The Semi-weekly leader., 1922-08-09

August /, 1927
: Mr.. Frederick Sullens, Editor,
Z Jackson Daily News.
Jackson, Mississippi,
Dear SIR
| wish to make reference to al
editorial appearing in your paper OF
, July 10th. 1922, addressed to "THI
BOYS WHO FOUGHT" In this ed
itorial you tell the world war veter
ans that Senator Vardaman is thei
avowed enemy and has consistent,
opposed their interests. In part yol
i say: Bear in mind, If you please
that this is the same Vardaman whs
declared on the floor of the United
States Senate, that he could see NJ
difference whatever in convict and
a conscript. thereby meaning thai
the men who were drafted into the
service should be classed as crimi
nails. Now what Senator Vardamar
j really did say on this subject, as
revealed by the Congressional Record
was:- Compulsory service has beer
tried in the past and has proven Q
failure The conscript and the con-
vict have been held by brave, pa.
triotic men in equal contempt. The
republic that must be defended by a
conscripted soldiery has about run its
course and ought to change its form
Of government" At the time Sena-
tor Vardaman gave expression to this
sentiment, there we're no conscripted
soldiers in America, hence, II there
is any reflection at all in what he
said If was against the system and
not the subjects. You have repeated
ly told the soldiers that they should
vote for Hubert ID. Stephens because
he is tried and true patriot, and
this gentleman said on the 9Th day
of April, 1917, (see Congressional
Record of that date, page 1920:
II defy any one to name a
single conscript in that great
struggle referring to the civil
war) that ever received any re-
cognition for bravery or merit
orious conduct. ! would also
like for any one to name a sim
gle man who has ever boasted
that he was conscript. 1t has
always been my understanding
that it was considered a dis
grace to have been a conscript."
May ask, Mr.. Sullens, why 1t Is
that you condemn one man and con-
done the other for having said the
same thing? Let me suggest that the
world wars soldiers and your COM
rades of the colors" are not interest
ed in your personal hate for any
candidate, for what the real soldier
wants is the facts on all subjects;
fair treatment at all times and dis
continuance Of this line of canned
bull" that seeks to drive the vet
erans of the world war down the
avenue of some other fellows per-
sonal interest.
Again you say In your editorial
that this is the same Vardaman who
asserted on the floor Of the United
States Senate that America was
stabbing Germany in the back, while
England had her down." You know,
or should have known, when you said
this that no one had ever accused
Senator Vardaman of having said
any such thing on the floor of the
Senate, but that what he did say on
this subject was said in a carefully
prepared interview given to the news
papers summing up the causes of
war. / have the original Of that in
terview before me, which plainly
shows that Senator Vardaman merely
used a quotation in this interview as
follows: Then again it was propos-
ed if we did not fight Germany now,
stab her in the back while England
and France have her down; that we
would have to fight her alone; and
other excuses and causes imaginary
and real for war wer assigned" This
was not a declaration coming from
Senator Vardaman, expressing or un-
dertaking to express his personal
views, but quotation showing what
other people had said about it.
The soldiers of the world war
know that Senator Vardaman con-
scientiously opposed the war. So
did Alexander Stephens, the vice.
president of the Confederacy, and
that matchless soldier and command
er-in-chief of the Confederate Army,
Robert e. Lee, oppose our entering
into the Civil War. Alvin York was
a conscientious objeetor when he was
forced into the world war, but this
didn't dampen his ardor as soldier.
You tell us what Vardaman did
not do for the soldier; now let me
tell you what he did do for us. He
not only voted to increase the pay of
the soldier from sixteen to thirty
dollars month, but ne supported
and spoke for an amendment to the
effect that oversee soldiers be given
an extra compensation of fifty dol
lars month over and above his
regular pay of thirty dollars month
for every month he served overseas.
This amendment was defeated by sew
enty-1ive nays as against five yeas.
Mr.. Vardaman being among the i've
who voted for it and John Sharp
Williams, of Mississippi, (your idol
and the real leader of the anti-Var-
daman faction), being among the
seventy-five who voted against 1t.
Again on January 18th, 1919, after
Senator Vardaman has been defeated
in a campaign of misrepresentation
and abuse, and you and other news
papers were still telling US soldiers
that Vardaman was traitor and oul
natural enemy, Mr.. Vardaman offer
ed a resolution (see Congressional
Record of that date, page 1922, pro
posing to give the oversee soldiers
six months extra salary upon their
return, as means of assisting them
to resume the civil walks Of he. SEN
ator Vardaman made II very plain
that the soldier was entitled to this
six months extra pay, not as pre-
MUM on his patriotism. but for act
ual services rendered.
You charge Senator Vardaman
with having offered aid and somfori
to the enemy, but the actual record
of Senator Vardaman does not sus-