The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-09-07
BONUS DEBASES HIGHEST SER
VICE TO COUNTRY.

The discussion of the soldiers bon
MS bill in congress has generally beel
confined to the financial phase OF On
question, that is the justice of TN
payment and the ability of the gov
eminent TO pay ignoring to a grea
extent the underlying principle tina
has for all time made Service to coun
try in war the highest duty of citizen
ship and its own reward Even tn,
president himself in making known
his opposition to the bill and his pilr.
pose to veto it, justifes his position
on no higher ground than that the bill
makes no specific provision for pay
ing the bonus. Thus we have the
spectacle of soldiers OF a great war
having earned honor and fame through
service that can not be measured in
cash, demanding pittance to cover
the difference between what they re-
ceived and what they might nave
earned if they had remained at home.
and a congress. ignoring the principle
of service and sacrifice which alone
measures the strength of the nation
adding billions to the tax burden OF
the people to pay the bonus not be-
cause they believe it is right or just,
but because they fear the soldier vote
in the election now only two months
away
Fortunately for the country from
purely financial standpoint. the presi-
dent has let it be known that he win
veto the bonus bill in it's present
form. but how much more fortunate
it would have been if the president
and the majority in congress hal let
il be understood from the beginning
that while the dependents of those
who lost their lives in the great war
and those who returned home shat
tered in health or inoapacitated
through wounds would receive every
care that grateful nation could pro- 4
vide, those who came out of the con-
fict unscathed would receive no more
than the soldiers of an
other wars; that to offer them cash
would debase their ser
vice, tarnish a glorious record. and
lend to destroy that love and devo-
ion to country which must ever be
'elied upon in time of national peril.
rhe attitude of the American Legion
n demanding a cash bonus. or as they
Prefer to call it, adjusted compensa
ion, deprives the world war veterans /,
# the best and most cherished tradi-
ions of the true soldier This phase
f the cash bonus and its degenerat-
ng influence was brought to public
ttention a few days ago by ex-Sena- d
Or George Turner through a Spo- 81
ane newspaper with this brief intro >,
uctory; "Aprooos the bonus bin. the -
glowing pussage from Bulwers de- 81,
ghtful novel The Caxtons." furnishes IL
BOD for thought:
you have argued like school w
man, brother" said Mr. Caxton ID
admiringly but stn. as to- this
round piece of silver-dont we go
back to the most barbarous ages iy
in estimating SO highly such al
things as have no real value in m
themselves could not give us
one opportunity for insmucting
our minds? H.
Gould not pay for pair of
boots" added URcle Jack.
"Or," said Mr. SquHs. save Won
one twinge of the cursed rheuma
tism you have got for life from
that nights bivouac i'm the Portu- III
gese marshes-to say nothing of og
the bullet in your Uranium and wa
that cork leg. which must dimin- "a,
ish the salutary effects of your
walk"
Gentlemen" resumed the cap les
lain. nothing abashed in going me
back to those barbarous ages. 1 wa
20 back to the true principles of 49,,
honor. 1t is precisely because
his round piece of silver has no 'N'
'alue in the market that it is dat
for thus il is only a qu;
roof of desert. Where would be arr
he sense of service in this medal.
it could buy back my leg. or if
could bargain it away for forty 'Ni
thousand a year? No. sirs its ing
aiue is this-that when l wear it tih
N my breast men shall say. that of