The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-04-13
THE SULLOWAY BILL.
Its Defeat as Viewed by the Great G..
A. II. Paper.

! 1t is not often that the defeat of
any proposed legislation carries as
much acute disappointment and grief
to the whole country as the failure
of the Sulloway bill to become law.
1t is almost safe to say that never be-
fore had any bill received such a gen.
eral and hearty endorsement, and
never such a convincing one. When
the legislatures Of % Of the greatest
states in the union, representing
population of 54,76O, 43, casting 27
electoral votes, unanimously and
heartily endorsed the measure, there
should have been little doubt of it's
| success.
The house Of representatives had
passed the bill by a majority almost
unprecedented, and the committee
on pensions in the senate had report
ed and recommended it's passage by a
majority equally significant. There
was no doubt that if the bill had been
allowed to come before the senate it
would have received a majority ap-
proximately as large as in the house.
The friends of the bill in the SEN
ate-such valiant friends as Senators
Scott, Curtis, Durham, Dick and
Smith of Observation-Disclosures every
plan to secure it's consideration, but
were foied by Senators Lodge and
Bailey in invoking parliamentary tao
tics and the aid of the crush of bust
ness at the end of the session.
There is no escaping the conclu-
sion that Senators Bailey and Lodge
did this at the direct behest OF the
"interests" who are seeking to Gluten
the public money for their own sell
fish purposes Every man, every cor
noration. every trust which was hop
ing to profit by fat contracts, sub
sides and Jobs was arrayed against
the Sulloway bill. They filled the
capital with lobbyists; they swung
the metropolitan press and maya
zines which they owned against H.
and in thousand subterranean ways
which they knew so well now 10 use
by covert influences hidden from the
public eye, they encompassed the oe
feat of the bill and this great act ol
national injustice to the veterans
Appeals to them as to the OLD ana ols-
abled men, reminders that II tnese
veterans had not sacrlhced tneln-
selves so unreservedly there would
have been no fat treasury upon which
to feed. none of me present prosper
itv and greatness of the country, all
fell upon as deaf ears as those OF the
money changers in the temple IheS
cared not that the hundreds or vet
Grams were dying every day ana that
within a year a larger army "ould
have been added to the ceremonies
that Grant commanded at Shlloh or
Rosecrans at Stone River. Though
they could only reply to this with ex-
nloded calumnies upon the pension
roll. their admantine resolution was
not shaken in the least. AS Iom
Paine would say, they were pursuing
the almighty dollar for themselves
with a step as steady as time anu DIS
remorseless as death. .|
Though checked, the friends OF
the bill are not discouraged. Cnalre
man Sulloway will be member OF
the house as will also Speaker IAN
non. Mr.. Sulloway promises 10 M
mediately reintroduce the bill at the
extra session and put forth every ell
fort to secure it's passage. Inc Nallo!i-
al Tribune will continue the struggle
for it with more vigor than ever IL
nossible. and we will leave no stone
unturned until congress shall nave &C.
ceeded to the unmistakable wishes OF
the people and enacted the bill into
law We feel sure of it's early pas
sage because such an Overwhelming
expression in favor of the measure
cannot be disregarded by congress
and the white UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Tribune.