Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1916-06-29
Attention Of Congress
Centered on State
Militia Organizations
Proposal of $50 a Month for Guards
men Rejected BY the
Senate.

Washington, ID. C.-Stripped of it's
$1,000,000 relief provision for families
of militiamen, the senate military
committee today ordered favorably
reported the Hay resolution adopted
by the house yesterday to authorize
drafting the national guard into the
service of the United States. A sub
stitute for the relief provisions di-
rects that militiamen having depend
ent families should be discharged at
once.
An attempt Immediately to pay the
national guardsmen on the Mexican
frontier $50 month failed today after
a bitter debate in which it was
charged that the proposal would make
mercenaries of the militiamen.
$50 Pay Protested.
Such favoritism never before was
heard Of shouted Senator T. P. Gore
of Oklahoma. THAT amount never
was paid civil war veterans, yet they
fought in a real war. and not against
half clad, half armed savages.
This is reflection on the patriot
ism of these youn gheroes. Shall we
assume to capitalize their devotion
toEthe country? Shall we make them
mercenaries? Shall we capitalize pat
riotism, ccmmercialize devotion to
country
1T i'll becomes a senator to sit be
hind mahogany desk at $500 year
and sneer at these men who fight
their country's battles" replied Sen
ator James A. Reed.
This is but the thin edge of an
entering wedge of another multitude
of pensioners" retorted Gore.
Force Administration Hand.
Republican leaders in the house
yesterday forced the administration to
yield part of the control of congress
and to admit formally that an emer-
gency exists to meet which the en-
tire armed forces of the United States
are needed.
The vote on the resolution was 322
to 2. The two members opposing it
were Meyer London of New York
socialist, and George Huddleston OF
Alabama, democrat. Huddl dleston is
q successor to Senator @. w. Under.
wood in the house.
The passage of the resolution, was
preceded by vigorous debate in
which the republicans insisted that
state of war actually existed and
that the administration really was en-
dangering the lives of Americans
/ both civilians and soldiers, by con
tinuing the pretense that war does
not exist
whether war be declared or not,
asserted j. r. Mann, minority leader
war now actually exists.
James Hay, chairman of the mill
tary affairs committee, insisted that
war has not yet come. This resolu
tion,'' he said, SIS matter largely
of preparedness to meet an emergency
and, if possible, thereby to get peace
Uncle Joe' Cannon, incensed be
cause some democrats were still hedg
ing on the proposal TO make adequate
preparation for the emergency, go1
into the debate.
There is a good deal of talking
about an emergency and about a dec
{ laration of war, said Uncle Joe
why, you may call spade q troweI
q but that doesn't make 1t trowel
You mau s,ay there is no war, yet witt
or without authority, under the law
they are fighting down in Mexico. Z
Demands Aid for Regulars.
When the amendment to pay ths
families Of guardsmen came up, Rep
resentative "a. P. Gardner Of Massa
% chusetts urged that it be extended t.
the families of regular army soldiers
Every man in. this house knows
shouted Gardner, that the reguIal
army viii do all the fghting that /,
done down ID Mexico and that TIL.
guard will only 60 into summer
Z training camp along the border. Nh.
not pay the men who DO the work