, 1922-04-01
WHAT HAS THE SOUTH DONE?

PAT Harrison of Mississippi, who holds Democratic
Ieadership in the senate, and Tom Helm OF Aiaoama,
,yho boIds the first lieutenancy, scarcely permit n day
To pass without raising and offering lip service 70 tne
cause of the ex-service man. A Perusal o inc e
marks of these two senators would lead inc unkho"-
inc IN believe that they come from states and repre-
sent communities that have gone the unit III ehu
ing homage and assistance to the world war veterans
IN no;nt of fact. however, there are three states IN
the Union which have done absolutely nothing IN recog-
milton of the ex-service men. These states are missls-
sippi, the home of Pat Harrison; Alabama me nome
of Tom Hcfin; and Georgia, the home OF Tom wat
sor According to a chart issued by the American
Legion Weekly, the official organ of the American LIE
gion, these three states are the only three STATES men
have refused to take any action IL any KIN IN reeos
milton of the ex-service man or in assistance to MN.
They have not even SO much as given nm a poh TAX
cremution. or legally protected the American Legion
emblem, or given state civil service preference to him
in public employment, or admitted him to state hos
pitfalls, or state soldiers homes, or provided for public
MEMORIALS in his honor, or for the legal recording OF
the certificate of honorable discharge or the exemp-
ton of American Legion property from taxation, or
free use of public buildings and armores Tor Amer
lean Legion meetings, or state aid in obtaining en-
ployment, or provided any means of assisting him to
obtain an education.
None of these minor things has been done by either
Tom Heiin's state of Alabama, Pat Harrison's state
of Mississippi, or Tom Watsons state of Georgia
three states of the Solid South democracy. Much less
have they provided for any bonus or any other form
of compensation, or land settlement law, or assistance
to veterans wishing to buy homes, or a state rehef
fund for disabled veterans, or loan funds for veterans,
or special hospital privileges for insane or fnvahd VET
Grams.
In brief. the states represented by the two Demo
Gratis in the senate who never lose an opportunity to
mouth their alleged devotion to the ex-service men
have a record of aero" in everything pertaining to
ex-service men,
Just prior to the action of the house of representa-
tives upon the bonus bill a minority report against the
action of the Republican majority was filed by five
Democrats. They were Claude Kitchin, North Caro-
lima; W. A. Oldfeld, Arkansas; Charles R Crisp, Geor-
GA; John z. Carew, New York; and Peter F. Tague,
Massachusetts. 1t was not surprising that these Demo
Gratis should file n minority report criticising the &C
ton of the Republican majority in connection with
the bonus Legislation. Neither North Carolina, Arkan-
sas nor Georgia-three solid Democratic states-has
enacted any bonus legislation. Georgia's record of
doing absolutely nothing has just been referred to.
Mr.. Oldheld represents Arkansas, which has as con-
sistent a record of doing nothing for the individual e-.
service man as has Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama.
Mr.. Kitchin represents North Carolina. 1t was he,
who, as chairman of the Democratic house ways and
means committee, in 1917, announced, when the war
revenue taxation measure was being framed, that it
was the purpose of the Democratic party to make the
north pay the expenses of the world war. It must be
stated to his credit that he succeeded in carrying out
his threat. Mr.. Kitchin's record is consistent. He
rot only compelled the north to pay the expenses of
the world war, but he is now permitting the north to
take care of ex-service men. The only two things Mr..
Kitchin's state has done for the ex-service man have
been to authorize the use of public money in erecting
memorials to his honor Ia rather empty performance)
and providing for the legal record of certificates of
honorable discharge for the ex-service man. With
these two insignificant exceptions North Carolina Joins
the ranks of Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia in hav-
ing a record of nero" in behalf of the ex-service man.