Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-12-06

economy. His economy pledge was to the
effect that he would reduce the expense OF
the federal government at least p per cent.
He was inaugurated president on March 4,
1888 Within 10 days his economy bill had
passed the Congress and was signed by him
on March 20, 1888. Then he proceeded to
do what he called economic
The economy act had provided for a
total reduction of $500 100000 in annual
federal expenditures This reduction in fed
eral expenditures was taken out of the
pockets of the veterans of former wars. APP
proXimately four-fifths of the total reduction
was accomplished by reduction in the
Spanish-Am war veterans, by reduc-
tons in the Civil War veterans by the
removal of thousands from the veterans
rolls and by prevention of the addition OF
thousands more.
7 lis restrictions were such as to outlaw
l i veterans who had become invalids in
the last war even though they were delayed
war casualties. He reduced the total expendi-
lures of veterans approximately S45OOOO,-
900 per year from the previous total of about
100000 900. How much did he reduce the
political patronage on the federal pay roll?
A mere $150000 000-Why so little? Be
cause here were useful political jobs.
He did not need the veterans for cleo
ton because he had other plans of putting
the needy and distressed on the political dole
where they could be manipulated at will AS
a result Of his false economy, the nation wit
messed a surge of public opinion which was
distinctly in behalf of the veterans.
n NE year after he had been inaugurated
~ president, the Congress in the indie
pendent offices appropriation bill of March,
1884, which included the Veterans Admins
tration, attempted to make redress for the
wrongs that had been done by their Presi-
dent The benefits for the veterans in that
bill were vigorously opposed by the Presi-
dent, despite his waste of public funds in
other directions.
This bill was passed by the Congress on
March 26, 1884, but prior to the passage of
the bill the President had already prepared
his veto message and the day following the
passage of the bill. the bill was returned to
the House Of Representatives with the veto
message. In that veto message President
Roosevelt clearly, without any chance of
misunderstanding, set forth his attitude to
the veterans of American wars.
His attitude was made clear by refer
ence to a speech made by him in October
1888 five months before the veto message
which | have mentioned. This speech was
made to the American Legion in convention
In that speech the President said:
mo person, because he wore uniform
must thereafter be placed in a special class
1f hana fsnfnr md hove oil 9TH
citizens"
NOV we know from the experience of the
' past 10 years that the President does
believe in special class privileges because he
has played his peculiar, but successful, game
of politics by pitting one class against an
other We know that he does believe IN
making huge sections of the public benefit
Charles of doles from the u. S treasury
because of his ever recurring programs of
waste. He said in October, 1888:
THE fact of wearing uniform does
not meap that he can demand and receive
from his government a benefit which no
other citizen receives"
Yet we know that the man who goes
into the valley of death to fight the horrible
battles of war so that this nation may be
free deserves EVERY POSSIBLE CON
H'DrlhAliO4N Illo Wv EhNMEANl NA-N
GIVE HIM.
Later the President informed the Con-
gress
II am wholly and unequivocally opposed
TO the principle of the general service
pension"
D Ut it happens that reduction in veterans
II benefits made by this administration in
1883 WIS contrary 10 the intent of the Con-
gross. The Congressional debates on the
economy act made it very plain that no one
in the Congress planned-or no one in the
Congress desired that the disabled veterans
in the World War should be penqzed. Ma