Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 April 1917 — WOOD AGAINST COMPULSORY SERVICE [ARTICLE]

WOOD AGAINST COMPULSORY SERVICE

The New York World issue of Saturday contains the result of a poll* of the senate and house of representatives on .they question of conscription. The question asked of senators and representatives by World reporters was: “Do you favor or oppose conscription?’’ Congressman Will ,R. Wood of the Tenth district and Congressman Fred Purnell of the Ninth district are the only Indiana congressmen polled as opposing conscription. | Representative Cox refused to commit'Tiimself. The remainder of the Hoosier delegation went on record as favoring universal service. Of the ninety-six senators, fortyfour replied in the affirmative, six in the negative, twenty-six declined to commit themselves and twenty were absent. Senators New and Watson of- Indiana are polled in the affirmative column. Of the 435 members ofj the lower house, 13-8 declared themselves to fie in favor of conscription, eightysix against it, 184 non-commital or doubtful, twenty-seven absent, including four vacancies. ———— —■ I

Well, after all, that “too proudj to fight” is not a bad thing to analyze. President Wilson failed to , define the statement, that was all. He meant': that America was too. proud to pick a quarrel, but he j didn’t mean that if you trod on, our corns too heavily you wouldn’t get knocked down. You know that good citizenship and lofty ideals do not suggest the inviting of brawls or heroic fisticuffs. But it deprives a man of none of the rights to protect his„ honor and integrity/ even to the extent of knocking thej other fellow down, as Senator) Lodge, scholar and statesman, did j in Washington the other day.' But probably Germany will learn 'just. What was meant in the next few• months.—-Fowler Tribune (Rep.)

Somebody suggests that the two major political party committees Call into their conferences men of the Citizens’ League of Indiana to help select fifteen candidates for delegates-at-large to the people’s coming: constitutional convention. No two organizations, and no three organizations should' assume to acjt for the people. Let those who wish to sit in the constitutional convention go before the people on their merits and with pen declarations as to their attitudes on public issues, The people will pick their own delegates.-—-Indiana Daily Times. Little teenie-weenie. Boy Scouts are coming right to the front with offers tfc serve their country. But Cupid continues to lead. the matrimonial army in the maddest and wildest charge in history. -