The Bolivar County Democrat. (Rosedale, Miss.) 1887-1969, 1923-05-19
MINERS WAR
! RECORD CLEAR
.,.+e for Governor Answers
sa;s cl;t;cs in Convincing State
", snsnt Citing His Record.

courier. Sennett Conner, candl-
I. ,or governor, in his speech to-
n read an article therefrom ~h'cn
.siued the statement:
m.r cav Conner was a Stacker.
! ~, s.ye waited purposely," said Mr..
: = auntil came to Hazlehurst
mai hat might answer this charge IN
-. .ssonce of the editor and readers
-. naner am going to give
~. Aa true record tonight just as
dome everywhere in this cam
y, I wish that everybody in the
=. was within the sound OF my
~ 60 that those who want the
'th % could have it direct.
y hove no military record. A year
..re It was dreamed America would
rto the World War l was elected
,.ter of the Mississippi House OF
s~,esentatives for the term which
s.ndod throughout the time our
..trv was engaged in the War. The
- oct of May 18th, 1917, chapter
4 paragraph 4, declared that
.The Vice-President of the
rrited States, the officers-legis-
l,tive, executive and Judicial OF
NJ limited States and of the sew
srs states, territories, and the
mstrict of Columbia, shall be
sypmpt from the selective draft
herein prescribed.
srho reason for such provision is
.xeyident. The machinery OF gov
lament, Federal and state had to
t,ction, and function efficiently If
n gigantic war effort was to sue
he'd
4However. in June, 1917, before a
ipele division was in France, vol
inferred Internationally for military
price in any capacity to which l
.rht be assigned, to the Adjutant
hnAral of our state, who was then
nruiting units for war service. My
Enlistment was rejected" Whereupon
M Conner read from the signed
Ehtement of General Erie G. Scales,
|Idjutant General of Mississippi, both
ding the war and at the present
kne, as follows:
In view of the policy Of the
government, as evidenced by the
Draft Act, which exempted state
. officers from military service,
and the urgent appeal from Pres
hent Wilson not to disrupt state,
0dnty and town governmental
Examinations by accepting for
military service men so engaged,
. NE decided that, in view OF the
| fact that you occupied the most
| important position in the leglS-
lative department of our state
| government, that it would be un-
wise 10 accept your enlistment"
After inviting every Doubling
Thomas to come forward and Inspect
Pc document from which ne had read
10 Conner continued:
Y accepted the classification 10
|hGh was assigned, and gav, my
|ine without limit to every effort
Ending toward the success OF the
Fu, but what | did do at home was
fsthng as compared with the sacri-
|lees made by the men in the army
md navy. | lift my hat to- them. l
|annot agree, however, that all men
|slo could have gone to war and did
|fol volunteer are now unworthy Of
|aoldlng public office, for this would
include the thousands who awaited
|aer turn under the draft, as the
aoVernment asked them to do, and 1t
'ould include other thousands who
'efe above draft age, but within vol
nleer age, and who could have gone
M did not go because they were not
0lled. Exemptions and deferred
uassliications were not made for the
Fnellt OF individuals, but for the well
ale Of the nation, and 1t was mans
'aV to accept his classification, what
f'er II was, and that is why Missis-
applans did so. l was able to go,
.as willing to go, offered to go, and
would have gone except that the
.'esldent, Congress, and the Adjutant
Faeral of Mississippi thought it best
'aal remain at my post of duty.
nave kept silent thus far, because
! lsSe charges were not made public
!, !, Or In my presence. My patriotism,
4Ae my religion, is sacred and I new
! Ooast of either. This whole issue
'S fought out in 1919 when l de-
'ea'ed returned soldier Of ability,
s's'lslng all precincts except his home
.s-es' IN my race for the Legisla-
W and when the fight was renewed
/ ! 'ne Legislature was reelected
y rr'aker by the unanimous vote of the
s ,.'use. To fair-minded person this
'suu sn appear to settle the matter.
mere are no war heroes in this
r' n According to my information,
J. j. 'ne candidates were within volun-
~ n age Some within draft age, and
,s, ~ !, were within the ages of twenty
~ 4 .airty, as l am advised, when the
i. ,44isn- american war was fought-a
i, - u which the government called for
4 haA'eefs and each man determined
i 70 part ne would play. Whereas, in
!, world War the Government fixed
"a "a ). mans responsibility for him, and
q, = was his duty to act accordingly.
~. make this statement for the in
n. s'ion of my friends and those
!, uohestly want the record, realiz-
NAdl / Will Ice vHnIifiaaI