The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-06-24
Debate over Militia.

! WASHINGTON, June 24.-An at
tempt by Senator Reed, of Missouri,
! to push through the senate today q
bill to pay national guardsmen $50
month while they are in active
border service, brought one of the
hottest debates of the senate session.
Such favoritism never before was
heard Of" shouted Senator Gore, of
Oklahoma. THAT amount never was
paid civil war veterans, yet they
fought in real war, and not against
half clad, half armed savages.
This is reflection on the patriot
ism of these young heroes. Shall we
| assume to capitalize their devotion
to the country? Shall we make
them mercenaries? Shall we capital
Ze patriotism. commercialze devo-
ton to their country?"
Senator Reed, red with anger, bit
terly assailed the Oklahoma senator.
Capitalize patriotism" he asked.
It's a phrase that comes naturally
to the lips OF a phrase-monger. But
| 1t does not apply truthfully to these
young men who few days ago babe
| farewell to father and mother, wife
and child-some Of them for the last
| time.
1T i'll becomes senator to sit be-
hind mahogany desk at $500 a
year and sheer at these men who will
fight their country's battles"
| Fifty years after the civil war
closed retorted Gore, I'VE pay
sl5S,00O,000 a year in pensions.
see danger to the public treasury
nay to the public conscience. This is
but the thin edge of an entering
wedge OF another multitude of pen
sioners.'
Now is not the time for any ap-
! preparations" said Senator Thomas,
| OF Colorado. 1--WE would be carried
away by sentiment.
| Il deny that soldiers must be OBJ
tained through paying them so well
I that it is an object for them to quit
! private employment. God protect this
republic when it must be defended by
mercenaries.
| 1T is cold fact that constantly
| increasing appropriations for pensions
! create spirit of avarice and an ex.
| pectation of reward for doing pat.
| lotto duty
Illinois Guards Drilling.
SPRINGFIELD, H., June 24-With
the arrival early today of five car
| loads of ordnance stores from the
| Rock Island arsenal and the three re-
naming regiments of infantry, the
! Third, Fourth and Eighth, Camp
| Dunno took on a war camp appear
| ance.
Companies of militiamen are drill
! ing in every nook and corner of the
| forty acre fair grounds. Automobiles
dash hither and thither about the
camp delivering orders OF carrying
/ officers to supervise work Lumber
| ing transport wagons which have
| just arrived from Jefferson City, In
! diana are carrying the commissary
stores to different parts Of the camp.
! The stores from the Rock Island
arsenal, consisting of guns, blanket
rolls, canteens, dishes, etc, were
rapidly unloaded and distributed
( among the recruits. These are now
equipped with every thing except uni
/ forms These are expected momen-
| tarily
! 1t is estimated the recruits can be
! whipped into shape in ten days,
/ though Colonel E NJ Lewis, the regu-
| lar army officer who has been with
| the guard for several months, admits
| the possibility of a rush order from
Washington sending the troops to the
| border before that time.
In face of this possibility, Colonel
Lewis today distributed muster rolls
to the members of his staff and or
! dered them filled out in readiness
for mastering the guard into federal
service.