Evening star., 1937-04-03
Killed the field of honor These soldiers fell in BATTLE
A FEW SAID "NO!'
Legislators Who Voted Against War-All
That Are Left-to Hold "Do You
Remember" Party.

American fag?" sneered James Of
Kentucky.
Fighting Bob" La Toilette took the
floor to plead for peace. His speech,
said Senator James. was 'pro-Ger-
man, almost pro-vandal and pro-
Goth, President, anti-Congress,
anti-American"
And now, 20 years after that April
6 when the House passed the war
resolution and the President signed
it, all that are left of the men who
voted against it are to meet as
group for the first time since they
stood together to keep their country
at peace There are 25 Of them, and
one woman, Miss jeanette Rankin,
first woman member Of Congress.
Only three of the anti-War vote
survivors still are in Congress: Sena-
tor Norris, Representative Harold
Knutson of Minnesota and Senator
Lundeen. who was member Of the
lower house when war was declared.
They have invited the others to
dinner at the Willard Hotel on Tues
day night. 1t will be an off-the-
record gathering, intended only for
"reminiscences of the tense days OF
1917 and attended only by the anti
war voters and their wives.
A VERY different attitude from
that of 20 years ago exists toward
the men who protested United States
entry into the World War. AS Rep
resentative Knutson put it in his let
ter of invitation to the dinner, War
clouds hang low again over the trou-
bled old world" and the pacifists Of
yeSteryear have become the patriots
Of today. Defeated for reelection to
the House in 1918 because of his anti
war stand, Lundeen nevertheless was
elected to the Senate in 1886 on
platform which emphasized that item
in his record His vote against the
war resolution was principal point
in his successful campaign.
Edward Heating, founder-editor OF
Labor publication of railroad work.
ers' unions, said We all feel mighty
glad we voted against war. We haven't
changed our views Keating was a
Representative from Colorado when
the vote was taken. He, too, was de-
feated for reelection because Of his
opposition to United States entry in
the World War.
The SO House members and 6 Sem
ators who voted against the resolution
represented every shade Of political
opinion" Heating said. Socialist,
Progressive, liberal Democrat, con-
servative Democrat, progressive Re-
publican, machine Republican, they
never got together on any major prop
osition before or since, and venture
to say that they wouldn't today-ex-
cept on war"
Heating remembers some OF the
prosecutions and indignities to which
the anti-war legislators we're sub
iected. He himself was accused OF
being prof. German, although he has
not a drop of German blood and de
spised the Kaiser as a dictator and de-
stroyer of men" Phil La Toilette.
then a student at the University OF
Wisconsin, left class room one DAY
to find his father had been burned In
effigy on the university campus.
WHERE are they now-those cour-
w ageous few who fought the war
proposal a score of years ago? Thirty
are dead. In addition to the survivors
already mentioned there are the fol-
lowing:
Mark R. Bacon of Wyandotte, Mich;
Edward E. Browne, now practicng
lawyer in Waupaca, Wise; John n.
Connolly, publishing a newspaper IN
Colby, Kans.; Fred H. DomlnlcK,
Newberry. S. c.; James A. Frear, prac-
ticing law here in Washington; Wall
ter L. Hensley, lawyer in st. LOUIS
John M. Nelson, Madison, Wise;
Charles H. Randall, business man IN
Los Angeles; William A. Rodenburg,
Washington lawyer; William H. Stat"
ford, Milwaukee lawyer: Fred A. Brit
ten. Chicago business man; Denver
Samuel Church, Fresno, Calf; Clar-
ence C. Dill, Washington lawyer; John
j. Esch, Washington lawyer; Everis A.
Hayes llllChlldIACo iNSa "AAAAS 40
Congress because Of his shock Of car
rot -colored hair, now white), San Jose.
Calf; Benjamin C. Hilliard, justice
on Colorado Supreme Court; William
L. Igoe, a leading st. Louis lawyer
and reputed leader Of the Democratic
machine there: Charles H. Sloan,
Geneva, Nebr, and Frank P. Woods,
Altadena, Calf.
Miss Rankin now interests herself
in peace organizations here in the
District. Hull is business man here.
Royal johnson still lives in South
Dakota.
Among those who died were Senator
Lane of oregon and Senator Varda-
man of Mississippi The formers
death was fastened by the persecution
which resulted from his anti-war vote.
Vardaman, defeated for reelection on
the war issue by Pat Harrison, was
renowned for his bravery, both physi-
cal and mental In addition to oppos-
ing participation IN the war, he sup
ported such once unpopular issues ~
woman's suffrage and Punishment Of
child labor. \