The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1922-04-28
SENATOR DIAL MAKES HIT

Senator Dial, the Junior senator
from South Carolina, in the Senate
"a few days ago, in discussing the mat
ter of pensions for Spanish-Ameri-
can War Veterans in particular, and
pensions and gratuities to soldiers
and near-soldiers in general, had the
following in effect tossay a. reported
by the New York Herald:
"The South Carolina Senator, who
is rapidly coming to the front as a
legislator of conspicuous ability, re-
buked the tendency of Congress to
! countenance the use of the peoples
money with reckless disregard for
their interests.
"He predicted that the matter
would be taken to the courts and
said that if the judicial tribunal de-
cided that there was no way to check
the squandering of the peoples mon
ey by Congress there would be an up
rising and a popular demand for a
constitutional amendment limiting
the powers of Congress in this res
pect.
"Senator Dial went on to say it
was not surprising the soldiers in the
late wal are demanding a bonus in
view of the fact that there seems to
be no limit on the amount Congress
is willing to pay out in pensions,
whether the applicants are needy or
not.
"'Since / have been here" he
added, the civil war pension claims
have increased by $65,OOo,ooo per
annum. AS the veterans of that war
decrease in numbers due to deaths
the claims increase. Under such cir
eumstances how do you expect to
decrease the tax rate and bring the
country back to normally?
"'The whole atmosphere here
beems to be to try and get something
Tor nothing from the Government. In
fielding to that demand we seem to
forget our debt to the people at large.
Unless somebody here gives consider
etion to business and the business
mems point of view in these matters
he country will be ruined and we
will have nobody to pay the heavy
axes.
"'Owing to the heavy burdens now
imposed on the business men of the
fountry many of them are at the
POINT Of despair. I know of many who
re anxious to close down their bust
kess. We are doing everything within
(ur power to drive them to the wall,
nd I do not blame them for buying
ak exempt securities and resorting
D other tricks to evade the heavy
a~xation laws"
Senator Dial said he opposed pen
ions and bonuses on general princi-
les and added: What are soldiers
or if not to fight? Why are they in
he army if not to be ready to take
p arms at any time, at any risk to
rotect tne United States? This plan
E paying out vast sums to soldiers
Fhether they need it or not is vicious
nd cannot be defended. Not only
bat, but it works an injustice to the
enefciaries themselves in that it de-
Eroys all initiative and causes them
lose their ambition and to become
ards of the Government.
"This argument that the soldiers
e IN need a little appeal to me.
here r vast numbers of people in
walks of life who are in need, and
e cry of poverty can be heard in
e agricultural districts and among
her large classes of people. We
ust remember there are many other
eople in this country than those who
Ee everlastingly knocking at the
bors of the Federal Treasury.
1"I am at a loss to understand why
bngress continues to pile up our
bile debt by billions. l should think
NJ would give some little considera-
bn to the taxpayers. 1t seems to me
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