The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-05-16

| Along the street there comes A blare of bugles, ruffle of | drums,
 l Hats off
 | The flag is passing by.
 1 Henry Holcomb Bennett.
 If the shade of Theodore Roose- welt, twenty-sixth president of the United States, colonel of the Rough Riders, and idol of the rank | and file of the men who fought the battles of the war era of 1898, l190O, 1901 and 1902, could come back to Washington, can anyone who knew "Our Teddy" imagine what a verbal explosion there would be when he discovered how the veterans of the armies whose spirit he was, have been trampled under the political steam roller of 1888. It is not easy to imagine how he would feel, much less what he would say-but his shade may gather some comfort from the fact, that his spirit is marching on, ana
 that there are many of his loyai followers who will carry on what
  by him in those days when he led his Rough Riders up the hill, smoking a cigarette, which to the cowboys who followed him, was an appeal as powerful as the helmet of Navarro. It is easy to understand that | in an economic stampede such as that during which the economy bill was registered in congress. that the claims of the survivors or the gallant army of 1898 were eclipsed by the popular clamor, but | the solonS are commencing to re- member those claims, it would be strange if they did not. The time is not yet ripe for posterity to respect and honor the veterans Of 1898, although it is now thirty-f1ve years ago, since they brought to this country an empire such as the American people never dreamt Of acquiring, probably only when they have answered the last roll call, they will be accorded their proper place in the niche of fame. Impressed with the status of the veterans of '9S who are now about an average age of sixty odd years, and passing out at the rate Of 6oo
 a month, Representatlve Ernest | Lundeen, of Minnesota has intro- duced bill (H. R. 5393) in the house of representatives, which calls for the repeal of what he calls the National Economy | League Act"
 In commenting on his bill MT
 Lundeen said that he proposed to repeal the vicious, destructive, un- l nnnnnnv 2Ct. which was passed in period or
 economic hysteria.
 Said he, "I say to America that | if we were willing to spend 25 per cent as much money on our sol diers as we assumed a few years
 ago of foreign debts which we can
 ceIed to the amount of $12,090,- 667,0OO, and which burden now
 rests on the backs of American taxpayers; having been shifted
 from the tax load of Europe and placed on American citiZens-I say | if we were willing to spend one fourth as much money on our own | boys as we asusmed of European | indebtedness to us; there would be no talk of bonus marches, no need of closing hospitals, and no need of poverty and Restitution among the men and women who stood by America in time of war;"
 There are few congressman of either party who are not in sympa- l thy with the plight of the Spanish | War veterans, who believe that few can prove any service connections of their disabilities after thirty-five years, and that they should have been placed under a similar rating such as the veterans of the Civil | War; as the proposal to so place them, was lost but by one vote | when the question was mooted in | the ways and means committee. | The Spanish War brought pros | perity to the country. The two armies, the army of Cuba, and the army of the Philippines advanced the cause of civilization by half a century if not more. The army
 of occupation in Cuba to use the
 words of Elihu Root. secretary of 1 war, left a record of ordered jus
 tice and liberty, of rapid improve ment in material and moral condi-
 tions, and progress in government
 which reflected world wide recog- | nition of American fair-play and
 integrity. The war brought to the
 country $8,000, 100000 and for 22
 years after it was over, the veter-
 ans of that war asked for no help from the government.
 i State bounties were paid the sol-
 dier upon entering the Civil War, and after three months service he
 received a discharge and could | either draw another bounty or re- | ceive a substantial sum to go as a substitute for drafted man with
 more money than patriotism. The
 soldier of '9S received no state bounty or bonus. either before or
 a month.
 The soldier in the World War thad a base pay of $30 a month.
 which was raised to s33 the mo- ment he boarded the transport. He
 was supplied with clothing free. His government between the armis-
 tice and signing of the peace treaty voted him a bonus. and finally the | government gave him a paid-up policy equal to double pay during
 his service.
 l Not a single soldier who entered
 the Spanish-American War came | out in as good physical or mental i condition as when he entered the | service. Not soldier was con- scripted, all were hundred per cent volunteers.
 Now politicians sit back and say. My boy, that wasn't war, it was only a skirmish. Let's see about the skirmish:
 The army of the Philippines in three years took part in two thou | sand combats. The insurrection ragged through the whole archi- pelago. Our soldiers were requir- ed at first to overcome organize resistance of superior numbers.
 we'll equipped with modern arms. The Filipinos were intrenched in
 an unknown country of mountain I defiles. jungles and swamps.. ap- | parently capable of interminable defense. As soon as this resistance had been overcome our soldiers | were required to crush out a gen. I eral system of guerilla warfare