The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1924-01-10
past Commander of Local
Post Protests Against
Political Activity
SENDS LETTERS TO
STATES DELEGATION
Vickers Says Legion Has De
parted from High Pledge
of Patriotism

]. w. Vickers, past commander and
.harter member of Robert w. Ely
Pat. has resigned from the Ameri-
IN Legion as protest against that
creanization's political activities to
secure the passage of national boz
ma measure. Mr.. Vickers charges
nat by reason of it's methods in at
tsmpting to force the bonus measure
thru congress and it's threats of re-
urisals at the polls on those who vote
against the measure, the American
Legion has departed from those lofty
principles of patriotism and Ameri-
canism as ennunciated in the preamble
to its constitution.
His letter of resignation, copies Of
which have been forwarded to MEM
hers of Washington's delegation, fol-
lows:
The Adjutant, Robert w. Ely Post,
American Legion, Kennewick,
Washington.
Dear Sir and Comrade:
herewith tender my resignation
as member of the American Legion
for the following reasons:
cannot approve the bonus policy
as formulated and at present being
pushed to the utmost by a well organ
lied minority of our membership,
with the evident intention of bluff
ing Congress and forcing the So
called adjusted compensation bill thru
during the present session.
/ have had the honor Of serving
with the armed forces of our country
on three different occasions namely:
The Cuban Campaign in 1898; The
Philippines insurrection and Boxer
uprising 1899 to 1904 and also during
the World War, and was a volunteer
on each occasion. / believe my mill
tary service and experience WI meas
ure up to greater average than a
large majority of those who make up
the present membership of the Ameri-
can Legion, and therefore feel that
| am expressing the sentiments Of
great many of our more thought
full comrades, when condemn the
proposed bonus holdup as vicious and
unpatriotic. q
The argument that we are entitled
to abonus to make up the difference
between what we received as army
pay and what we would have made
had we remained at home is pure
bunk as the great majority of our
ablebodied service men are in just as
good circumstances today as the av-
erage wage Garner who was not call
ed to the colors. Furthermore / be-
lieve that the ablebodied young men
OF today who had the advantage of
military training and experience
during the world war, is better fit
ted, in every respect to take care of
himself, than the one who was not
IN the service. If he is not, then the
pay which he did receive, while in the
army, was more than his service was
worth.
Two wrongs do not make right
and when we attempt to justify our
demand for a bonus by citing the
many profiteering crimes committed
during the war, our logic is just
about as sound as that of a citizen
who was held up and robbed, and
VINO then armed himself and robbed
another citizen, pleading that his
crime was justified because another
fellow did the same thing to him.
Our country is now struggling un-
DER an extremely heavy tax burden
winch is bound to continue for sew
erai decades. even if we pratice the
most rigid economy in governmental
expenditures, and, in addition to
tnls, we must not forget, that in the
near future, the pension budget fol
world war veterans will reach total
IN dollars and cents that will make
similar payments made to Civil war
veterans look like a German mark
note at present values.
| believe that anything in the ma
ture OF class legislation is selfish and
vicious under any circumstances, and
II Is even worse when we, posing as
an intensely patriotic organization
and claiming to be one hundred pei
cent American, attempt. to force
through Congress such a measure as
.ne proposed bonus bill, using covert
1ireats OF knitting at the polls, oul
senators and representatives who dC
NOT vote for it, we are disregardine
eltlrely the rights and interests Of
aoout one hundred and seven mil
hons of our people.
Inc plain unvarnished truth j:
sals: We are demanding that ninety
sh1 percent of our people dig dowr