The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1922-04-15
HOT AIR SPEECHES AND
ACTUAL LEGISLATIVE AID

WASHlNGION.-P harrison, OF
Mississippi, who has assumed demo-
cratic leadership in the Senate, and
Tom Heflin, of Alabama, who is
his first lieutenant, scarcely permit
day to pass without rising and
offering lip service to the cause
Of the ex-service man. A perusal
of the remarks of these two sena-
tors would lead the unknowing to
believe that they come from states
and represent communities that have
gone the limit in rendering homage
and assistance to the World war
veterans.
In point of fact, however, there
are three states in the Union which
have done absolutely nothing in
recognition of the ex-service men.
These states are Mississippi, the
home of Pat Harrison; Alabama,
the Home of Tom Heflin and Geor-
gia, the home of Tom Watson. Ac-
cording to a chart issued by the
American Legion Weekly, the Of
ficial organ of the American Legion,
these three states are the only ones
which have refused to take any
action of any kind ia recognition
of the ex-service man or in assist
ance to him. f'
They have not even so much as
given him a poll tax exemption,
or legally protected the American
Legion emblem, or given state civil
service preference to him in public
employment, or admitted him to
state hospitals or state soldiers
homes, or provided for public men,
orials in his honor, or for the
legal recording of the certificate
Of honorable discharge, or the ex-
emption of American Legion prop
erty from taxation, or free use Of
public buildings and armories for
American Legion meetings, or state
aid in obtaining employment, or
provided any means of assisting him
to obtain education.
None of these minor things has
been done by either Tom Helms
state of Alabama, Pat. Harrison's
state of Mississippi, or Tom Wat
sons state of Georgia,--three states
of the solid south democracy. Much
less have they provided for any bon
us or any other form of compen-
sation, or land settlement law, or
a state relief fund for. disabled
veterans, or loan funds for veter-
ans, or special hospital privileges
for insane or invalid veterans,
In brief, the states represented
by the two democrats in the SEN
ate who never lose an opportunity
to mouth their alleged devotion to
the ex-service man have a record of
"zeroo," in everything pertaining to
ex-service men. 7ff"f'r .eif'
"a Just prior to the action of the
house of Representatives upon the
bonus bill a minority report against
the action of the republican major
ity was filed by five democrats.
They were Claude Kitchin, North
Carolina; W. A. Oldfield, Arkansas;
Charles R. Crisp, Georgia.; John
E. Carew. New York; and Peter.
F. Tague, Massachusetts,. 1t was
not surprising that these democrats
should file minority report. criti-
cising the action of the republican
majority in connection with the
bonus legislation. Neither North
Carolina, Arkansas or Georgia.
three solid democratic. states,-has
enacted any bonus legislation.
Georgia's record of doing absolute
ly nothing has just been referred to.
Mr.. Oldfield represents Arkansas,
which has as consistent a record of
doing nothing for the individual ex-
service man as has Georgia, Missis-
sippi and Alabama.
Mr.. Kitchin represents North
Carolina. 1t was he, who, as chair
man of the democratic house ways
and means committee, in 1917, an
nounced, when the war revenue
taxation measure was being framed,
that it was the purpose Of the dem
ocratic party to make the North
pay the expenses of the World
war. 1t must be stated to his
credit that he succeeeded in car