The Washington times., 1920-02-09

tion OF the nations finances. and be-
has followed the war. We do not be-
lisvs Il wise fer Congress 10 further
burden the tAz-psysr with soldier
legislation" This opinion also 10
shared by many Democrats.
A conservative Democrat whs has
give soldier lesislatisa much
thsasht. takes the position that Il 70
too early fer Congress 10 begin
building ~ another huge pension
fund. II II certain that In the years
TO come there win be . rspstlsAsS Of
the civil war pension systsuay that
psnsiony viii be paid veterans sf the
late wkr. and that the longG Con-
Gress stays sn such Legislation the
better. L.
sees Pensions C~.siAs.
One OF the best informed minority
members said yesterday that he exc
pected to live to see the day -whon
Congress will annually appropriate
81 ,0O0, 900 900 for . pension fund for
veterans OF the late war"
Creation of tho War Risk Insur-
Anco Bureau contemplated doing
away with the pension system. In 80
far as the world war was concerned.
with tho falling of of War Risk bene-
nciaries. the demand for a pension
will become more insistent. Politics
will do the rest.
There 10 more or less suspense In
both parties over soldier legislation
The majority hopes to delay action
until q slittsring program for sol
diers can be written into the party
platform next summer. The major
ity, would. In turn. write q similar
plank into its platform and have con-
siderable to say about the failure Of
the Republican majority to 'come
clean" with the soldiers. 1t would be
good campaign material for the Re-
pubiicans. but far better material for
the Democrats.
Soldiers Hurt Own Cause.
The cause of the soldier has been
injured by the tactics adopted by some
ex-service men. or rather those claim
Ing to be ex-service men.
II 10 rather hard for members OF
Congress to understand why they
have been receiving SO many snony-
nous communications demanding SOL
der bonus legislation. IF soldier
wants such Legislation, why does he
withhold his manner" they ask.
In some cases, the anonymous COM
scene. They threaten the member
with defeat in the next election: they
order him to lay aside all other af-
fairs and put through bonus bills. and
some are more or less personal and
impudent. Such methods have not
helped the soldier cause.
The majority Of plans for reward
ing ex-service men seem to come from
the West. One of tho latest Is that
proposed by the Wyoming Wool Grow
ers' Association
Wool Growers Hsve PAn-
N. l. Bishop. of Caspar. Wya-. came
| to Washington last week with In
structions from the wool growers to
have Congress put through q bill CIV
| ing eachI ex-service man a scrap OF
paper that would entitle him to a
free homestead right in any State in
which there are Government lands.
Such a course, Mr.. Bishop points
out, was followed Immediately after
| the civil war. His association wants
the SCRAPS of paper" to be transfer
able, SO that in the event the ex-
service man does not wish to live on
a homestead of $40 acres, he may
sell it.
In the FIRST place. there is not
enough idle acreage in America to
comply Win tuc pToNtSbouO % SuSu
a measure In the second place. IL
would merely result in an orgy OF
real estate speculation, House mem
bers explain.
| But the wool growers insist that
Uncle Sam is equal to anything. and
| therefore this plan must be adopted.
There are other organizations. East
\ and West, mostly from the latter di-
| rection, Just as insistent that their
plans, equally as impracticable. be
adopted.
| UP To Conventions.
| In the last analysis, it looks as IL
| the entire matter is UP to the two
national conventions. Both conven-
tions win vie with each other to in
sert the most attractive plank in their
platforms to get the soldier vote.
| There are members of the HOUSE
good politicians they are too-who
| do not believe the soldier vote VIII
! be factor in the coming elections.
1t is a case Of like father. like son.'
they say.
| 1--WE once tried to regard the labor
vote as a solid vote, but experience
has taught us that the labor vote win
not stick together" one Republican
leader said. 1T will be the same
thing in the matter OF the soldier
vote and the woman's vote" he added
confidently.
| Such is the outlook for soldier
and a heavy barra9e from the eN-
temper OF Congress. and put soldier