The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-10-27

I
war.
There was no disloyalty. The
| charges made against him during
the war, and revived now, were
| based on a lie.
We entered the war in April 1917.
! Senator La Toilette voted against
the declaration of war. Once in it.
however he supported every war
measure intended to carry on the
vigorous prosecution of the war.
| He did vote against conscription
and the espionage act. He voted
against the War Revenue Act be-
cause it failed to tax wealth and
war profits in proportion to the
owners ability to pay.
! But that isn't what he was
criticised for then.
I The charge Of disloyalty was based
| on a speech La Toilette made in St
Paul on Sept. 20, 1917, over five
months after we entered the war.
La Toilette Misguided
In that speech Senator La Toilette
said:
For my own part. I was not in
favor Of beginning the war. l don't
mean to say that we hadn't suffered
grievances; we had-at the hands
of Germany. Serious grievances"
But the report sent out to news
papers by the Associated Press from
/ St Paul, and printed all over the
country, quoted Senator La Toilette
as follows:
/ Il wasn't in favor Of beginning
the war We had 40 grievances -
Based on that mlsquotation by the
Associated Press. La Toilette was
denounced by newspapers generally.
/ On Sept. %, 1917, Senator Kellogg
Of Minnesota introduced a resolution
urging proceedings looking to the
+ expulsion Of sediuon, giving aid and
comfort to our enemies and hinder
/ ing the Government in the conduct
Of the war"
The record shows that the investi-
cation was strung along by the com.
mittee for fourteen months.
! It was eight months before the
+ Associated Press feebly did tardy jus
tice by writing to the committee,
say ms
/ 1.-The quoted matter was not read
os carefully as it should have been.
/ For otherwise the conflicting word
/ no would have been seen. The St
/ Paul Plnoer Press, from "hlch our
story was taken quoted senator
/ La Toilette as saying wv e h3d
I grievances We can not account Tor
/ the disparity in any other way than
/ stated. The error is regrettahle and
. the Associated Press SEXES the first
/ opportunity 10 do justice TO Senator
/ La Toilette"
on Dec. ., 1918, nearly fifteen
months after the speech was de
/ liVered the Senate eXonerated Ia
! Toilette and dismissed the charges.
In the meantime. the armIstice
was signed and the war was over
Next. the Senate. without a dis
senting vote. passed a resolution
/ allowing Senator La Toilette S. 1000
for expenses in defending himself in
! the Senate against the false charges.
""PP0' ''U i''0P'
La FoUette's real attitude toward
tho war after we had cot {nto e. was
EXPRESSED on the eoor of +ba senate
/ Oct E 1af- when bo soid.
There is. and OF course can he
no real difference Of opinion con.
corning the duty OF the citizen To
DISCHARGE to the last limit whatever
| obligation the war laws upon him.
"Our young men are being taken
by the hundreds Of thousands for
the purpose Of waging this war on
the continent Of Europe, possibly
Asia or Africa, or anywhere else
that they may be ordered. Nothing
must be left undone for their pro
lection. They must have the best
arms, ammunition and eouipment
that money can buy. They must
have the best training and the best
officers which this great country
can produce. The dependents and
relatives they leave at home must
be provided for. not meagerlv. but
generously so far as money can pro-
vide for them.
Il have done some Of the hardest
work Of my life during the last few
r9 la' to s poSsiu,e ,a amount oi