The New York herald., 1922-08-30
)NUS is CALLED AFFRONT no REAL PATRIOTISM

sion law for Mexican veterans. but I
know unat the Mexican war took place
| In 1846 and that the first service pension
act for Mexican veterans was passed
after became a member of Congress-
which was a considerable length OF time
afterward. q generation or perhaps
more e4e
II know that the first pension act for
Revolutionary soldiers was after pretty
nearly a generation had passed and the
men who were entitled to II had become
| old and those OF them who were entitled
to pensions had become almost helpless.
I know that even following the civil
war-and pensions were asked sooner
after that war than any other---that
some nine or ten years elapsed after the
war before the general pension blu was
passed and much longer than that before
general service pension bill was
passed. My recollection is that the irst
general service pension bill applicable to
the civil war veterans was passed in
the nineties"
Mr.. Sterling Mr. President the first
general service pension bill applying to
the veterans of the civil war was passed.
as my recollection is. In May. 1911
Received One Benus Already.
Mr. Williams: 'sThen 1t was still
later than / thought. The pending
measure is not only general service
pension bill but It is a general bonus DILL.
We have already given the soldiers OF
the late war one bonus. voted for 1t
because thought 1t was necessary to
enable them to take care of themselves
Until they could get home. We gave
them $50, or two months extra pay, be.
cause we realised that the service men
needed more than merely rations and
uniforms with which to get home and to
live until they could get something to
do. until they could find occupations.
1T is not true that those Of my blood
who passed through the Argonne and
through the fights connected with it.
those long eight days of constant
marching and constant flghting and
constant danger. sacrificed that time
sacrificed it, lost it,, a thing gone out of
their lives without any compensation to
them or their fathers or their mothers
or their sisters. What an absurdity.
Il thank God that they did not die
while they were doing it but il they had
died l would not have worn mourning.
and when they do die some time, If am
living. there shall be put upon the grave
He served in the Argonne. He was at
St. Mihiel. He obeyed the call of his
country in the German-American war
just as there IS now upon tne TOMBSTONE
of my father the words, Died upon the
field Of honor on April 6. 1892
Sacrifice? Oh. the thought is debas-
ing My only hope for each of you is
that the opportunity may present itself
some time. when you come to die--and
all Of you must come to die--to die in
a cause that may add glory to death.
Pneumonia will not do 1t. tuberculosis
will not do, it. Fatigue from listening
to Senator'S speeches will not do 1t.
only pray that there may be an oppor-
tunity for you, when you die. to die in
some cause 30 worthy that 1t may glo-
rify your death and sanctify it. just as
these boys lives were glorified and sane
titled by their services, and just as the
death Of their comrades, left behind them
on Flanders fields. was glorihed and
sanctified."
Senator Sterling in opposing the bonus
said in part:
MIR. President, under the pending bill
the Government will incur new -obliga-
tions amounting to practically S5000,-
900. 900, though some estimate 1t at ST.
900 900 900, which the people now or In
the years to come will have to pay.
The national debt is now $4,000. % 90. 700,
to pay which the people OF the United
States will be taxed for a generation
to come. $685. e.'s
'It seems to me now---and ! would
say this to any ex-service man, whom
soever he is--that the question ought
to be brought home to every returned