French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1918-10-24
False Charges
Advertise

In a printed circular letter signed
by B. Jackson, Chairman of Mr.. Rritts
. campaign committee, an attempt is
being made to create the impression
that Congressman Zebulon Weaver
voted against a bill to increase our
soldiers pay. Such charges or intima-
tions are false and should be CON
demned by all honest men. Mr. Jack
son is either grossly ignorant of Mr..
Weaver's record on this subject, or he
has Intentionally misrepresented t.
The True Facts
War vas declared against Germany
by our Government April G., 191T,
| Congress at once began to take meas,
nIes to raise and equip u army. I'll e
Se,ective Service Act for this pDposc
vas introduced. Until this time oar
soldiers were receiving only SIS per
month. An amendment to this bill
was offered, increasing their pay to
$4,000. Mr. Weaver voted for this III
| crease, page 1549 of the Permanen;
Congressional Record. The whole bill
that is, the Selective Service Act, con
tanning the amendment to incrc Use
our soldiers pay to $4,000 was then
voted upon, and upon an Aye and Nay
vote, Congressman Weaver again vot-
ed for the $4,000 increase of soldiers
pay. See Permanent C~ongressional
Record May 16, 1917, page 1896. Thus
the record shows that Congressman
Weaver voted twice, and at every Op-
portunity offered for increasing our
soldiers pay to $4,000. The bill being
now completed in the House it wen:
over to the Senate for passage there,
The Senate amended the whole bill
N many particulars and sent it back
% the House for agreement upon
these amendments. Congressman
Weaver voted to disagree to these
amendments adopted in the Senate.
The House having refused to accep;
the amendments added in the Senate,
made it necessary to refer the bill to
a conference committee of both houses
on which committee were both Demo
Gratis and Republicans, Hon. Julius
Kahn being the ranking Republican
on the part of the House of Represen-
tatiYes. It is the duty Of a conference
committee to adjust and reconcile diff
ferences between the House and Sen
ate so that a bill may finally pass and
become law. Unless these differences
are so settled the whole Bill fails to
become a law. The conference COM
mittee on this Selective Service Act
finally after much elaboration, agreed
upon the bill and reported it to both
houses. Under this report and exist
ing law, the private soldier called in
to foreign service would have receiv-
ed $500 per month plus twenty per
cent. additional, or $1,000 per month,
A motion was made by MI. Goode, OF
Iowa to re-commit the bill to the con
ference committee, and Mr.. Weaver Is
now being criticized for voting NOT
to re-commit. This Mr.. Goode is one
of the bitterest Republicans in Con
gress and has repeatedly criticized
the President,
1t was a matter Of supreme impor'
lance that the conference report
should be promptly adopted. We hat
been at war a month and ahalf ant
this bill to raise and equip our arm!
had not yet passed. Every hour of della!
was fraught with danger to u coun
try. To recommit the bill merel.
meant to send it back to conferene
for further consideration. In regarr
to this very conference report TO
which Mr.. Weaver voted, the Presl
dent himself asked the patriotic mem
bers to adopt it, having written tn
following letter to Congressman Den
Chairman of the House Committee o
Military Affairs, Congressional Re-
ord, p. 2215.