and old people
who 'csnsigned girls and young wo
men to a fate worse than death, VIII
have practiced every conceivable forr
of deceit and treachery upon the bat
tlefieh, who have manned. starve
and otherwise mistreated their pris
oners of war, who roam the sea lik
pirates of old, killing innocent VIC
men and children and glorying +
their acts. Had that statement bee
dictated by the rankest German pr1
pagandist, he could not have made
worse.
Was it patriotic for him to objet
to the draft law because it would pu
negroes in the army? Did he pr,
pose to leave out all the negroe
and have the whites bear all the bu1
dens of the war? Did he propose t
leave our white women exposed t
the dangers about which he has tall
ed so much IN years past, while ou
white boys were at the front? Notl
ing IN recent years has had a more 81
bering effect on the negroes OF tn
South than the operation of tn
draft law, while the opposite effet
would have been produced had the
been left out. No, IN my Judgment, h
objecting to the negro fighting HI
part Of the war was just another On
of his many excuses for opposing Uu
great Presidents plant. Was it patr
otic for him to say that the boy cal
ed to the colors under the draft lar
was a conscript and that the cor
script and the convict were regarde
about in the same 1ig4t by decent pei
pie. What think you, fathers an
mothers, who have had your boy
drafted, Of that! / have neighbors an
friends whose boys have responde
nobly to the call, and no man will dar
say that those boys are regarded b
decent people of this section as bein
on level with convicts. They ar
men, every inch of them, and vii
make soldiers superior to any Ger
man that ever breathed.
Was it patriotic for him to JOIN
hands with a few disgruntled Demo
Gratis and German loving Republican
to defeat the preparedness bill in th'
Senate? The failure of that bill tt
pass was simply saying to Germany
1--WE are not prepared to fight ant
won't prepare. Fear nothing from us
we will see to it that our Government
does not interfere with your plans
We are harmless and expect to re-
main So" On these assurances Ger
many proceeded to violate our rights
to heap insult upon insult, to disre.
gard the principles Of humanity and
international law, until the situation
became unbearable, and we were for.
ced into the war without adequate
preparation. God in Heaven only
knows how many American lives will
be sacrificed as result of the defeat
| of ~ D,.ororndrocc Ri11 and vat Var.