Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1920-04-01
RESOLUTIONS

Be 1t resolved by the Putnam
county soldiers of the World War
in mass-meeting assembled at Cooke
vile, Tennessee on this the goth
day of March, 1920:
Forst: That we declare it to be
but simple justice that the Govern
ment lf the United States should
take cognizance o. the heavy finan-
cial losses and business sacrifices
sustained by the American soldiers
who, at the call of their country
abandoned their business connec-
tons and vacated their positions in
civil life to defend the nations hon
or in the arena of war on another
continent ad on the high seas.
Second: We denounce as migrate
full and sordid those who, having re-
mained at home during the period Of
the war and in a business way prof
tied immensely on account of the
great conflict now have the temerity
to decry or minimize the financial
sacrifice and loss sustained by those
who forgetting and foregoing all
else placed their all upon the altar
of their country.
Third: We are asking for no for
NAL tribute of word or pen 20 those
of US who returned, or eulogy upon
the thousands OF our comrades who
sleep in France. That history and
posterity will fittingly note the part
we played we not doubt We,
the service men of Putnam county,
on this occasion desire to concretely
and pointedly declare the one pur-
pose Of this meeting to be demand
upon our part, for ourselves and all
of our comrades, that Congress
shall, as expediti usly as possible,
provide for the payment to all serv-
ice men of fifty dollars per month
for each month of their enlistment,
as a meagre compensatory recognit-
ion OF the heavy financial losses sus-
tanned by them during such period,
and to effectuate this and we re-
quest our Senator's and Representa-
tive in the Congress of the United
States to lend to this proposition
their whole-hearted support and to
present to their respective houses
this, our memorial asking for even
handel justice in the premises.
The harsh Indictment long ago
preferred against republics that they
are ungrateful may be true. In so
far as our participation in the war
with all Of its attending horrors and
suffering are concerned, we prefer
that Others than ourselves should
try this charge of ingratitude against
the non-combatant citizenship of our
'own republic, but IL the arraignment
be merited and the castigation true
let it not also embrace the added Of
fence of being insensible AMI indif-
ferent to a just financial obligations,
even Russia has not repudiated its
financial obligations. Does any one
question the Justice of the pecuniary
debt which this nation owes to it's
service men.
Finally, we condemn with disgust
the pratings of those who meet our
appeal for simple justice with the cry
OF "Kconomy". While the service
men were in France and the other
theatres Of war Drawing dangers and
horrors the nature and enormity of
which had not previously entered
into the conception OF the human
mind, money was appropriated by
our government in terms and figures
which stagger our comprehension.
Those who stayed at home profited by
the governments prodigality in al
manner never before conceived of.
Men who had products and wares to
sell became rich. The unskilled la
borer received such wages as had
previously been enjoyed by only q
few of those holding the most re-
sponsible positions among us. The
American soldiers who endured such
suffering and hardships that their
memories even revolt at the sugges-
tion of its rehearsal received one
dollar peN day and less and now
those Of them whose lives have been
spared to again see their own coun-
try, many Of them maimed in body,
broken in health okey' destitute Of
means, alisuna1ly, Fl ~ upon their
return vood DruYsy of economy from
some offs Dr-whose profiteering and
ill gottehnr.ins should, in the abb
sence of >sanse of justice and fair
play, constrain chem to silence.
: Knowing that our demand is just |
we submit our cause to the Congress
OF the United States and the great
body of the American people with |
faith in the justice of their decision