Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1918-08-15
cial would be done their
nRNEARH aspirations defeated.
8MfEEE1A IA VDept inseh
UUNHAAN ~ ~ story postage,
Tor

'"S ry, about $50 OO00.00 for
BrA -. - years, work. II they
have not been able to accumulate
something from this large sum, they
should be retired TO private life, need
ing lesson of economy, before being
entrusted with further control Of pub
lie finances. Judging. by the pictures
and literature which is being layishly
distributed, and by the apparent main
tenance in Washington, Of a special
newspap per correspondent In behalf o.
each Of them they are not troubled
with any lack of funds, ably supple
menting the government-paid expendi-
lures, of which they are each bene-
ficiaries, in printing, postage and cies-
ical work.
The bill to create q national army,
by the draft system, was not favored
by the leading democrats of the House,
not even by all of those on the Com
mittee OF Military Affairs, to which 1t
was entrusted. When its fate was
uncertain, its leadership was assumed
by Republican from California, born
in Germany and deeply imbued with
distrust and hatred for German despot-
ism. One of my competitors, Mr.. Har-
rison, voted for the bill The other,
after bitterly attacking 1t, and de-
claring that conscripts were held in
equal contempt with convicts, failed
to vote on it's passage. Neither of
them, so far as have been able to
learn, did otherwise than cheerfully
acquiesce in that feature of the bill
Which exempted from draft, among
others, Senators and Congressman, re.
gardless Of what age limit has been
or may be fixed. To escape the con-
sequences OF this selfprotection, some
thing more is needed than the letter
OF one of them to the president in
which circumstances placing him in
the fourth deferred class, are men
toned; and of the offer of the other
to the Secretary of War, to raise a
regiment. Neither OF these methods
under laws Of their own making, are
possible ways of getting into the army
The ways that were and are possible,
they did not adopt. being volunteering,
draft or officers training camps.
In a speech at Sardis, Mississippi,
Mr. Harrison said that he would with
draw from this race and enter the
siFmy "a sssgaates NsH1 srnar Kapld leave
!, the Senate. BY electing me, instead
OF either Of them. the purpose pro-
posed by Mr.. Harrison can be accom-
plished, and the way to enter the army
opened TO them both; and the legal ex-
emption of themselves be ended with
their official term, when the age limit
is raised, thus they may both be with
in the draft, and deprived of their
'bomb-proof' self-protection.
When it was proposed to raise the
larger part of war expenses from the
rich, through income taxes, one Of the
first measures along that line. gave
large advantage, if not exemption, to
certain officials including Senators
and Congressman. but popular indig-
nation caused its reconsideration and
defeat However, when the mother
and other relatives write to their sol
der boys, they pay an increase Of one
cent for each letter or postal Con-
gressmen and Senators who have gov
ernment-paid clerks to mail literature
in their political interests, have their
franks, as of old, without cost to them.
selves, and without practical limita'
ton. Even the German princes we're
recently forced to give up their free
mail privileges. privileges still exer
cised in this respect, by our Congress
men.
So far as | have been able to see
neither of my competitors has ever
furnished one statesmanship idea that
has ripened into law. They are fine
orators, delighting audiences and
themselves, and taking up much time
in Congress that might be better util-
lied No time was lost in increasing
the pay Of certain government Off
cials, including thirty-three and one
third per cent increase to Congress-
men, directly paid to themselves, for
clerical work, sometimes rendered by
their immediate families; but months
were spent in making speeches, to be
distributed at government cost, for .
twenty per cent unopposed increase in
the low pay of rural route men. The
delay resulted in an opportunity for
speech-making, used to catch votes
and support Of rural route men who
were thus delayed In getting their
hard earned increase OF pay. Along
similar lines, Mr.. Harrison made a
speech in favor of giving preference
to civilian government positions. to
soldiers and sailors who received hon
orable discharges for war time serv-
Ice, privilege that had been fully
conferred and exercised for fifty-three
years before his bill was introduced.
If either had desired TO help the sol
diers, in a substantial way they might
have introduced an amendment or
measure to give free mailing privi-
leges to letters to and from them, free
transportation to and from their
homes, an absolute bar to mingling Of
different races in the same, military
unit, and penalizing unjust discrimina-