The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1920-08-13
Republican and Democratic "Soltiici
Planks" Roth Consist OF
Little More Than Bare Floor
ing Plcntifully Creased
With Soft Soap
(J. w. Rixey Smith, i'm American
Legion Weekly)


\: .tGrateful nation," .sacrtd her. .;
4: itage of posterity," etc. Those 81
:: are the wortls-thc tune is diff s
IS fcrent, with the accent ON the .:
IS soft pedal, according to MIR. .
* Smiths analysis of the political e
>. situ atiOn as ii bears OH the cN- y
i: service man.
Should a single ex-soldier in all
this broad land of our vote either
the Republican or the Democratic
ticket in the approaching national
election because of what the party
platforms have to say about him,
he ought to be taken out and shot
at sunrise.
II ever there were Two platform
planks with but a single thought.
they are those of the two major
parties this year. The same inspir-
alton mothered the twins, and they
are :. ut as much alike as two peas
in uod. One may have ruffie
around it's neck or ribbon in its
hair where the other has not. bul
stripped of these non-essentials yoM
could never tell one from the other
except by the party tags they wear.
The Republicans hold the veteran in
imperishable remembrance and the
Democrats say that his worth can
never be recompensed from the
treasury. Apropos of what one of
the recent conventions had to say
to the soldier vote. Reporter Bryan
commented that "they said it with
flowers"
The Republicans pledged them
-sssSes ''to discharge to the fullest
the obligations which a grateful ma
ton justly should fulfill in appre-
citation of the services rendered by
its defenders on sea and on land.
IL there are any eX-aviators who are
puzzled as to where they come in
on this, it is suggested that the omis-
sion of any reference to those who
fought in the air was merely an
oversight. The phraseology of this
part of the plank was taken from an
old plank of the days when there
were to airplanes. The G. o. p.
platform builders also promise to
continue what they claim has al
ways been the party's policy toward
the soldier and sailor of all wars.
liberal legislation for the care of
the disabled and infirm and their de-
pendents." On the subject of adj
iusted compensation. they say moth
ing. On the topic of land. they ut
ter not word.
The Democrats announced at
their convention that 1.-The Federal
Government should treat with the
utmost consideration every disabled
soldier, sailor and marine of the
World War" and promised the
'stenderest concern and richest
bounty for the the dependents of the
brave men who died in the line of
duty" They then committed them
selves "to the enactment of soldier
settlements and home aid legisla-
ton which will afford the men who
fought for America the opportunity
to become land and home owners.
1t will be seen that the Republi-
cans do admit in their platform thai
the Government is finder some kind
of an obligation to all ex-service
men and women. and that they pro-
mise to fulfill this obligation to thu
fullest; that they pledge themselves
to liberal legislation for the dis
abled; and that they are mum on the
questions of land. home aid and the
extension of vocational training.
The partisans of Jefferson anil
Jackson. on the other hand. while
registering distinct beat OH the
opposition by coming out pretty
squarely for land and home aid for
the soldier, and while claiming tn
be equally as generously disposed
to the disabled as their Republican
brethern. at the same time did not
quite manage to conceal hostility
toward the idea of adjusted compen-
sation.
AS the plank was first drafted L:
was said that the soldiers service
constituted "a sacred heritage OF
posterity. the worth of which can
never be recompensed from the
treasury and the glory of which
must not be diminished by any such
texpedients' Friends of adjusted
compensation in the convention af-
ter a committee skirmish succeeded
in eliminating the clause, "and the
glory of which must not be dimin-
ished by any such expedients, there
by, it is said. leaving Democratic
members of. Congress free to vote
for or against adjusted compensa-
tion as they will.
! It is interesting to turn back to
s::the platforms framed by the same
two parties In national convention.
assembled just after the close Of the
sEpanish-Amefican War and to OBJ