Evening star., 1921-07-16
TELLS: HOW GRANT
VETOED BONUS BILL
President Hears Soldier Aid
After Civil War Was
Killed for Economy.

President Hardings attention has been
called to the fact that President Grant
In the spring Of 1875 vetoed a soldiers
bonus bin. and that in doing so he pre-
sented reasons substantially the same as
those urged by President Harding Tues
day when he appeared before the Senate.
Gen. Grants bonus veto was called to
the attention Of President Harding by
Brig. Gen. c. c. Sniffen, u. s. A., retired,
who was pay clerk at the White House
during the Grant administration and
was paymaster general of the Army
when he retired number of years ago.
Gen. SniRents Letter.
In his letter to President Harding.
Gen. Sniffen said.
The purpose of this note is to call to
your attention pocket veto of Presi-
dent Grants of House resolution No.
3341, An act to equalize the bountieD o!
soldiers who served in the late war for
the Union The veto was based on the
grounds OF the 1nsufficiency at that time
of funds in the Treasury to meet the ex-
traordinary outlay required under ths
bill, etc, and as Grant says: The pas.
sage Of this bill at this time is incon.
sfstent with the measures of economy
now demanded. by the necessities Of tht
country
The bonus bill OF 1878 provided for
the payment to every non commits
stoned officer. musician. artifcer. wag.
oRer and private soldier, sailor and
marine. including those borne upon
the rolls as slaves and Indians .
IS l-3 month for all the time served"
diving the war.
The bounties previously paid by the
United States or any state were to
be deducted No bounty was to be
nc ir3 70 a0l1 1fnH No n
stitute or was captured prisoner
at the time Of his enlistment.
Renaons Given In Letter.
Representatives, where it originated.
and was sent to the Senate shortly
before the end Of the short term In
1875. President Grant literally put
i in his pocket, and when he went to
the Capitol tn" forenoon Of March 3
to deal with the last legislative work
Of the session he sat down in the
Presidents room there and. wrote hts
veto message. Its text follows:
Washington. March ;. 1875.
ITO the House Of Representatives:
House bill. 334l Is herewith returned
without my. approval for the reasons.
first, that 1t appropriates from the
Treasury large sum of money at 3
time when the revenue. is insuficieht
foss cdfspent swahth and this proposed
furt herr drain on the Treasury. The
Issue of bonds, authorized by the bill
to q very large and indefinite amount,
would seriously embarrass the re.
funding operations now progressing
whereby the interest Of the bonded
debt of the United States Is being
largely reduced. Second. I do not be-
lieve that any considerable portion of
the ex-soldiers who. it is supposed,
will be benehciaries of this appro-
priation are applicants for It, but,
rather, it would result more in a
measure for the relief of claim agents
and middlemen who would intervene
to collect or discount the bounties
bill at this time is inconsistent with
the measures of economy now de-
manded by the. necessities of the
country.
"(Signed) U. 8. GRANT"
300 for Each Year.
Some effort to bring. to light the
committee report, II there were such.
on this bill Of 1875 has failed to dis
given to each soldier $1o0 per year
Of his service. with. however. the
deduction Of whatever bounties he
received from either the federal gov
erhment or his state. Estimates of
expense ranged from $20,000.0oo to
$f50.000.000.
At the time he delivered his re-
cent message to Congress President
Harding had not had his attention
called to this veto by President Grant
and, apparently. none Of the legfsla-
tors had called attention to 1t in the
discussion of the bonus legislation.