Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-10-25
CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR
Strange Animal In Considerable Va
fiety.
SOMETIMES they Are VERY USEFUL
But No Matter How Conscientious
Man May Be About Being Unwilling
to XIII Wild Animals, His Fello"
Soldiers Always Look Upon Him AZ
N.IIoNy

Sewer and at every other camp, and
cantonment over the country whom l
have been intending TO tell about for
some time: but / haven't because
didn't have the heart. ] have refer
ence " c. o. s. Those initials accord
ing to the army lexicon. stand for two
things-co officers and con-
scicntious objectors. II is concerning
the latter | would say a little say.
don't know how many there are in this
camp. Maybe there are fifty and maybe
there are more have talked TO few oil
them, and after those interviews was
filed to q feeling Of pity and at the
same time a sort Of loathing and con-
tempt for them. Some of them are
really conscientious" in their object
ton Of fighting: but most of them II
| ann AL! judge OF human nature are
lust plain "Yalier." They 20 around
camp with that half frightened. tall
between my legs expression and car
riagc; they are careless in their dress
and general appearance and they pro-
fess TO be very religious. They usually
stick by themselves, having little "a
do with red blo0dcd .hmcriNn soldiers
ard if they do happen TO he in a crowd
of fellows and that crowd or any mem
her thereof. gets to talking about tn"
fracaS in Europe and expresses wish
To 20 over. and lets out Il streak of
peppry stuff because he hasn't yet
got across. why the faces of those
C. O. 's turn a kind of yellow color and
they act like they have had look at the
valley of the shadow of death and are
afraid something dreadful Is going to
happen.
7 am more charitable toward them
though, than are most of my fellow
buck privatrs who characterize them
as d yaller ginks," and "men
without any hearts" 1t takes all kinds
OF men and people, though. to make
up an army like this. Hence the
G. O. =.
They work. though, and work pretty
well. And they eat. My. but they eat
7 watched one Of these birds at break
fast this morning. He was n wee
little hit OF a dried up shrimp: not
nearly so long as I. The breakfast
was good. There was grapefruit and
corn flakes and milk and brains and
Eggs and a lot of other things. ! was
seated at the table across from him.
On each side of him was big husky
Irishman, healthy red faced fellows
with lots Of hair on their chests and
who according to their authorities
would naturally eat twice as much as
this little conscience-trouble fellow
But ne had gobbled up mess kit full
OF chow and was back after seconds
(that Is second helping) before all
the firsts In the line were served.
wondered how q lad who ate as much
as he does and who seemingly enjoyed
eating for eating's, sake. could consci-
cntiously object TO jabbing n bayonet
or lodging an Enfield bullet in the
hide of a Hun who would take all his
chow away from him II ne could.
There are conscientious objectors here
of every variety and they belong to
various and sundry creeds. I ran a
ross one sometime ago who is n
Seven Day Adventist or something of
the sort. and he not only believes In
keeping away from fiShting: but he
believes that Saturday Is sunday and
Sunday isn't. At that time 1t was
necessary TO have an enlisted man
work Sundays checking loads OF ma
nure which were Deing hauled by the
government to q contractor. The lad
WHO had the job. q little fellow from
Savannah didn't like the idea Of work
ing on Sunday checking manure. II
was not because he was especially re-
ligious: but he had a girl around
Paris mountain somewhere. and he
made a kick rs to how he would like
to spend his Sundays with her. The
officer saw a way TO
please them both. He put the c. O..
on the manure job on Sunday and
gave him holiday on Saturdays. And
the fellow with the girl on the noun
tain is now relieved on Sundays and
spends the day with her. telling her
what fine husband hc will make her
when the war Is over. Thus G. o. y
are useful occasionally.
These conscientious objcctors range
from the doubtful ones who rapidly
develop cNactinS consciences even
while one waits, to a few who are so
honest and so deeply sincere in their
belief that they are willing to die for
their faith. One of these men went
to his commanding officer several
nights ago and asked for pass out OF
camp in order that ne might attend
prayer meeting. His officer told him
that he could not grant pass for that
purpose: hut IL he would state on his
application that he desired the pass
for business or other reason. ne would
grant 1t. "But that would be lying"
the conscientious one argued. '"1
thank you. sir: but / guess I won't go
to prayer meeting" That conscien-
tious objector is honest and sincere. II
they were all like him, it would be
different.
When Uncle Sam went to war in April
n year ago nc firmly declared his inten-
ton to giving all sincere conscien-
tious objcctors a square deal. AS n
certain provisions were
made whereby those who could give sat
isfactory proof that they were affiliat-
ed with a well organized religious
sect or organization organized and ex-
listing May Is. 1917" whose creed for
bade any participation in war. could
he exempted from strictly military
They dig bitches and are employed
in construction work. and farms and
the like. There have been instances
in this camp where these fellows aft
er being given tedious and disagree
able tasks to do. have quickly gotten
rid of their consciences and been glad