The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-08-09

lcltCl 1lOLl Dill Sllllh uiNAA y
go into the service"
The other doughboy said, mo, Bill
Smith didn't 60 into the service. He's
home, and he's got my job and got
my girl" - - =. *.
In this story is to be found the
psychology Of the whole bonus matter.
If there hadn't been any Bill Smiths
toSwax fat in purse in the shipyards,
and perchance to win the affections or
the swAethearts of the men absent in
the trenches, there would not be any
demand for the bonus today, or at
least so runs the general belief Of
men who have studied the situation
from the viewpoint of human nature.
= Admittedly the bonus would be
heavy burden on the taxpayers OF
the United States. 1t is hard thing
for Il man who himself was 4 veteran
Of the A. Z. F. to write without
prejudice on this bonus question. +
have talked with soldiers of all ranks
on the matter and have found that
some of them are for it, some Of them
are against it, but, that the majority
seems to be for it.
Why the Majority Favors 1t.
Why is the majority for it? Not so
much because the men want to feel
the cash in hand, but because they feel
that an injustice was done them in
asking them to fight for $33 a month
while other fellows were driving
rivets for ten times the amount and
were not under the necessity of dodg-
ing shells or parrying bayonet thrusts.
Personally, the writer Of this has
been opposed to the granting Of the
bonus unless it could be given to the
men who actually need it and kept
from those who have no need for it..
There seems to be no way in which
this can be done, but, opposed to- the
bonus or not, there is every sympathy
among the veterans who think Its
granting is bad policy, with the men
who, looking at the thing as human
nature makes them look at it, say that
it ought to be granted. =. ~.
There is a fear among officials IN
Washington that the bonus may be
made a political issue. It seems nara
to conceive how it can be so made,
for the at-heart proponents and oppon-
ents. of bonus legislation are pretty
evenly divided between the political
parties as represented in Washington
due consideration being given to the
facts of proportion, for there are many
more Republicans in the two houses
of congress than there are Democrats.
Sympathy Versus Finance.
So far as the controversy today Is
concerned the senators, and representa-
tives are confronted with two state
ments, one from the treasury depart
ment and the other from the veteran
organizations. The treasury depart
ment intimates that passage OF the
bill will come close to bankruptlng the
country The veterans organizations
say that tllis is buncombe. Sympathy
runs all one way but sympathy does
not always mean support. 1t is, OF
course, with the men who fought. The
government officials who have SPOKEN
on the matter say that their feeling
is with the men, but that their sound
financial sense has to run the other
way. People will have to take their
choice as between the two contentious
1t is perfectly conceivable that the
whole thing may be put up to the
country in what will be tantamount
to referendum. This does not mean
that it will he submitted to the people
us a direct proposition, but 1t may be
that bonus or no bonus will find q
place in the platforms of the political
parties. Then. one will have to wait
to count the votes to know the finish
of the fight. i~
Every veteran probably would ike
to see the bonus bill passed If 1t couio
be passed without injury to the credit
of the country The subject has beer
passed on by the administration. Il
has asked for postponement. Does
this mean the end or is it really only
q postponement? This is the question
the congressman and the veterans are
asking today in the city of Washing
! ton, and there is no one yet who car
give definite answer.
Taft Eighth Chief Justice.
In. the White House is the twenty
ninth President, and in the room OF
the Supreme court is the eighth chief
Justice Presidents are elected for q
fixed term; Supreme court justices
are appointed for life, or until volun
tary retirement.
The terms of certain ones among
the chief justices of the United States
have been coincident with the terms
of several Presidents. No political
party on coming into power is able
to secure the appointment of either
chief justice or any associate JUS
tees of the Supreme court Of Its OWE
political faith, unless at the time there
exists vacancy on the bench. usual
ly the high court has been so high
that It Is above politics.