The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-03-09
POSSIBLY THEY UNDERSTAND NOW
By CHARLES M. KELLEY

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House galleries when President Harding his fervd
appeal for a subsidy of millions of dollars American
ship
These who contributed their limbs and many
years of their lives the seemingly thankless
making the world safe for democracy hobble daily up
the Congressional galleries. where they take of
what is said and done in reference their adjusted
pensation appeals
They lobbyists" for four million other former
service They have slush fund lavish where
such funds usually do the most good They employ
eloquent advocates to plead their They have only
stumps of legs and CHASTITY and broken bodies
to speak for them. Eloquent these appeals foi
justice these mangled soldiers find themselves caught in
weter of most disgusting politics and made the football
schemng politicians who carefully balancing what
should be simple and act of decency against
possible influence upon their personal fortunes.
The faces of these boys study they listened
to the Presidents demand for bonus for profteering
and piratical shipowners 1t possible almost tell
of what they thinking.
Some of them recalled that only few months ago
the President walked down to the Capitol and called
geher private conference few of his former crones
and warned them that the condition of the nations nan
ces would not permit the granting of soldier bonus
All of them remembered that just few days before,
the President again conferred with lawmakers and told
them that if bonus given, it must be attached to
odious form of taxation that be devised
Not of them could have been deceived the Pres
ident's purpose. In forcing Congress to adopt tax
scheme that would take food from the somachs of mil
lions of people and push other millions who are
crowding the borderne of poverty, Mr. Harding at
But when Mr.. Harding wanted millions for ship
owners he did not slip in the back door of the Capitol
and hold parley with the Senate ogarchy Bold
and unafrad he looked the world straight in the eyes
and told it that it must do thus and He then the
real Harding. He the agent of the large business
combinations that financed his campaign He serving
those who claim him their and exclusive President
1t have struck those crippled soldiers most
that this great and rich nation when Wills
rake up any number of millions for big monopoes when
it readily pleads poverty when of its humber cit
izens asking consideration.
Being human they naturally contrasted the service of
the ship during the with that of the soldiers
who offered up their lives and also the respective rewards
that being given by their government
When these boys being shot pieces the ship
holding high revel at home They steal
ing billions of dollars from their Four bill
lion contributed by bond buyers the build
ing of ships and ship had been completed vher the
armistice completed
The Piezs the Schwabs, the Hurleys and many others
pouring like water into the graspng hands
boodless lot of freebooters fastened them
selves upon supine nation
After the war, when the soldiers home and we're
turned into the streets without jobs money ship
ping pirates continued ply their craft They took
every loose dollar in sight They robbed Uncle clean
to the bones.
When money to be had, or it became a
tre difficult to get it these vultures conceived the
of taking the ships that the peoples money had
built They about to get themevery bit Of property
represented by that four billion outlay And they
getting all these ships and supplies for fraction
of what they worth The government turning
to them for s2OOO0O00O fifteen times
that sum to build.
As reward for this betrayal nation for this
highhanded looting of the public treasury these ship
crooks to get additional millions bonus. Presi-
dent Harding has asked for it. and he put his pp
peal every argument that he could advance
The soldiers what do they get? Promises. And more
promises great deal of \abuse and msrepresent
Eventually they will get attention but the
gracious act of grateful nation Their bonus will be
thrown at them bone is tossed dog 1t will
come to them goodwill Offering but something
i appease their resentment for too-long neglect
The Harding administration is just closing its first
year. During that period it has given bonus hun
dreds of millions to the railroads 1t has helped
able business through its finance corporation
1t has always turned willing the appeals of priv
ilege and monopoly.
+ But when the farmers asked help they got tract
When the workers asked for the right labor they
abuse When the soldiers demand Justice, they get di
politics and the sort of charity tat goes panhander
Verify this administration has literally followed the
Biblical injunction that ITO those hath shall be
given and those who hath shall be taken away
which they hath"
To those who stole millions, the government gives
more millions.
For hose WHO simply fought and bed for the nation
it has only despite and double-dealng
1t is disquieting 20 be that those
Americans who Loyalty served their nation in its hour
distress shut from all consideration by
men while those who looted robbed are petted and