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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1917)
The Commoner I? 14 VOL. ,17, NO. 3 , ' r l KTi -a "J- Congressman Bailey's Speech Below arc printed the remarks of Hon. War ren Worth Bailey of Pennsylvania, In the House of Representatives, February 17, 1917, during tho progress of the debato on tho army appro priation bill. Ed. Mr. Bailoy. Mr. Chairman, for one, I wish to hurl back tho charge of cowardice flung at the ' advocates of peaco by tho gentleman from Mas sachusetts (Mr. Gardner). Mr. Gardner. Mr. Chairman, will the gentle man yield? Mr. Bailey. Yes. Mr. Gardner. When did I accuse you or any other advocate of peace of cowardice? Mr. Bailey. I will quote your language later, . if you please. I do not care to be diverted just now. It takes more courage than was over concoived of in the philosophy of swashbuckling shoulder strappers to face tho mob and to bring to bear upon.it tho forces of reason and justice. Is that courago which enables the soldier to march up to tho cannon's mouth tho only or the greatest courago which men may show? No; a thousand times no. There is a brute courago and there it also a moral courage. There is the courage oi tho hulldog, the courage of-tho tomcat, the" courage-, of tho cock sparrow, the courage of a rep tile which attacks another reptile. But is this . courage such as to Inspire our loftiest admira tion Is it tho sort of courage we try to de velop qnd strengthen In our children? Who is the greater hero he that taketh a city or ho that conqueroth his own soul? The gentleman from Massachusetts may arro gate to himself a heroism that ho denies to men like William Jennings Bryan, Henry Ford, David Starr Jordan, and tho gentleman from Texas (Mr. Callaway). But I am here to say that any one of these is possessed of a spirit of heroism as far surpassing that before which the gentle " man from Massachusetts prostrates himself as day surpasses night. The heroism which en thralls the gentleman from Massachusetts is 4 that of the jungle. Mr. Gardner. Will the gentleman yield? I call tho gentleman's attentibn to the rule of the house which says that a member shall proceed in order and avoid personalities. I do not ob ject to a reasonable amount of criticism. Mr. Bailoy. I would like to ask the gentle man if he proceeded in order the other day when he branded those who stand for peace as ' cowards and allies of Germany. (Applause.) Mr. Gardner. If the gentleman can point out ' a single case in which I transgressed tho rights of tho house, all right. I shall ask the Chair to rule that the gentleman proceed in oraer and avoid personalities. I do not object to a reason able amount of criticism, but I do not want the whole speech directed toward me. Mr. Bailey. What is the particular language tho gentleman objects to? Mr. Gardner. I call the attention of the chairman to tho rule of the house which says . that in debate a member must avoid personal ities. Mr. Bailey. I hope this will, not be taken out of my time, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Gardner. I call attention to rule XIV, which says: "Sec. 734. When 'any member desires to speak or deliver any matter to the house he shall rise and respectfully address himself to 'Mr. Speaker,' and on being recognized ,may ad . dress the house from any place on the floor or from the clerks desk,- and shall confine himself to the question under debate, avoiding person- ilitles." . ' Tho Chairman. The Chair thinks, of course, the general rule is perfectly well understood that there has got to bo a measure of decorum . . and propriety in debate which the Chair must enforce. There is also a latitude of argument and latitude of reply. What is the particular . language used by the gentleman from Pennsyl- vania which is objected to as being an impinge- ment on tho rule cited? . iMr,. Gardner. It was tho general fact that he seemed to be making me the- butt of all his re . i marks, I never knew the gentleman, -.even by sight, until tho other day, when he was in the chair, and I never mentioned his name on. the floor of the house or elsewhere that I know of. Well, I do not care. Let him go on. (Laughter). Mr. Bailey. Mr. Chairman, I repeat that the heroism which enthralls the gentleman from Massachusetts is that of the jungle. That is what I repeat, and I am willing to stand by it. That which inspires men like William Jen nings Bryan is the heroism of faith, of service, of love, of justice, of human kindness, of all embracing brotherhood. Mr. Gardner. . Is there a rule of the house, Mr. Chairman, that requires me to remain and hear the gentleman? """ Mr. Bailey. No, sir; you are excused, with my compliments. (Laughter.) The gentleman from Massachusetts, echoing the voice of the metropolitan press and of the military satrapy which seeks to replace the ideafs Of the republic with those of the princi palities and powers which are now drinking at the fountains of blood, bewail the fact that the American people are taking counsel among themselves regarding this momentous issue which he wishes to be determined without their knowledge or their consent. He would silence those who can not accept the gospel of the claw and the fang which he preaches with such ve hemence. There is to be no counsel save that of the war lords; no voice heard except that of the munition maker; no suggestion offered save by what may be usurped authority. Doubtless he bqlioves with the Washington Post that death should be decreed against every American citizen who dares in this crisis of the nation to speak the word of soberness in an effort to curb the mob spirit to which militarism always and everywhere appeals. His whole attack on those who believe the people should have some voice in a matter affecting their most vital interests is based on the assumptipn that only the war lords should be heard in such an emergency. He thinks that only cravens and cowards would question the word of those who settle disputes with tho sword and who dispose of issues in volving national honor wi;h 16-inch guns. Yet there is a bravery above that of the barracks, a courage finer than that of the cavalier, a heroism more splendid than that of the man on horseback. It is the bravery of the man who faces the mob; it is the courage of the man who confronts the serried ranks of prejudice; Jt is the heroism of the soul which rises superior to the shafts of ridicule and malevolence in the cause of right and justice. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Massa chusetts conjures those who believe in the pos sibility of a peaceful solution of the pending problem to "stand by the President." But is he "standing by the President"? The President is hoping and striving to avoid war. With a matchless poise and patience he has thrown his incomparable influence on the side of peace. By every means at his command he is endeavoring to steer the ship of state through troubled waters to a safe harbor. Yet here is the centle man from Massachusetts and those for whom he speaks going to extravagant lengths in their efr forts to balk him and to force him to enter the war as an ally of the allies. The gentleman from Massachusetts makes no concealment of his purpose. He is at least frank, open, above board. He does not beat about the busti. I. wish he were here to listen to this tribute. He hates Germany with a consuming hatred. His heart is with Britain, and, he wants to plunge his country into war as an aid to KVng George in his struggle to destroy'Germany. Yet he has the consummate effrontery to stand on this floor before the American people and as perse the good faith of those who wish this coun try to remain neutral and to avoid a dangerous entanglement with the warring powers. He charges them with placing loyalty to Germany above their loyalty to America. (Mr. Bailey here uttered certain words which were subsequently ordered stricken out by a vote of tho hcvuse.) . - Mr. Bailey. I thank God for Wood row Wilson and William Jennings Bryan in this hour of grave peril to- -repub- lican,. institutions. I thank God .for those- men and women all-over the- land -who-ref use -to- bow aUthe feet of Mars at the call of-,the war .mong ers and the traffickers in munitions. I tbanir God for those really courageous souls who xt fuse to be silenced by aii envenomed press which gets its inspiration from Wall street and wh 2 would crucify every American who dares tn plead in this hour of stress and strain for re on to assert herself rather than passion. Perhaps the gentleman from Massachtunff,, think that it is cowardice which impels ml n vote against monstrous appropriations thit must impose heavy burdens upon my Deoni Perhaps he thinks that it is cowardice that ha directed me in protesting- against compulsory military service. Perhaps he thinks cowardice explains the fact that all my life long I have stood four square against militarism in all its manifestations. Well, he is entitled to his own opinion in this regard. But how much easier would it be for me, Mr. Chairman, "t0 no along," to run with the mob, to shout with tho hurrah boys, to let the tide of war sweep on unchallenged until it should engulf my beloved land and the ideals which have made it precious to every man who has caught the glowing vision of human freedom. Oh, how little is the cour age required of the man Who falls in behind the tumultous crowd as it rushes on its reckless way! How little is the courage one must have to meet the call of the jungle. It is the call of civilization that tries. It is the call of human ity that brings the real test. It is the call of justice which applies the acid to our mettle. I can understand why dogs fight. They know no better. I can understand why the cock spar row struggles, with his" rival until he dies. Ho is governed by his instinct and not by reason. But I can not understand why men fight, be cause men know better; they have the gift of reason, they know right from wrong, evil from good, justice from injustice". And men have, indeed, ceased to settle their personal differences by appeal to force. They no longer vindicate their honor by killing some one or getting killed. They no longer measure their valor by the number of victims they have sent to tho cemetery. And there is none we so much de spise today as the bully, the1 bad man, the chap that carries a gun and looks for trouble. "We do not honor him. We do not make him the gorgeous and glittering center of our social life. He does not occupy the chief seat in our synagogues nor the first place at our feasts. No. We send him to jail. We put him on the rock pile. We drive him out of our peaceful com munities. We point him out to our children as a horrible example. And we warn the youth of the land against following in his crooked courses. Yet we magnify the name of the bully when he wears an epaulette and corries a sword. We hail him as a hero and savior. We decorate him with honors and ascribe to him qualities and aspirations tha belong to the gods. We place him on a lofty pedestal and invite our children to look up and admire, if not to worship. We make of him an idol before which all the hum ble and the patriotic must bow if they would es cape calumny. - - Neither as a citizen nor as a member of con gress have I reached the pass where anyone can put a gag in my mouth or a seal on my mind. I am still a free man, an American, a citizen, a soldier of the common good, whose only weapon is the sword of truth, whose only defense is the armor of justice. And in this hour o'l fear and foreboding I donot falter. My faith is unshaken. My courage is that of one who believes that ever the right comes uppermost and ever is justice done. We can go into this war across the waters or we can stay out of it, and it will take a higher courage to stay out of it than to plunge into it at the call of jingoism. We can go into it and help the kings and princes of the Old World in their mad struggle to strengthen their thrones and extend their dominions, we can get into it and underwrite the securities which Wall- street has taken, for the billions loaned the allies. We can go into it and sacrifice the fair youth of our land, your boy and mine. We can go into it ana fasten on those who shall come after us a bur den of debt -which will press them down ror - generations. We may go into it and say tnai -we aredolng it to, vindicate a right which migui be-better vindicated, by, another appeal tnaIV" : beak-and-talon;- We can -get into it and enncu the -soil of 'Europe witi our best -blood, wn M M A iJmti.U k-3, i Mv.l.wtfW,, n,,,,,,, VwrtftwuCfc..tf
