The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-03-23
Bonus. After Civil War

which our war veterans will be eternally branded if
they accept a bonus 1t will simply demoralize
them for life, say their self-appointed guardians
Let us see.
The soldiers of the civil war took a bonus We don't
think of them branded with infamy nor do we recall
that they demorazed that they could not be USE
full citizens thereafter.
In the early stages of that war the ranks were filled by
volunteers
Later, the first flush of patriotic enthusiasm died
down, volunteering stopped THAT'S what would have
happened here in 1917 but for the Universal Service Ac
So later in the civil war the Federal Government
found it necessary to hire to enlist 1t paid them
first 500 EACH When that proved insufficient each
recruit received 5000.
After the Congress decided it was only
fair to equalze the volunteers with the hired recruits
The volunteers had fought all through the war and
received only army pay The hired recruits had fought
perhaps only the last few months and received army pay
plus 5000 each.
So Congress granted bonus of 5000 each to the voun
teers.
The parallel is obvious The end of this war presents
situation perfectly comparable with the end of the
civil war.
By the Seecve Draft our Government laid its hand on
24,OOO,OOO young
1t sent 100000 of them into military training at
wage of 81 per day.
These went abroad and braved the hell of modern
warfare guns, gas poison Shells airplanes, submarines
The other 100000 young stayed at home. They
worked in shipyards, railroads, munition factories
wherever they could be of most service to their country
Of course, they did not have CHANCE to be of as
much service their fellows in the army and navy.
But they were PAID from five to ten times more
Common aborers getting IS day and skilled
workers $40 and over.
We didn't begrudge those high wages We wanted
them to have every incentive money to bring out
their maximum effort
We didn't raise the wages of the men in the servce
This their country; they out to and prot
tect it.
And they did it, It's all over The job is done. |
Today i'm ter of adi nsaI
ton just after the civil war.
We are going to give the service bonus of ST %
for each day he spent in France 81 for each day train
ing in this country.
That will make his total compensation So for each day
in here and 1925 for each day in the trenches or
under fire in war;
Not very magnificent. Not in any way real adjust
ment to the wages of men who stayed at home
You remember the large profits the corporations
earned in the years.
You remember that they distributed bonuses to their
employees in grateful appreciation of the aid given n
making these profits.
had an Infamous dollar mark put them Or that they
were demoraized for life.
The United States is the greatest corporation
In It's last great enterprise, War; it earned an mmeas
urable profit VICTORY.
Now propose bonus to those who didn't merelyI
help us to earn it but who earned it all.
No find in his heart or mind an emotion or AMI
argument opposed to the Soldier Bonus
The only to oppose it is to close your heart and to
refuse to think.
has been long since the press has developed such al
fog of misrepresentation it has cast about this Sol
diers' Bonus issue
But the people coming out of the fog. They are|
seeing clear.
And in the last analysis it is they who decide