, 1921-07-23
THE HISTORIC PARALLEL.

A historic parallel for the presidents action in
requesting the senate to defer action on the soldiers
bonus measure, is found in the pocket veto of Presi-
dent Grant with reference to H. R. 3341 in 1876. The
bill dealt with soldiers who served in the Civil war
and their old commander faced the same situation
faced in the present instance by President Harding. A
depleted treasury and burdensome direct taxes that
barely supplied the revenue necessary to conduct the
government. Those who live today and were familiar
with the deplorable state of the country as a result of
the five years of civil strife, will recall that it was
with q heavy heart that General Grant told his old
comrades, who sorely needed financial help at the
time, he would not jeopardize his countrys interests
for their financial benefit.
President Grants veto was based on the ground of
the insufficiency of funds at that time in the treas.
ury to meet the extraordinary outlay required under
the bill; and the inconsistency with the measures of
economy demanded by the necessities of the country.
The bonus bill of 1875 provided for the payment
to every n-on-commissioned officer, musician, artifcer,
WAGNER and private soldier, sailor and marine, includ-
ing those borne on the rolls as slaves and Indians, of
ss.33 Ia a month for all the time served during the
war.
The bounties previously paid NJ the United States
or any state were to be deducted. No bounty was to
be paid to a soldier who served as a substitute or was
a captured prisoner at the time of his enlistment.
The measure passed the house of representatives
where it originated, and was sent to the senate short.
lly before the end of the short term in 1875.
When President Grant went to the capitol on the
afternoon of March 8 to close up the legislative acts of
the session he placed the bill in his pocket and sat
down in the presidents room and penned this veto:
House bill 3341 is herewith returned without my
approval for the reason, first, that it appropriates
from the treasury a large sum of money at a time
when the revenue is insufficient for current wants and
this proposed further drain on the treasury. The is
sue of bonds, authorized by the bill to a very large
and indefinite amount, would seriously embarrass the
refunding operations now progressing, whereby the
interest of the bonded debt of the United States is
being largely reduced. Second, I do not believe that
any considerable portion of the ex-soldiers who, it is
supposed, will be beneficiaries of this appropriation
are applicants for it, but, rather, it would result more
in a measure for the relief of claim agents and mid
dlemen who would intervene to collect or discount the
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this time is inconsistent with the measures of econ
omy now demanded by the necessities of the country
President Harding is amply fortified by precedent if
it were required. The situations of the country in
1875 and 1921 were the same and the condition of the
treasury presented a parallel. The Civil war veterans
commended their old leader for his brave, if disagree
able action. The veterans Of the world war can DO no
less than commend their president for an equally
brave and patriotic act