Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1920-08-25

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Tie / aturc >: The campaign meet
ing here re.,.erday was the vigorous
at'ac!: of Dominick' g WI. record in
Congress by his opponent, w. w.
Bradley, and the Congressman's
speech in rebuttal
Mr.. bradley quoted the record as
showing that Mr.. Dominick voted
against the declaration Of war. Mr..
Dominick has previously admitted
this vote and states that he would so
vote If the question were before him
again.
1t might be added that If all or a
majority OF MIR. Dominick's associates
In Congress had voted as he did, war
would not have been declared at that
time, and unquesttonably the German
armies would have been victorious.
At the time Mr.. Dominick cast his
vote there was strong agitation in
this State by certain newspapers and
certain political leaders against war,
which might have misled him to
some extent as to the sentiment Of
his constituency. 1t would be inter-
esting to know. therefore, If Mr..
Dominick is still Of this opinion,
when he states that he would vote
the same way again, or whether,
with the lights that have since been
thrown on our dangerous situation
at that time, he is ready to concede
that the large majority Of Congress
was right and he was wrong.
Mr.. Dominick, we believe, would
not now say that Germany had no
design against tho United States II
she had been successful in the war,
nor would he probably, deny that the
Allies were practically whipped when
we entered. 1t Is difficult, then, to
conceive by what kind Of sophistry
he concluded that 1t would be better
to take chance with Germany alone
rather than with the aid of our al
lies, exhausted though they were.
The war, we believe, cost us some
thing more than hundred thousand
lives, and 1T Is safe to say that, single
handed against Germany, our losses
would have been millions
Granting that the Information be-
fore Congress, which was sufficient
to convince ninety per cent Of the
entire representation in the Lower
House, was insufficient to convince
Mr.. Dominick that war was neces-
sary, what Is to be said Of his vote
against the selectlve draft? Surely
Mr.. Dnm'nick did not lack informa-
tinn az To the urgency OF immediate
actiON by JniS country OK OF It's to.
tally unpreDared condition TO sue.
ceS$flllly conduct war. no might
have known tho diliculty, il not tho
mpossibllity, OF raising u large amy
by volunteer, and yet this country
was actually at war. He must have
known that time, without American
Intervention, was the one essential,
and that this was what the Kaiser
was praying for. How then did he
propose to serve his country best by
the slow process Of volunteering, the
natural result Of which could but con-
tribute to German success?
There could have been no possible
objection to the draft from the stand
point Of fairness. It took the sons Of
rich and poor alike, and in many in
stances elevated the latter over the
former. 1t was in no sense a rich
mans war and poor mans fight. 1t
was certainly the most expeditions
way to bridge the time limit in
most dangerous situation Of unpre-
paredness that this country found
itself in. What then could have been
his objection to the draft? The DEM
ocratic party In its recent convention
endorsed the administration in it's
conduct OF the war, which means as
to declaration, conduct, prosecution
and termination. Mr.. Dominick was
member Of the National Conven-
ton, and, we believe. claims to stand
squarely on the rev platform. How
can he do this when he still says
that he would be against declara-
ton of war and against the draft act.
All essential feature in the conduct
nf the war. that the new Democratic
platform has endorsed? Perhaps Mr..
Dominick can unravel this seeming
inconsistency in his line Of reason
ing, but his speech leaves us just a
bit mystifled. Either he was against
war and still believes the administra-
tfon did wrong. or II he now approves
the action OF the administration, he
must himself have been clearly
wrong