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Show CONSCRIPTION IS CONDEMNED NEW YORK, May 31. The conscription conscrip-tion act was characterized today as both immoral and unconstitutional, at the First American Conferenco on Democracy De-mocracy and Terms of Peace, which was again in session today at Madison Madi-son Square, with Socialists and pacifists pacif-ists In attendance The speaker was Daniel Klofbr, of Cincinnati, who was introduced after Dr. Judah L Mag-nes, Mag-nes, ono of tho organizers of the conferenco, con-ferenco, had referred to newspaper dispatches from Washington telling of the purpose of tho department of justice jus-tice to take stenographic notoB at pcaco meetings and prosecute thoso who infringe the law. "I don't know whether this Is the kind of meeting tho department of justice jus-tice means," said Dr. Magnes, "but if It is and there are stenographers here, I would like to invite them to this platform whero they may see and hear everything that transpires. In Prussia, at political meetings, tho stenographers are seated on the platform. plat-form. They tako notes ajid report to tho government. Inasmuch as we are very rapidly becoming Prussianized, we should follow the Prussian example at our meeting." Dr Magnes pointed out that the organizers or-ganizers of the conference had resolved re-solved that proposed adoption of any action contrary to tho law would be declared out of order but that they regarded as "perfectly within the law and favored all discussions as to tho wisdom and unwisdom of existing laws." Kiefer in his address advised appeal to the courts as "the first duty of a patriotic citizpn who has been drafted draft-ed " "The conscription act," ho said, "is both immoral and unconstitutional. It violates the prohibition against involuntary invol-untary servitude. Not even the hairsplitting hair-splitting plea can be urged in tho present pres-ent case that tho thirteenth amendment amend-ment does not forbid national defense. Sending conscripts to Europe is not national defense but mixing in the quarrels of outsido nations and if, as is suggested, conscripts can be compelled com-pelled to work as farm hands, factory hands or in other civil occupations, the thirteenth amendment is not worth tho paper it is written on." Kiefer said It was not a question of a citizen's duty to defend tho country, as such a situation "does not confront us." Ho declared tho United States was at war because "certain persons with authority wish to havo us at war regardless of necessity or of popular wishes, otherwise there would have been a referendum on war and conscription." con-scription." "We have been told that is Is a war for democracy," ho continued. "Well, any people that are determined to havo democracy can havo it without war. When Russia definitely decided to send the czar apacklng, sho did not need to wait for a victory over Germany Ger-many to do so. She simply sent him away. We can have democracy In the United States, too, whenever wo get as rpady for it a3 Russia is." Democracy, ho said, cannot come in Germany until tho German people want it and when the German pcoplo want it they will got IL Tho speaker declared that "tho first thing that democracy must win is tho fight against conscription and against war without consent of the people," and after quoting tho president's presi-dent's proclamation as saying that it Is to bo "in no sense a conscription of the unwilling," he added: "I fear before long that Mr. Wilson will be explaining that In more senses than one it is conscription 6f the unwilling." un-willing." TOPEKA, Kan, May 31. Dr. Eva Harding, former candidate for congress, con-gress, and Ike Gllberg, both of Topeka, were arrested here this afternoon by federal officers for alleged connection with anti draft meetings Both were! present at the antl conscription meet-1 I ing hero last Sunday I |