The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-02-08
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WHAT ~ ST,rEsMANsuIp2
Tho lobbyists for the state hospital are hay
ing their inning at the capital this week. So
called soldier relief legislation Is on the calendar
OF both houses The big objective IL an APP
propraton Tor soldiers hospital to be erected
on the capitol grounds In Oklahoma city. This
appropriation. 1t is hoped. viii be around uuil
lion dollars. Another locality Of the state q, to
bo favored with still another soldiers hospital
IL ls not pleasant for The world 10 continue 10
exert every ounce OF Hs influence against
this Kind OF legislation, for the Interested
ootcrie %izes tho opportunity TO attribute 10 It
motives OF hostility to the oS-sorvicc men Which
of course IL entirely false. as every man or
woman who has read Its campaign against these
soldier hospital projects closely understands.
Its duty to the state and the cause OF good gov.
rrnmcnt impcls II to plow straight through re-
gardloss OF calumny and hypocritical opposition.
II the members OF the legislature feel they
can Justify their actions In appropriating money
for these projects, In the light of subeequent
events they must he permitted to do Hut
they must understand that they are not fooling
the people nor viii they he abb to do SO by
a superficial defense, There some facts they
should understand clearly and constantly keep
In mind. For instance
Other states are not seeking to appropriate
state moneys for soldiers hospitals, and there
are ~ other states presumably as prideful OF
their cx-servoc mon and zealously regardful Of
their proper rights, Ak the gentlemen who have
set themselves the task OF securing these fat
hospital appropriations for Oklahoma.
II has been said that Tho world prevented
the two-million dollar hospital scheme origin,
ally planned from going over. Whether too
much credit Is given US or not is beside the
mark. Tho point is that so far as tho pork
barrel brigade was concerned that project
put through when The World proved by wash
ington dispatches that II was constructed on
false promises and insinccriy
And the inoidsn' served - call The attention
of congress TO tho entire pork barrel scheme
contemplated In the leasing OF state hospitals
with the result that bill was promptly intro
duccd In the United states senate calling for the
erection OF five large federal hospitals for
service men-oklahoma representatives later
undertaking 10 secure tho location Of ono such
institution In this state with excellent chances
Of eventual success.
Since that Is the present status of affairs, on
what hypothesis can the proponents of the
bills pending in the state legislature predi-
cate their claims Is there rhyme or reason in
both the federal and state government erecting
hospitals for ex-scrvice men,
II oklahoma must have a state hospital in ad-
dtion to federal hospital Ia II not reasonable
to assert that each Of the other ~ states should
also have q state hospital II oklahoma men
in the hospitals Of other states suffering
from inattcnton and being actually ",orturcd
to death" as the propaganda sdua Of the pork
barrel brigade has charged, is Il not rea-c cnahlo
TO suppose that the men in thess Institutions
from other states are being similarly neglected
and tortured?
Then why do you read in the public rr2sy no
word OF criticism of these institutions from tho
other states? Are the men behind the appropra-
tion bills now pending IN the Legislature Of that
noble type that leads one to expect their present
charitable concern
And from another anglc-why the concern
10 establish the sodier hospital w Oklahoma
city? Il has one state hospital nova ycrlNblc
sink hole FOR public money ana without more
than q mere sembancc ot justification ror i,s
existence Are the taxpayers Of this state g.. D..
always and cvorlastngly required &C. play Ot'u-
homa City's game OF municipal expansion. log
their hard earned contributions TO tho puu..
treasury annually contribute to It's hord. u'
public parasites and municipal prosperity"
We say now, as we have said on Other p,el.
sions gentlemen of the legislature withnu Pc.
gard for your partisan affiliations, YOU may ...
NIT yourselves to play this game az the pork
barrel brigade IL you want to, but fair wpru.ng
is given you that in so doing YOU are SOW ma!
tho wind and will be compelled 20 r,ap th
whirlwind, You were elected TO act as states.
men, and statesmanship calls Tor d..ufc.nr.,i
stewardship OF the entire states Interest,".
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