The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-07-26

"a
cnce how the majority of the senators
ami representatives may feel about
the legislation, for knowing that they
will run the risk of the charge of in
gratitude to the veterans If they OPP
pose the passage of the bill, most of
them show outwardly at least kindly
disposition toward the legislation.
Trying to Pass the Buck.
What the outcome will be it Is as
yet Of course impossible to say, but
the senate has shown a marked dispo-
sition to support the legislation almost
unanimously, and therefore, so to
speak, the buck has been passed to the
house of representatives. Each house
unquestionably wished that the other
would take. the burden of refusing to
sanction the measure. Each house is
timOrous about taking course of op-
position to the legislation. -. 4
There IS lot to be said for the
bonus. Not Il man will get the money
who did not serve his country for
paltry pay while hundreds Of thou
sands of other men We're waxing fat
in pocket in the peaceful pursuits Of
trade. The contrast between the con-
dition of the men who worked in ship
yards and III the arms factories at big
wages and that of the men who
worked for 500 month in the trenches
is the one strong inspiring cause Of
support of the. bonus bill by veterans
of the service who happen to hold po-
sitions in the various veteran organ
jZations.
ga. If there had been no slackers and
no $20-a-day workers in the great war,
nothing today would be heard Of the
bonus. The government in way is
reaping what it sowed. If the serv-
ice of some men prominent in public
life, including, many general officers.
Of the army, had been followed, bonus
legislation would not be here to dis
turb conditions.
Why Was Not. Labor Drafted7
At the time when the United States
entered the war there were men who
pleaded that not only should soldiers
be drafted, but that all labor Of what
ever kind should be drafted. The plea
was that virtually every man. woman
and child in the United States should
be brought by law into the service of
the government.
If this had been done the men and
women who remained in the field Of
peace would have had not only their
work directly but their pay fixed by
the government of the United States.
The man engaged in peaceful war
Cork was essentially a laborer for
the government, and why the govern
ment should not have control over him
as we'll as over the man who was
fighting in the field, no official who
looks at the logic Of the situation can
understand. Fl
This view of the case is now gen.
orally taken iii Washington, and it
can be taken for granted that out
of the lessons learned from the great
war the United States never will get
into a like fixragain If unhappily it
has to issue another call to arms. The
draft was democratic and successful.
In another war, if the feeling of to-
day shall prevail, no worker of any
kind will escape the draft, and if any
combination of workers in the field Of
| labor shall attempt to strike while
their brethren are fighting there prob
ably will be something coming to them.
Higher officials here say that Uncle
Sam has learned one lasting lesson.
1t is understood that if Congress
finally shall decline to pass the bonus
legislation at this session a renewed
drive will be made to make it GER
tain from now on that no disabled vet
eran shall. continue to suffer for a
lack of care and cash.
CooIidges Reside In Hotel.
Vice-President and Mrs. Calvin
Coolidge have taken up their residence
at Washington hotel, thus following
the precedent established by former
ice-President land Mrs. Thomas II.
Marshall. '.
Prior to the time that Mr.. Marshall
entered on the vice-presidency great
many years had passed since vice
president Of the United States was
not a householder, temporarily at
least, in the capital. Democratic in
situations make it. possibles for the
people to elect to office men whose
bank accounts are small. Neither
Marshall nor Coolidge is a rich man !;
in fact, both are far outside of the
field which the rich occupy. i:
The government does not pay its
vice-presidents much money, and
while perhaps one should refrain from
so saying, the truth is that at least
two vice-preSidents Of the United
States have not felt themselves able
financially to bear the burden Of the
upkeep of great households in Wash
ington, living in which necessarily
would mean heavy expenditures.
1t must not be understood, however,
that the vice-president of the United
States does not fulfill to the limit
his social duties. When the occasion
demands, the reception rooms of the
hotel IN which he lives are taken and
the receptions planned take place.
There never was one word Of crit
icism during the Marshall incumbency