Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-07-14
THE PRESIDENTS SOUND REASONING.

It was a cowardly congress that compelled
President Harding to go before it Tuesday
afternoon and urge the setting aside of the
bonus bill at the present time SO as to give
the country a chance to get on its feet fnan-
ciaiiy before piling up billions more of debt.
1t is well for the nation that it has an executive
who is big enough and who has backbone
enough to assume the responsibility thus thrown
upon him.
Every member of congress, which includes
the senate, is in a position to know the effect
OF the bonus bill involving as it does the expen-
diture of from two to five billions of dollars by
the treasury of the United States.
With Liberty bonds already far below par
and with every holder, including thousands OF
ex.service men, criticizing the government for
not doing something to make them worth their
face value, congress would deliberately flood
the country with billions of more bonds, thereby
driving still lower the value Of the bonds
already outstanding.
with the taxes that the people are already
paying not nearly adequate to meet the present
expenses Of the government, congress would
deliberately pile on the expense, necessitating
NIT only the continuation of the present taxes
but requiring additional taxes to be imposed.
At a time when business is paralyzed and
the wheels of industry are still: when, as
President Harding pointed out in his message
the things essential to the restored order OIL
things are a revision and reduction OF our In
ternal debt and the readjustment OF our foreign
loans, it was the pettiest kind of politics 10
bring up at this time q bill that would greatly
imperil the financial stability of our country
Congress did not have the nerve to act on
it, knowledge. 1t preferred to play for votes
leaving It to the President to show the leader
ship that such occasions demand. Yet, congress
wonders why the executive is continually assum-
Ing more and more authority.
It was no pleasant task that President Harding
had to perform. He realizes the debt that the
nation owes to the boys who offered their
lives in the World Wal as we'll as anyone else.
But he felt it to be just as much of a patriotic
duty now to stand up for what is best Tor the
nations future prosperity, regardless of how
popular the stand may be. as it IL to fight for
the country in time Of war. The President has
rendered an important service to the country
He has greatly enhanced his reputation as an
executive capable of guiding the nation
through these perilous times.
incidentally, the President directs public at
tGntlOn TO SOW6 VI tHc WOih -"
already Doing for the boys who fought in the
World War. While there is still much to be
done, one might judge from the criticisms heard
SO frequently that the government had Ignored
the boys completely. The facts and ngures
quoted by the President in his message proves
that the nation is not utterly indifferent.
There is no disposition anywhere to deny the
boys a satisfactory compensation for the services
they have rendered. but it is apparent that at
q time when the country is struggling to put
its financial house in order 80 as to relieve
business Of some of the tremendous burden II
is carrying, which. more than anything else. Is
preventing a return to prosperity, it Is not wise
to add billions of dollars to the country's oblga-
tions, thereby swapping an already over
burdened treasury.
President Harding's address to congress will
doubtless have the desired effect. Since con