Deming graphic., 1921-02-22
"UNDYING TOMNIYROT"


Former service men ought to feel
grateful 10 Carl C. Magee. editor OF
tine Albuquerque Journal, because, as
he SAYS. they have won un mdying
gratitude"
Take that Mr. EX-Service Man and
try to buy a nair of civilian pants
with II. shoes without hohnails hat
without colored cord around H. or,
better vet try 10 pay a subscription
To- the Journal with il. YOU can then
measure pretty definitely just what
auulying gratitude will buy In the
open market
But the editor nliv ly says they
did not fight for dollrs." quite right ,
amy one who fought for thirty bucks
"a month with dollars at j.4j In francs
certainly could not be accused Of te-
ing a profiteer. The fighting for dol
lars. according 20 all accounts was
left 10 "the older among Ms who
STAYED at home Besides safety end
comfort quite few folks who stayed
at home succeeded in cOrraling the
ueedful: az least there was only sixty
lcans left for each soldier uft"r the
popular demonstration for "Our he
-nes" was ovcr--siNty dollars, a Shoa1y
uniform and ticket for the old home
town.
Beside the liberal reward before
mentioned there were Il few Losses
lnck OF job. interrupted education
and training and possibly impiirei
hcalth Fycr.rrc very kindly admitted
that TIE suiciprS ought To be- perm. cd
10 rccOup intsv losses. No one 'al
honestly say that oldiers didn't try TO
do lust that. In fact, the more CRATE
fur actually said the ''home staying
tax payers ought to dig up some of
their war profits for these fellows
who. as Lincoln said, bore the brunt
of the battle
Many states have already rewarded
their defenders with something moro
substantial than "undying gratitude
The federal government VIII some day
assume it's share in augmenting this
material reward.
But what has New Mexico done?
II has allowed an exemption from
taxes ON S20O0 worth Of property.
This law was almost Immediately
attacked as unconstitutional by the cor
porntiun lawyers of the state. II prob
ably is unconstitutional, hence the
American Legion has proposed an
amendment to change the constitution
making it lawful Such "A measure L.
now pending in the legislature. Mr..
Magea is dead against it. He says 1t
Is class legislation Indeed, and So
was the selective service act. u LETT
rut lot NJ moss backs who ought 10
lave been drafted to carry rations and
water for the fighting men. They could
have done this quite as well as many
If the adolescentS could have marcheu
the weary miles with heavy packs on
their backs. sleeping in the mud, eat
ing timed horse and hard bread, and
facing the death that lurked IN dark
forests and which rained d""n ON
their heroic beads.
They certainly didn't fight for
money: only d. T. would face Boche
machine guns for any earthly reward
and "undying gratitude would hardly
le sufficient incentive for the
chances Of occupying a grave In a
muddy shell hole.
The Graphic does not pretend that the
,yemption previously mentioned is
either "a just, lawful or adequate re-
ward. but It still remaining the only
recognition to date for those who won
the war Mr.. Magee doesn't propose
any reward save only "undying graft
ude'
Ex-service men nigh: suggest that
Mr.. Magee take his 'undying grah-
tude." wnd "a shot gun with it and 20
shoot at himself lie tan thereby eX'
r,ricnce the twin sensation the sol
diers got when they were shot at with
bullet in France and with hull NJ
homo