Newspapers / The Commonwealth (Scotland Neck, … / Jan. 20, 1916, edition 1 / Page 1
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- A Famiiy Newspaper: For the Promotion tbe PoKticf and Commercial Interests of the People VO SCOTLAND NECK, If. C, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1916. at - - . NUMBER 3. National Referendum Military r reparecl H6SS Ihe Proposal that Congress at tKe Pireserit Ses sion Shall Authorize a Test Vcte on This Issue at the Polls Nest November rem Equity) Wi'sOP evidently l-.ppi.-'etn Wilson evwenuy v .;evc s thpt th m-j nt opinion i- fc- American people 'will now su-.-i i he proposal -T a half-billiop ioliar program of increase for on ! my and navy establishment. E! iwou'd nevpr have presented th ycrsmmpndation to Congress whic "! i- his address f De-embf'r 7 T r, pr vinVnt may be riuht in hi pi' ion abou tbi. matte' and, und?! t presen t-yscem of sovernment ifs hi officii privi'egs to recom--.--v-nd action by Congress committing , - nation to euh a program. Bn ' ;.! :s fav ;rom admitting that the ivsnt Congress has :-.ny mor' i cbt to tckepuch action. x ;s over a year since the mem '...i c of thi Ton -less vevo. e'-. cfe"' -i mir- ihwn a vesr and a h!-! --: t were rnminHte' by ihi . n- 5vf party irroups Still furth c.V. n tV- pit wq the Presiden1 to his off cil post by th .T na"; d-ctn-afe. PARTIES NO T ON RF.CORD T" f"i"? ard ofTi-Ma! tnflvd '.! 'he v"tf r? f the U.'itc : t i hrve f.i' cxprers't c Lhe;r"w!i' .. rr-.;"' '"a question? to their chosen ; ; s ; : -lives ir Cw.-rffS. a:;d 'o . '.v';r ;-'h,;if xp'i'iv, is through ih . ?"..sien- frmu'ated :A the plas-...rr-3 of the rational political rar ' " rot emen 'ed by the declara- ? opposine c&uu?dat.es. Wilso:. after hi? ' : r?j$t&& tii-theJt-3 r -r-eFS a dhwnward revis'oh of the .if?, he was voicing1 the declaration t ' f P,- tnpcraM'c p,jrty. platform. 1 ntei at Baltimore. 7hen the Convress f nated the Under- :' d tar ff measure it proceeded on me prtv authority and on the ' irJif.n of congressional district -.r.v-inti'jrs. a question- about which there is ad mi t ted to be a wide division of tbf people v, hen there has been not ever a pari?? resolution on the subject? Would not that be a palpable pre judging of the issue? Would it not be a deplorable and an immoral abuse of the principal of representa tive government? Every fair minded American cit :zen, whether he is for prepirednes-; r Kgauirt it, will agree that anv such Action by this an utterly unfair Congress woulo proceeding anc SURVIVORS -. , if-. of their mm TRAGEDY I! V'sSfrKf mi WTr i ; iff I If mr iiimriwnn ywp wwiiiii i , him b3m iiumii eaw j 1 PRESIDENT WILSON TO GO ON STUMP "Preparednesi" Losing Supporters ia CB$res8 Stirs Execntire to Qoick Action mrs. McCarthy AND HER CANINE Being a Sample Siory Relating to ' Internatioaahsjn, its BAtHts and Workings Washington. Jan. 18. President I Wilaon a nlofioin. 'n-mninoi.anfi llUSweU UU CaRjiSl to M la m back JtLTU , Mr.-. McCirt.v hiu a io. &iui lie K&. 8b rel the carcsa to tie ia th neishbsrs cn-.rtned of the odor. One y aI leadership in the fight for strong-1 morning the naehbsmcmlhered invt ost3iit tit fi er army and navy. So many reports I f'1M!" aaA p t "Aimonstrctun" have reached him of nfysion over- Uitea , her -leeres and aentiy the? issue before Conyreas, and of nj-yri. aadii'amy au. and in r the uncertainty of the $utcozne,- that Group ot Armenian girls and women wha escaped deatii o irorse at the hftnd of the Turks, thfr fete of teat of thousands of their sisters. -l-.5' " r hat it wptfld throw discredit on onr political institutions,- as at present put into; 'operation, proving them to be unable" to meet the existing situa tion" fairly and squarely. WHAT SHOULD CONGREST DO What, then, can Congress do prop erly at this session? It can ao one ching.that will be entirely fair to both the friends, and the foes of pre paredness and which will at the same time save our represenative system of . government from a isastrous failure. -That one thirg is to pass a joio.t resolution authoiizing andar- i'ii for tt.e ission of tht P 'nairi question ut issue to the voters it the general election of November next. Let the questihn be . fairlv stated so that voters can answer it, yes or no, in the usual way in the -vay that all the states, but one, have Hi ways adopted constitutional amend a.eits and in which 18 stales have now provided for enabling the voters ib rntTjufJesPSllitioj. when they so desire. : A national referendum on pre paredness! Yes, that is the step which the present Congress should take to meet fairly the present ex traordinary situaiion. Let the ad vocates and opponents of prepared ness go ahead with their aaguments ! in every way they see fit. between y.-ai no such party platform au- ! now ancj next election day through iiK-rity can be cited for the proposed newspapers and magaznies, pamph- olh ssal program of prepared- lets,and posters, public meetings and i -ss; President Wilson can nave no the individual canvass. Let all the nai s of knowing what a majority light possiple be gien to the people, even of his own party th nks about , Let an official statement of the pro it, and no member of the present j position and a summary of the argu :34) Congress can possiblv know j ments on both sides be printed and :.at a maj.rny of the voters in bis i distributed to every voter in the land President Wilson himself frays I have had in mind on thought any immediate or particular danger arising out of our relations with other nationsVf the world, and there is reason to hope that no' question in controversy between this and other governments will lead to any serious breach of amical relations grave as some difference of attitude and poli cy have been and may turn out to be. PRACTICABILITY OP THE PLAN Granted, then, that such a refer- dum on preparedness is dsirable, it may still be doubted by some timid souls if it be practicable or may not require a machiuery which as yet the nation does not possess. While it is true enouch that the federal urovern- ment has no method by which the voters may compel the submisaion of any question to the electorate, there is inherent in the very nature of every represenative law-making body the right voluntarily to call upon the voters to express their as sent or bissent as to a given legisla- WDuld enable every votey to register his will thereon by the, usutl method; c placing, a cross opposise the word. might be. . . By the same resolution, authority slould be given for distributing to all voters, three montjta before the election, a printed sheet or folder containing the text of Che above pro position, or one to JthfcV effect, to 2 -ther with aigned ainruments for which Washington and Jefferson and Lincoln stood the governments' "of the people for thepeople and by the as the case fpeopfel" In view o this immense f total of nearly twe and a half bi Hone of post appropriations for defence, it is clear that there is no issue s to preparedness in principle, but only the issue as to the enormous increase in our rate of preparation, as urged by President Wilson. In consider ing such an increase why not first and against it by leaders of each of.) pause to inquire how our past mil ti e oppossing national grops. Along with this should go definite informal t; m as to the moneys spent in recent yarsfor the army and navy, how they had been handled and with what rt sult. For instance, the following teble of military expenditures should be included somewhere Army ! Navy $77,070,300 88 $&7,505,140 .94 70,396,631.64 !4l00,336,679,64 71.817,165 98 ,.102,071,670.27 1005 15)06 '1907 '1P08 KK)9 78,634,582.75 98.957,507. 50 95,382.247.61 1 122,662.485.47 lions have been spent and what as surance we have that future appr6 priations will be handled more eff ic inetly? PREPAREDNESS 101,195,883 34 95.440.567,55 93,374,755 97 126,405,509.24 186,935,199.05 1,410,568.30 ... A TALE OF THE TICKER BY GRACE I. COLBRON, MEMBER ANTI-MILITARISM COMMITTEE. tfhouteJ: "It's s my own buaft- ned. Unuei-stand tht, 70a bnay-bodic." A ..t. i . ' . . - 11 . nvmra ueiennineu WJ& OUiy tJfq lHed: ' Yee. Mk. McCrty; it U your yard, and DeiOre the COUntrV in DUbilC &UET6S3- I?6ur dos. itat whP,e shtink is it fcM over the . v .... j . gim vs .T I'"? inen iire. fliccartr not an idea. Hersoveign- jecjf.witn leaaers 01 nie senate Enu trx acknowledged to compute. inhronu rtojtte. I confines, hat ahe coald rot confine the onlor ef T'i- ... rT . f ie-4aca;iiu 4o, which beyond her own confine Hc!iiine n.u cMatecni t neiahbbrs Huolnes?. She forthwith tative Padgett, chairmen -of- the ! the dog, and w oeiahbors joii.v House Military and Senate NavaiF p y he Committees, respectively, have in-1 No nation can be a hermit in these formed Mr. Wilson that it will be t days of steamships, railroads, , tele from 6 weeks to two monts before I sraphs, ocean cabled, wireless, etc. thexommittees will be ready, .to iet I Hence there must be international port the army and navy appropriji -relations. But there is no interna tion bills. While this work is iroingi tional body authorized to control on&6 proposes to solidify sentiment I'these tieceseary international rela amsng the people and members oi l tions. gnsteed of the sovereignty Congress in favor of the plans drawn 1 of every nation stopping at its own up'bp the war and . navy 'depart-1 boun rie, these sovereign powers ments. "" .lire extended far beyond national T11 - ... ........ . 1 boundries, into the maze of inter- x: imui lot uie apeutkiUK trips Wn: I , , . be prepared as quickly as posaibfcU Ta lt anv nnA,r thftl. th(1B If necessary, the President inylg;vereigntiea clasii? change the White House social pro. The remedy for international war gram mapped out before Christmas; I and tne DaaiS for international peace is so plain that the merest novice should-see at. International rela- ions and the control of sea belong naturally to an international body. it is equally plain that auch an inter national body should consist of offi cials representatives of all the na tions, on as nearly just a basis of GIRLS NEED PHYSICAL DRILL tive proposal. This is undoubtedly ; 1:10 the privilege and the highest duty of tt'll the 64th Contrress now in session air! 1912 o 1 . - - ' ' ; U OVk'VA 9.Oa TTilbLU JJ JAHV.b AOC Washington;" Th decision of tM 13-90,958,7 being circnla.- sponsible majority in that Congress 1914 94,266,145 51 140.718,434 53 to do this thing to take the voters 1M5 i01,0l9,212.50 144,868,716.61 into their counsels and so to definine- : : ; ; ly determine the intelligent will of i $959,556,205.11 $1,825,024,450 1 the people at this fateful parting of , 1916 101,959,195 87 149,661,864 -88 t-stiict thirk about it. AU that the 1 -es"dent can know in this regard E iJ ?ui that members of this Con rear can know is that si-i:ie the out- ..eik of the world wax in 1914 a : -rge and powerful group of Amer-. citizens has carried on an exten .;ve campaign in favor of military i reparedness, working through news papers, magazines, pamphlets, and public meetings; and that at. the f amf time another large group of ( ur peopl" have opposed an exten-j MT.j increase in our armament nve laid their emphasis on various , 'nns for international action to pre .ot future wars. PUBLIC OPINION IS STILL CRYSTALI- 7;:G. UNDER THE FRES5;UKE FROM THRSE TWO OPPOSING GROUPS OF K'fFLE Th-itiF.a'l that. President Wilson H' uiciiiHer of C-j'rigi ess or any r.-iifr pen-on cifi possibly know at i 1 ime conarniiiif what the ma .i -it. v. 11 of the Americ-tn people is ' ' v.tl be on this imp.-rt int national : 0 !' NOWN HOW THE PEOPLE STAND OA"Mig n i.h'sr the majority op?n- of his own pj.rty. nor ihac ot the i cp'e as a whole, how can Executive i-j fiicial capacity luatifiabie .o ureat a depar uii from the t n i-h- d policy of the nation? It! ; e trgued thit he d es soasthe eddtr of the Democratic , h ping ihat thus he wiil cause party to favor military pre , .!. ine.i. find he confined his ex-:-v.--sion.- on th'.- subject to commun- itions wii h his party associates he ou;d be entirely within his proper ' i.irc. Subsevuently he did so ad ' ess himself to the National Com : iiif.ee of his party, which was en T.rely proper. It is, however, the special function of Congress to first officially formu late this policy in concrete legisla tion, But by what right could Con gress at this s-"s:ion take action on at least three months before the elec tion. 1 LET THE MAJORITY RULE Then, when the votes for and against this proposition have been counted, let .the" majority -"'opinion-its due and proper expression through legislation. The will of the people having been registered, let their will be done. If a majority ia found to favor the preparedness program of the President, then let that program ir,a iviiar1 on' 1 f- i -P o W O 1 .wi f it and ! . .... ...... votes agamst it, we suggest mat tne next Congress give its attention to a constructive foreign police looking toward the maintainance of world peace through international co-oper ! ation. To arm or not to arm that is now ! the question confronting the Amer ; ican people. They must pay the en I ormous cost and take the conse i quences if the arming plan is adopt- the ways would undoubtly redund to the credit of the party in power more than anything else it could do. Such action would go far to estab lish the claim of its leaders to the belief in the principals of govern ment by the consent of the governed to their faith in fundamental democ racy. FORM OF PROPOSED REFEREDUM It only remains, therefore, to con sider the best form in which to state the issue of preparedness now before the country and to suggest the simp lest method of holding a referendum vote thereon The fairest basis for such statement as all will agree, is th3 formal recommendation of the Wilson administration to Congres. It has been attadked by the leading ; pacifists of all parties as committing the country to radical departure in the matter of national armament. And yet it is far short of the advoc ated by the extreme type of milita rists(like Roosevelt and others) who vTou!d have this country adopt un iversial compulsory military service. Taking, then, the Wilson program as the affirmative basis of the proposed referendum, let us reduce the issue to the following definite proposition: REFERRED TO THE VOTERS BY CONGRESS Do you favor the general plan of increasing the nation's military and Trafficking in munitions of war for private profit is the subject of a set of verses written by Grace lsa ted by the Anti-Militarism Commit tee of Washington. They are as follows: SMiairtf Over 0aH Often Has Tendency to Cttum Curvatur f th 8p!n. $1,071,515,401.68 $1,474,686,315:49 Thus the 64th Congrss at its see? o,d session, would have direct know ledge as to how the people stand. cm this vital issue and the officially as certained majority opinion thereon as the basis and authority for legis lative, action. Legislation enacted on that basis would have the consis tent support of the country, at leat for reasonable period to determine its practical value. The responsibil ity would lie place on the majority b the people where it properly -belongs. In this plan the party now in control of the government ha? a splendid opportunity to demonstrate its faith in the principals of gemme dernocraeray in the government for One who observes sirls in asradufcN ing classes in different high schools 1 representation as can beapproxima ea hardly fail to be 1 impressed itn j.cea their lack of good physical develop-! Suppose no national standing army ment, says the Mother's Magazine, J could go beyond its nationals wi th- It us safe to say that at leffc one- j out the consenc of the international third of tbe girls graduated from1 body: would nations then spend 'high school liave curvatnree of the much money on standing armies? tmere shc!x vjr.stonjd i Suppose . 70. -nataaJ Niltieship MRS. A. J. DREXEL, JR. ed. Why should not they have the i MCZ -.-.f . . , , me uec. i, auuiessoi me rres. ldent to Congress, namely: An in- opportunity to say whether they want that done or not? They pres ent Congress has no right to make 3uch a decision for them before the public mind can pnssibly be made up or at ;east without having any means of knowing what that mind is. NO DANGER OF ATTACK Even the most blatant shouter for millitaristic increase does not assert that the United States is in any dan ger of attack now or in the near future. Should the world war end tomorrow (and all the experts now say it will last many months), what one of the belligerent nations would have any motive for an attack on this great and resourceful nation? But if there were a motive, what nation would be physically or financially able at the end of this war to under take so great and costly a task as to transport an army of conquest over the sea with' the slightest promise of success? Hence, there need be no un due haste in the matter of national crease in the regular standing army ' from 108,008 (all services) to 141,843 and the creation of a volvunteer en listed citizen army of 400,000 men required to undergo discipline and drill not over two months a year for ! a 3-vear period; slso, for the navy a 5-year program of construction to provide ten battleships, six battle cruisers, ten scout cruisers, fifteen fleet submarines, eighty-five coast submarines, four gunboats, one: hospital shis, two ammnition ships, ' two fuel oil ships, and one repair ship; and to enlist enough more men and educate more officers to man these ships. The total increase of said national armament estimated 10 111 "vc v'" ; Mrs. Anthony J. Drexel, Jr., of PM1- " j adelphia, formerly Miss Marjory Gould of New York, as' she appeared aboard the steamer on which he "re This proposition, which by a joint cently arrived at NewTTork from;Eu 1 J c i ,u v, rope. Mr. Drexel accompanied her resolution of Congress would be arid they went to thelr. home in phu. printed on every ballot for the elec- ftdelphia. Mra. Drexel is eeen carry- - o i 1 1 S A fort is taken, the papers say. Five thousand dead in the mur derous deal. A victory? No, just another grim day. J But up to five hundred goes Bethlehem Steel. A whisper, a rumor, one knew not where A sigh, a prayer from a torn heart rent A murmur of Peace on the death- laden air But Bethlehem Steel drop thirty per cent. W!1 fight to the death" the djTplo : mats cry, "We'll fight to to death" sigh the weary men. t As the battle roars to the shuddering sky. And Bethlehem Steel has a rise of ten. What matters the loss of a million men? What matters the waste of blos soming lands? The childrens' cry or the women'! P8in? If Bethlehem Steel at 600 stands? And so we must join in the slaugh ter mill; We must arm ourselves for a . senseless hate; We must waste our youths in the murder drill That Bethlehem Steel may hold its state. in- a bad position, or have too mnqh. flesh or too little. ; Investigation made recently in California; shwid that about three-fourthof the girlr who go to college and tmiversify'aw oai of repair physically. What is the cause of all thisf Th prevailing theory ia that high-heefrd shoes, constriction in dress and lqcl: of any systematic exercise arc resptju etiMe; but. tbe chief reason why girhi are so poorly formed is because praf tieally no attention has' been giTii ttt- their physical development untii very recehtly. In some ehoola girl? still do not nave any, regular pivsv caP exercise. Thev are not adviaed by- capable teachers regarding. ''their defects and how to overcome tlenu The California report indicated ..tha many defects were due to habiroal heeding over deskis iitath rlvf rraiare of the spine, wtich in hj,ra develop otfier (feforinlvr s. Sux tuu difions ar prooamr barter toay than they were a fere yars ago. J giii'si dress seeme beitev adapted to helpful physical development 'than; it was ten years ago. Perhaps tms trili in time be demonstrated in the horWt physical development of girts 'wS NOISY ou!d go outside o the three mile imit fromftfie national court with out the consent of the international body: would nations then - build nany battleships? Of course the international body, jail it congress, commission, inter national governnent, or by what ever name you desire, must have force at its command sufficient- to accomplish its purposes. But by constructive administrative proceses it could so promote the interests of all the nations that there would bo no possible motive for international wars. How ridiculous it would be for Ohio to even think of lighting Indiana! Charles Fremont Taylor in Equity. X-RAY MACHINE Dr. O. F. Smith has installed in his office here an improved physican's electrical cabinet, which is a most interesting and valuable asset. The editor was shown the uses to which the cabinet can be put, and is abso lutely sure the usual run of physical ; ailments which come under . Dr. Smith's attention can now be cared for more quickly and satisfactory. The little cabinet" PtP.nds about four feet high, is full of little machines defence. In his address to Congress, ! tion of representatives ar.i s; raters, 123 Jicr tavoritt tlos Ball.- .... I Owl What m you calling thi janitor down for? -' . Squirrel I was mistaken. .1 thought the steam pipes were'jfiak ing that terrible racket we heard. which are propelled by electricity.! but it seems it was thaf woodpecker and has an attachment for making j Uxaily that has m?ved lV aooT X-Ray photographs i DOES ADVEKTBIJiifi PAH It is a very evident fact thatnews paper advertising pays or else old (nan John Vanamaker wouldn't go to the trouble to employ an ad wri ter at such astupendous salary as ten thousand dollars. Skeptical mer chants should read the following and give the proposition a trial if they h-ve to write their on ads. There is no business n this town thct is too solid to advertise. In this day of progressive business and "go-after-it" methods, the merchants who fails to advertise will sooner or later wake op to find his cash customers going to the other fellow. Read: Philadelphia One of the highest aaiaried women in the mercantile world is Miss Nancy Vincent McC!el nnd. who receives ten thousand dol lars for writing the advertising for the Wanamaker stored. She is one of the first women to come to' the front in the advertising world, and she owes her Auecess to her fertile brain. When ideas are needed, she can supply them. She originated the children's art contests and .the Personal Service Bureau in the Wa namaker stores. Miss McClelland wss forty years -old when she took up this new work.-- and now at fifty -five she is at the height of her career , OLD SOLDIERS BANQliETFD The local chapter of the U. D. C, gave a dinner to the old soldiers on Wednesday the 19th Lee's birth day. All the veterans were invited, but only a few could be present. There afked th-? Commonwealth to again thank tae daughters. " Shaves are back to a dime. Fel lows who bought safety razors will please take note. ANGERED TM IRISHMAN, v "Confound this douulin', mut tered the perspiring Scotch recruit,' after an evolution executed at the double. "And confound dirty Glas gow' hissed an Irish voice in his ear, "and 111 knock the head off of io0KS to be affected with a severe yrm whn we dismiss. LoncK jgrowth of alfectlonn of the throat Grlobe. and tsasuc. There is a vast ditference between progress and stability. Scotland Neck citizens should pnsh the former up and use the latter for a scotch. From this distance the Kaisr
The Commonwealth (Scotland Neck, N.C.)
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Jan. 20, 1916, edition 1
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