Jonas Smucker Hartzler

“ While it seems to us very wrong that a government (or individuals in it) should have the right to prosecute any one who faithfully teaches the members of his flock the Bible as he understands it and as God has called him to do, and that officers in the employ of government should try to compel young men to do what they actually believed to be wrong, it is a comfort to know that those remaining true to their convictions and to God, though they were compelled to suffer, are doing so for Christ's sake. ”

“ I gave them a check for seventy-five dollars. I thought that this would settle the matter; but on the night of June 10, another masked mob of about twenty-five came to my home and called me out. They said that they would daub my entire premises with "dope" if I did not promise to support war measures. On my refusal they ransacked the house from cellar to garret. They took my watch and what money they found. They daubed my new house with yellow paint, inside and out, and did the same to the automobile. ”

“ I made a bank deposit in lieu of buying liberty bonds in the fourth drive. When the war-chest-drive was on an organization was formed with the motto, "Every man a subscriber." Two men came to my home one evening the latter part of July, 1918, called me out and asked me to go with them to the county seat. I told them that I could not go because my wife's mother was very sick, and that I must help her and the children to get to her bedside; but they showed me the silver star on their vests, claiming to be United States deputies, and said, "You must go." ”

“ It is the duty of every Christian to give due regard to government and its officials, never to speak evil of them, but to pray for them that they may be directed of God so that His people may live in the land to His glory. ”

“ HOME EXPERIENCES WHICH GREW OUT OF WAR MEASURES False Patriotism Many trials were caused by the war, not the least of which were suffered at the hands of people who did their nefarious work under the name of patriotism, not realizing that instead of working for and with the government they were hindering it and actually aiding the enemy. ”

“ R. W. Benner of Job, W. Va., in charge of a mission at that place for the same denomination, have been indicted by the grand jury of this court, and are held on a charge of a violation of the Espionage law, through a correspondence of last summer by which the former conveyed to the latter by letter instruc tions that forbade members of his Church to buy war saying stamps, and the latter by conveying the same instructions to his members, the grand jury finds a case in which the honor and dignity of the United States government has been disregarded in maintaining its Espionage laws. ”

“ In a number of places where brethren have refused to contribute to the different war funds, outlandish threats have been made and in a few cases have been put into execution such as, tar and feathering, painting houses yellow, dec orating autos and buildings with flags to test them out on their principles of nonresistance. ”

“ Many of them have had time to consider their actions and are now thoroughly ashamed of them and surely they should be ashamed but the highest good will be attained by showing that there is absolutely no ill feeling harbored but that all persecutors have been fully forgiven. ”

“ To pledge themselves to economy and thrift for the balance of the year. (Also good enough) . To buy to the extent of their means as an evidence of their patriot ism, war saving stamps for the support of boys in France. (Here comes the test.)
The advice given by our brethren of the General Con ference Committee is that our brethren
Do not aid or abet war in any form.
Receive no pay while held in detention camps.
Contribute nothing to a fund that is used to run the war machine. ”

“ First, one is not quite sure what he will do under pressure, hence the need of being thoroughly grounded in Christ Jesus so that character is so deeply rooted that only the right thing will be done even if there is no time for care ful, premeditated decision ”

“ If our brethren in camp can stand true to the faith of the Gospel, why should not we at home bear part of the
pressure
Hurriedly, L. J. Heatwole.
160 MENNONITES IN THE WORLD WAR
Bro. Benner acted upon the instructions of Bishop Heatwole, advised his members as to what is the position of the Mennonite Church on these questions, with the result that both were later brought before the U. S. district court at Martins- burg, W. Va. Following is a recital of the case:
THE HEATWOLE-BENNER CASE
In the United States court, Martinsburg, W. Va., Sep tember 18, 1918. ”

“ Miller, not hav ing an attorney, asked permission to make a state ment. It was granted. He told the court that he could not plead guilty to the charges in the indict ment, but confessed that the article in question was published in the Budget of May 15, 1918, and stated that he was sorry that it happened, and explained how it was done. The court accepted his statement and fined him five hundred dollars, which with the cost amounted to about nine hundred dollars. ”