Oxford eagle., 1918-04-18

suke Senator Nardaman in the eyes OF,
lis constituents; as a warning. may
hap. TO others, OF the fate that viii
5efsll them IL they refuse to take or
iers from the White House: to raise,
I objection by voice or vote to any
measure that bears the stamp OF ex-
/ acutive approval: and by the prestige
Of his position to throw the influence
Of his favor to opponents of that man.
and effect. as far as il may. the Ser
/ etoTial election this coming August
! am sorry the President has taken
time from weightier measures to enter
4 into the State politics of Mississippi.
II is unbecoming in him. think, and
IN unwarranted federal Interference in
State affairs. believe and predict that
l Ii will prove a boomerang to the man
whose cause it was intended to help
/ II do not mistake the stuff that
Mississippiaus are made OF. they viii
resent this aufocratic. centralized. fed
eral interference in their State cleo
lions.
Tire Wish the Father TO the Thought
/ VI N04A ot ole many AAON ~
very many either) who will delight
10 see the President. in some form or
other "rebuke Vardaman." But why
should he? Before war was declared.
no man spoke ex cathedra on the sub
/ ject OF war. Since the war has been
| declared there have been no serious
differences Of opinion between Presi-
/
Before war was declared Senator
vardaman was opposed TO this coun-
| try entangling Itself with any foreign
alliances. So was Woodrow Wilson
| The very men who champion his
cause the loudest now. are the very
ones who abused him most for not
intervening in Mexico. And when cir
cumstances compelled him to do what
he had said he would not do. send
soldiers into Mexico and raise ths
American flag there. this same jingo-
istic crowd wanted the flag to stay
put" and called the President hard
names for causing II to be taken down
Mr.. Wilson was elected on . no-war
platform. No man was more opposed
TO war than he He was so slow CON-
ing 10 II that this same crowd Of war
propsganders tried TO crowd ard hurry
him But he would rot hurry. be
Heve he prayed as man seldom prays
that this country might be spared this
swful catastrophe: and that he sweat
great drops Of grief when the f2fstnl
moment came that he felt compelled
70 call upon Congress for q eeclAra-
ton OF war. That he was honest zni
sincere do not doubt. have never
doubted. But II a Senator's mind did
not reach that same conclusion ~ fhat
Psychological moment: II he cared -
reason the matter > little further can
that be called treason. Treason 20
who Treason 20 WHAT Would il no,
rather be treason 20 his conSciencs
ard his country IT, in such a moment
a; such crisis. he permitted another
man TO do his thinking. or lacked the
courage OF his conviction.
Was Vardaman opposed TO the mag
nificent scheme OF preparedness pro
posed BY would-be profiteers. before
the war. Yes. Was rot the Pres
dent rfdiculed. cartooned. vflified and
abused for holding to a Ike opinion
before the war.
| Did the President say anything
about conscription before the war. Or
in his war message to the Congress
Is Il not a fact that IN the early STAGES
of this preparation for war. when the
conscript plan was first proposed or
suggested 10 Mr.. Wilson. that he re-
pudiated it and turned II down. Was
II the crucial test OF a Senator's pa;ri-
otism and loyalty to his couniry's flag
that his mind should jump TO thet
conscription plan the self-same hour
the Presidents mind jumped TO it?
These questions we're threshed odt
q year aFo. They are not question
any more. They are settled. They
are as well settled and as definitely
settled as the right of secession was
settled when Lee surrendered his
sword to Grant
vardsman's Course Since the War
Since Congress has acted upon aud
settled these questions, what has Var
daman done, The first move be
made was to offer his services 10 his
country. and II is not any fault OF his
that he Is not now wearing the same
uniform that Is being worn by one o,
his sons. Has he shirked any duty >
Has he advised any rebellionf On
the contrary. has he not supported ev-
cry war measure proposed by the W; r
cabinet? And did he not In his
speeches in Mississippi last summer
tell the men and boys there that ''nC
man could be friend Of his and carry
one drop OF disloyal blood In his
veins7" And did he not advise them.
that whatever his opinion may have
been. or their opinions may have been
as TO the selective draft act, that
their duty was to obey the law and
answer readily to their country's call:
Judge the man by what he 10. and
not by vhat his enemies say he Is
| Tuaua him nv hts arfa. no- nv fhe