Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-10-31
CAPITALIZING PATRIOTISM

Senator Bursum spoke adVlSedly ana
sounded a much needed warning when he
cautioned his hearers to resist any at
tempt to capitalize the patriotism of our
young manhood for political purposes.
And the ex-service men everywhere will
do we'll to herd the statement that "the
ex-service man is not an isolated element
in our citizenship, but is first and fore
most an American citizen"
In the heat of the campaign candi-
dates of both political parties throughout
the country have made the mistake of
capitalizing their service in Congress by
attempting to translate it into votes. AS
matter of fact, all those candidates for
reelection who served in the last Con-
gress, whether they be Republicans or
Democrats, failed in the matter of adjust
ed compensation. They have no claim on
the ex-service man for his support. Those
who voted for the so called Bonus Bill
which President Harding vetoed, voted
for a measure which they were warned
repeatedly he would not sanction; so
that when they failed to meet the Presi-
dents request that they incorporate in
the bill a provision for financing it, and
attempted to pass the bill in that form,
they voted for measure which they
knew was doomed to failure.
To the candidate who poses as his
friend, let the ex-service man say that he
failed; let him ask why he did not COM
ply with the Presidents clear demand
that, in the face of the country's critical
economic condition, some means must be
found for financing any measure which
contemplated adjusted compensation for
ex-soldiers. Had this been done, adjusted
compensation would today be an accom-
plished fact, instead Of a political pre-
tense.
Nothing can be more discreditable to
the candidates who now seek to array
one class against another, especially when
they failed to accomplish the very pur-
pose for which they now claim credit.
Forgetting the Bonus Bill for a NOM
ent, let us ask where all these so called
friends of the ex-service men, were
while the war was still going on; when
the government was paying the soldiers
on the battlefield thirty dollars a month
and was at the same time deducting
fifteen dollars from his wage as half of
the allotment to his dependents at home
when, in addition to deducting seven dol
lars month for insurance and one dol
Lar for laundry and, in many cases, five
dollars for Liberty Bonds, leaving the
soldier the munificent sum of two dollars
month. Where, we repeat were these
friends of the ex-service men,?
While the war was still in progress a |
measure was passed awarding a twenty
dollar monthly bonus to all civil employ
ees of the government,-to the men who
incurred no risk of life or even injury.
Did the friends of the ex-serivce men"
raise their voices against this inequality |
or have they done anything to correct it? |
The Congressional Record abounds
with euphonious phrases, but could one
of these numberless friends of the ex-
service men, match the courage of the
men whose loyalty and hel NV they so
fervently voiced, they would w hnalll,
making a mockerv of their {. Sr - |
vice by capitalizing their patriotism for
their own political advantage. Their duty
VI as clear and well defined, but instead
of performing it, insteal of rising in their
places in Congress, and offering the only
kind of bill which they knew President
Harding would sign, they themselves de-
liberately vetoed, by voting for it, bin|
which they knew could not pass.