Evening star., 1923-01-05
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

Congress and the President again
disagree in the matter of rewardIng
or supporting the veterans who
fought that the government at Wash
fngton should still live. The Presi-
dent in vetoing the Bursum bill.
which gave an increased pension to
veterans Of former wars (prior to
the world war)-s50 instead of $50
to widows and $72 to the veterans
puts his objection on the ground that
1t Is not fair to discriminate between
the widows of the civil war and those
OF the world war. American Legion
aires do not, as class, feel any
Jealousy of the rewards given civil
war veterans, who are now all old
men. Nor do they feel jealous of $50
month given to support the de-
Ginning years of the widows of the
civll war veterans, for they, too. are
olo. II rev cases may exist where
d younger woman married q veteran
prior to 1915, the limit named in the
Dill. 1t is inconceivable that she mar
rled MIN for his pension and has
nursed his declining years from a
mercenary consideration.
X X X y
The feeling amongst tho world war
veterans is unselfish sympathy with
the claims Of the civil and Spanish
war beneficiaries of the proposed in
crease of pension in view of the age
and their widows. This is entirely
apart from any consideration Of the
world war so-called adjusted compen-
sation. and they regret any embar-
rassment on the part of the Presi-
dent, who referred to the supposed
unfairness Of not granting the same
pension to world war widows az TO
those of previous wars. The two
problems are so different that the
legionaireS do not ask that their
at all in connection with aiding the
seventy and eighty-year-ol veterans
of wars covered by the Bursum bill.
The legion has never asked for
pension for the 4,500,000 veterans OF
the world war, recognizing that 1t
would be impracticable; but IL would
be very hard to discover any legion
aire who would hesitate in sincere
support Of the most liberal care OF
the aged veterans and their widow g
of the Mexican, civil and Spanish
wars. If the details of the vetoed
Bursum bill prove objectionable to
the Executive, they hope further care
full consideration will clear away
whatever clouds its successful fru-
ition. 1t will be but a few more
years when tine muster of those pro-
tected by the Bursum bill will cease
to bring the sturdy answers. Here. =.
x x * !:
II was almost a case Of didn't
know IL was loaded" when the su-
perintendent of police and the as
sistant superintendent began playing
with their new gun filled with tear gas.
All boys have some such experience
with popguns and cannons at some
time in their callow days.
TIL just let out a little remarked
the assistant. fondhng his Pandora
box. He opened 1t just a little and
nearly tainted in It's recoiI before he
could shut 1t off. One shot will fill
room 100 feet square and 10 feet high
with more tears than Niobe needs for
full bath. That Just a little"
nearly emptied the great District
building OF dts weeping officials and
gins" male and female. who were
in line for their 1923 automobile tags.
No wonder they wept. But why
should ''just a little" cause weeping
and "alllng dnO EnaSnlng OF IeelU
of all the hundreds of officials?
wouldn't that incident make
great theme for a sermon? l am
spelling many good sermon by
squeezing its freshness dry. Firstly.
brethren, there is the innocent young
man with temptation in his hand. He
wants to see what effect lust a lit
tie" will have. A joke, perhaps?
No; tampering with evil is a fore
runner of tears and gnashing of
teeth. And, secondly, note how far
reaching is the effect. 1t stops
ascending elevators-prevents others
from heights to which they aspire.
1t stops grave business. 1t brings
anguish and tears to the friends and
enemies alike. MANS inhumanity to
man makes countless thousands
mourn" Lastly. this teargun is go
ing to be in the hands of officers
and avengers of law and order. It
blinds; ii knocks out. We see now
what has allied Justice all these
years: she and Pandora let their Gu