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Show SOLDIER BONUS FORMLTED ;hamging attitude of people eliminates possibility of revival of measure Senator Borah of Idaho is Credited With Crystalizing the Feeling Which Caused the Act to Fall Washington. The comment of th leaders of the ex-soldiers on the vto af the bonus till, says Mark Sullivan, is that the fight has just begun. The soldiers' bonus is a settled issue, is-sue, not only for the present session 5f congress, but forever. It will nerer again come so near to winning in any future congress as it did in this. It was passed by the house over the pres Ident's veto. In every future congress the number of senators under the obligation of a promise to vote for it will be smaller than in the present session and the number of senators who will feel free to oppose it will be larger. Furthermore, Further-more, Harding's veto is based not merely on the present state of the treasury, but on principle. Every reason that the president cave for his veto will continue to exist ex-ist and wll even exist in a stronger form during the remainder of his term. So long as Mr. Harding remains In the White House, whether it is for the two and a half years remaining of his first term or for six and a half years if he should have a second term, he can be expected to veto any bonus measure that comes up. For that matter, mat-ter, the measure Is not likely to be brought up again in good faith. Only In case there should be a congress politically hostile to the president and with a purpose to embarrass him is the bonus measure likely to be brought up in the future. The reasons that, make the measure Imposible of success will in time become be-come so apparent that the agitation Tor the bonus will never again have s large a popular backing as it had on this occasion. As a final reason the 'bonus proposal cannot be successful suc-cessful at any forseeable time in the future, it can be said that however unable the treasury is to stand the strain this year It will be still less able at any time for several years to come. The treasury already faces the problem pro-blem of a revenue which is $600,000,-000 $600,000,-000 short of enough to pay the appropriation. appro-priation. It may seem sensational to say so, but it is a fact that, even disregarding dis-regarding the bonus, taxes in this country are likely to become higher before they - become lower. . The veto message was Harding at his best. It combined his familiar qualities of patient and tolerant reasonableness rea-sonableness with complete firmness, n his veto he undoubtedly has had the suport of the best and the largest number of his advisers. Here in Washington we have understood that cuit of the ten membsra of the cabinet only one was in favor of the bonus find one other noncommittal and eight against it. The bonus message has a dozen angles from which it must excite admiration ad-miration even on the part of many who do not agree with it. His giving giv-ing it the tone of an address to congress con-gress was both good politics and sound in principle. It is a fact, as Harding implies throughout the message, mes-sage, that the bonus proposal arose not out of any solicitation from the ex-soldiers, but rather from the desire of members of congress and other politicians pol-iticians to do a thing which would consolidate the ex-soldiers behind them politically. One final point: Whether you like or do not like this final outcome of the bonus, give the principal credit for it to Senator William E. Borah, of Idaho. It was largely his aggressive aggres-sive energy that built up a following in the senate from almost nothing, and it was chiefly the outspoken courage cour-age of his speeches and writings that crystallized enough feeling throughout the country to bring about the present result. |
