Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1922-03-03


encore will follow encore and the
end will be as difficult to attain as
the end Of the rainbow. The mons
trous pension system built up follow.
ing the Civil War would not be in
the same class. The disbursements
for that purpose would be small
change compared to the possibilities
pregnant in this bonus legislation.
Not 8 per cent. of the ex-servicr
men believe that the bonus will do
any permanent good. Not per cent.
OF them would do anything with
, their $500 or 5000 except to squan..
der it. The argument that it would
enable man to buy farm or star,
/ up business is as farcial as ~as
the proposition to pay these men a
bonus in the first place. Scant few
among the Veterans inoculated WIN
tho germ of work or of success.
haven't had their shoulder to the
wheel for many months. There is.
and l say this thoughtfully-a strik-
ing similarity between the fighting
man and the working man. Neither
of them is in crying need of nelp
The good fighting man." the rea,
neutrality-suspicious. fighter, has a jou
now or his fighting spirit will soo,
land him one. The genuine "work
ing man" is working today. If he
Isn't he will be tomorrow or the next
day. No one need lose sleep over Tie
alleged dilemma of n true fighter
or true worker. The man YOU en-
counter on Broadway or Fifth Ave
nue. with his collection can labeled
Help the Fighting Man" is n cuun-
terfcitcr pure and unadulteratcd. Ii
he were fighting man with q fight
er's heart he would be at work and
not asking aims.
This is not my personal opinion
unsupported by that of other ex-
service men. | have discussed IT
with geeat many, and the man is
hard to find who sincerely believes
that the proposed bonus will accom-
plish any permanent good. Many are
for it because they, quite naturally,
want to get their hands on n fcw
hundred dollars. They think it is
joke, but an exceedingly good ana
profitable one. In principle they ac-
quiesce in the old adnge that two
wrongs do not make right, and yet
the most persistent line of argume...
advanced by the bonus advocates
who will be the benefciaries either
in dollars or votes-is that the "stay-
at-homes" received high wages wnn-
we were in the service at dollar a.
day. That it was a shortsighted pol
icy not to enlist all labor for war
industries is generally admitted, but
this error of omission should not |
leave the road open for another error
AN error of commission-graver
and more far-rcaching in it's effects.
When | say "far-reaching" 1 do nos !
consider the proposed bonus from
an economic STANDPOINT. l know moth |
ing about economies and very nttlu
about the various measures sugges.
ted for daising the money with which |
to pay the bonus. What l do know
is that if the present Congress al
lows itself to be inundated Fly the
fear of an adverse soldier vote, the
succeeding Congresses. with n pre-
cedcnt established, will find it even
harder to close the public till against
a repetition Of the grab.
The officials of the American Le-
gion advocate the Federal bonus for
the same reason that many polite.
ians do. They want the votes. In or.
der to get the votes they are will.
ing to subscribe to any policy
ruinous or thcrwise-that will put
them OH the job. Personally l would
hold my brother Legionaires in great.
er respect had they come out bold I
ly and called it bonus instead OF
the less Understanding adjusted
compensation" Had they announced
that they proposed to pay for tnc
bonus in votes, or. in case they didn't
get it, to punish with votes, the
suggestion of ."wolf in sleeps
clothing" would not attach to them.
In sober truth that is what they
propose to do. and the hard tact
cannot be concealed from the most
guillible.
If we intend to make good the
money losses of our citizens due +,