Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1920-03-30
aTHE BONUS PROPOSITION"

Our esteemed contemporary, the
Headlight, seems to be worried. about
The bonus proposition" 1t prints as
a leading editorial an editorial taken
from Life, which attempts TO discredit
the effort being made for the relief or
war veterans who have suffered finan-
cial loss because Of their war service.
No doubt some Of those who didn't go
60 war. having bought their liberty at
the price Of other mems service, don't
like the idea Of giving IN even small
amount of their war profits TO help
compensate those who CHANGED even
their lives TO defend the nation when
in greatest peril.
The Graphic doesn't believe in the
bonus as satisfactory solution, but 1t
does maintain that the men who went
10 war are as much entitled to the
bonus as the railroad men, shipyard
workers and others who were paid a
heavy bonus In addition TO the ex-
tremely high wages which they man.
aged to extort from their government
under threat of necessity. And the
capitalists who were in position to
take advantage and make money out
Of war activity ought TO he the last TO
undertake "A systematic campaign to
withhold a reward which the nation
would readily have promised when the
German army was within striking dis
utnce OF Paris and German submarines
were off the American coasts. And the
army and navy didn't strike, nor
threaten to strike, though their pay
was pitifully small and their chances
of life were quite haZy with 1000
e. sualties a day in the Meuse-Argonne
offensive.
To quote from the article reprinted
gatutiOusly by the Headlight: THE
bonus idea seems 10 bring down glori-
Gus service TO level which Is painfully
material Yes, and what is more,
life itself lis painfully material" Es-
pceially so TO the thousands Of service
ncn who are tramping the streets OF
our cities as homeless vagabonds be-
cause they cannot get employment. IL
is more painfully MATERIAL to them
than to those who retained their busi-
ness or their job and coined good
American dollars out OF war industry.
Service men not only fought the war
hut are now helping to pay the heavy
taxes resulting from 1t and the enorm-
Gus waste due to the eXactions OF those
who profited Even those service men
who had capital returned TO find 1t
largely dissipated and their business in
chaos. They nave settlement coming
with the government and they VIII get
il. because they are the greatest single
factor in American life today, as they
were when the flames of battle ragged
from Flanders to Switzerland. The
strong will help the weak as then
they did.
Tie foolish and short-sighted oppo-
yition 10 settlement will serve TO
arouse the service men as n whole to
the assertion Of their rights. Many
service men have carefully pointed out
that the bonus is the wrong sort OF
settlement, but they feel very keenly
that il Is not up to those who stayed
at home and made money out OF the
war to oppose it, They feel that the
settlement should take the form or
created opportunities for those mis-
placed which would serve to rehabili-
tate the men and make them such pro
ducers as would return profit on the
money invested in the means OF re-
turn 10 the Industries. They feel that
fnusp who had their education inter
iuutcd should be returned 10 schools
and receive the training which the war
deuh,d them Of And the government
promised them settlement. The de-
uartm,nt Of agriculture went so far as
10 call for an expression from the SerV-
ice men. proposing TO settle them upon
reclaimed lands, as Canada ana Aus
trnlia have done so successfully. But
nothing has been done and the service
men a4e becoming FESTIVE, and the
weaker ones prey to the destructive
influence Of radical agitators, who say {:
See what You have done for your gov
srnment; but what will your govern
ment do for yOuF II Is good propa-
sanda. The Snug capitalists who
profited through war greed consoles
The displaced service men, according TO
the article quoted by the Headlight as
follows:
"Resides that, most Of them have
now readjusted their lives and settled
Iuck in some kind OF industry, ana
wages still being very high, the mass
IL them must be doing very WELL Was
ever any such specious bit Of impatient
sophistry written?-"Most Of them
some kind Of industry''-"doing very
we'll, till very high" o, yes; very,
very high indeed. Nothing material
about that argument.
The article in question admits that
The sick and disabled have been treated
shnbbily. but the idea for those who
escaped German machine guns and sub
marines seems to be that they ought
10 he glad they are alive. IL can
hardly be expected that nation un-
willing Ia care for its wounded prop
crly would interest itself in survivors
IL is good business for the govern.
ment 10 make reasonable settlement
now while It can deal with the Ameri'
ran Legion, whose leaders only desire
that the service men be given the op
portunity to become respectable mem
hers Of the commonwealth which they
helped 10 preserve. To invest govern
,netlt funds for retaining waste lands