South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-02-22
FEBRUARY D, 1910.
THE CONSCIENTIOUS DIRECTORS" AND
"SEDITIONISTS" AND TRAITORS"

Sentence OF Victor Berger. and his socialist cocoon
spirators. to follow in the way Of Big Bill" Haywood.
and his l. W. ". clique. to twenty years in Leaven-
worth, revives the old grumble. much concurred in by
observation-disclosures everywhere. against Sec'y Of
War Baker. asserting Partially and inconsistency be-
cause OF the recent releases OF conscientious directors"
who have been court martialed and jailed by the mill
tary authorities. The ]. W. ". and rabid socialist ag-
gregations would have ali offenders under the draft
and espionage laws classified as political prisoners. and
released now that the war is over. while the ant-ad-
ministratonists just criticise as a matter of course.
There is as much difference between these two types
of offenders as between daylight and darkness, and par
ucularly for the reason that the conscientious OBJ
jectOrs' being dismissed are not offenders Of the law
at all. but have rather been offended in defiance of
law, the government itself, through the dictatoriaI
arrogance Of its conscription boards and courts mar
tiai. being the party in fault. The only reason that there
are such things as conscientious directors" is that
congress gave them a definition in the passage Of the
CONSUMPTION act, and read them out Of it's operations.
Understand, we do not uphold congress. but rather
condemn it. No distinction should have been made on
account Of any religion. but it was made. and it is not
the fault OF the secretary of war that now, due to the
disregard Of the laws provisions. the department Of jus
uce has found it necessary to solicit his aid in obtain
ing relief for the government from the unwarranted
plight in which its over-zealous consumption officers
have gotten it.
mere - a marked diuerence therefore between a
conscientious Objector' and a "seditionist' or trait
or" the latter two being the definitions under which
Berger and Haywood are being incarcerated. Neither
OF them is a political prisoner in any sense of the term
To attempt to confuse them is the cheapest type of
pettifoggery. When war was declared congress went
on record on these two subjects. in a very emphatic
manner. passing two bills that have been marveIs in
wartime service. One of them was the CONSUMPTION
law. and the other an espionage act. In the formec
they exempted r~eligiously conscientious directors" from
combatative military service. In the latter they
provided fines and penalties for sedtionists and
traitors. Had draft boards paid more attention to the
CONSUMPTION act, and less attention To their own i'm
pulses. prejudices. and hatred OF creeds not their own.
they would never have conscripted the conscientious
cbjectors" dismissed b. the secretary Of war. and their
excessive bigness would not need to be overcome IN
such manner.
These Collectors are Quakers. Dunkards, Memo
mites. and other religionists of similar schools of anti
war thought They have been foolishly educated per-
haps. in their religious frenzies along this line, but
still they have generally made good. law-abiding citi-
zens. thrifty, and without disgrace to the communities
in which they live. Congress. not the president. and not
the secretary OF war. mind you. but congress-, saw mt
TO line them up with clergymen, and divinity students,
Cf other schools. and provide that they be left out Of
the draft, except as TO service in any capacity which
the president may declare non-combatant." Consider
that the presidents declaration of 'n-on-combatant'
y vas 0A~HNAN NAN AAAAAAaAg
as in the shipyards, on the farms, in the munition fac
tories. etc. and YOU can readily see how much legal
right the draft boards had 10 induct a legitimate con
scientious objector" into the national army. where ex-
emption under the law was legitimately claimed, ana
how much right the courts martial had to send them.
10 prison. when having been 'shanghaied" into the
service they declined 10 serve.
OF course. there were plenty Of claims for exemp-
lions filed by Self-styled conscientious directors" who
were mere yellow dogs" but these are not the ones
who are being discharged by the secretary OF war.
Those being discharged are the "legiumates" whom
Methodists. Presbyterians. Catholics. Baptists. etc. in
Guiding some "non-descrpts." on the various draft
boards and courts martial. have allowed their bigotry
TO induct into the army. disregarding the law. and after
s. manner that is virtual religious persecution. Under
stand. we are not upholding the law. Congress should
never have passed IT, but never the less il is the law.
and induction OF a man into the army deliberately con-
uary thereto. is akin to false Imprisonment charge
Of which Uncle sam. by discharging the victims, taxing
their receipts in full OF all demands etc. incident 10
their induction. service and Imprisonment, is seeking to
relieve himself amicably.
or course. say nothing OF the ]. W. W. and the rabid
socialists. il cannot be done right. and there can be
no reason for II. in the minds OF ant-admin{stration
ist critics. when the work is done By Secy OF War
Baker. He is such an awful thorn in the flesh" Of
people who know Il all, or. knowing nothing and care
ing less. are merely insistent upon something connect
ed with the war administration that they may criucise,
The conscientious Director under the draft law had