The New York herald., 1922-08-26
Three Republicans and a
Democrat Voice Opposi-
ton to the Measure.
STATISTICS PRESENTED
Forty Dollars for Each Person
in the United States to Pay
if McCumber Bill Wins.
sp.cta, Dispatch 10 THE New YaaE Hr.rD.

to-day three Republican and one DEM
ocrtic Senator attacked the measure.
With the exception of interjected re-
marks from Senator'S in favor of .he
bonus. there were no speeches in favor
of it,
The Senators who spoke gainst 1t
were Mr.. New, Mr.. Reed and Mr.. Bur-
sum, Republicans and Mr.. Myers,
Democrat.
In announcing he would vote against
the bonus bill Senator New said he
did not believe it could be amended to
command his support, though he adj
mitted he had looked with favor on
the adoption of sales tax as me-
dium of financing the scheme. Dis
cussing the proposal to award a small
amount of cash to the beneficiaries OF
the bonus, Mr.. New said:
1T Is no compensation at all. You
cannot compensate the soldier with
money, and If it Is the idea to do that
with this bill in my humble opinion
it is complete and utter failure. 1t
does not begin to meet the country 8
obligation. If 1t is not to be consid-
cred as doing that, 1t is really nothing
more than tip. Our obligation is
of higher order and one that can
not be met by the bestowal of a dole
which. in its final analysis. is all this
is"
Regarding the proposed cost of the
bill Mr.. New said: mo one knows
how much 1t will call for. 1t is guess
work, and my guess is that it will call for
from 1900. 100000 to 5000. 0oo 900. There
are approximately 100000 families
in the United States and the passage
of the bill would mean that the aver
age share of payment on each will be
500. or approximately $40 for each man,
woman and child 1 might think that
even this was worth while and justifi-
able IL / felt that what the veterans
are to receive would do them any real
good. 1t is my deliberate conviction
that it would not do them any good.
Calls 1t nm Insult.
IF we are to consider that the money
they are to receive is in fact compen-
sation II Is an insult If 1t Is not
compensation 1t Is a gratuity. and nc
man ever accepted a gratuity without
being the worse off for having accepted
it. 1t Is my honest belief that so far as
the cash feature of this bill is con-
cerned it would be money thrown away.
1t Is insufficient in amount to accom-
plish any beneficent result that would
be enduring, and at the end of a brief
period of indulgence the only thing that
would be left would be the debt that
it's granting would fasten upon the
Treasury.
II have favored and the country has
favored the granting of pensions to vet
Grams OF the civil war whose failing
strength has made them incapable of
caring for themselves Our Government
is committed to the policy of pensioning
its veterans, and the day will come when
tensions for the veterans of the world
war will not only be in order but the
sentiment in favor of them will be ir-
resistible.
II am aware that it has been often
said that the bills previously passed pro-
viding for vocational rehabilitation and
compensation to families were passed in
order that there might be no ground
on which pensions might be asked. but
as these men grow older and as they
follow In the wake of the soldiers OF
the civil war the propriety of pensioning
them and the sentiment for 1t will COM
pei II as inevitably as 1t compelled 1t In
the cases OF soldiers of preceding wars
Ir the fifty-six years that have elapsed
since the civil war the Government paid
10 its soldiers and their dependents
$500. 100000. The greatest amount
raid by the Government in any one year
was little more.than s222 900, 900.
IF the same degree OF legislative lib
erality that was manifest toward then
r. continued in the case of the veterans
Of the world war we would reach total
OF 1892, ,000. 900 for the year 1878. or ar
amount equal to the cost of the ordinary
current expenses of the Government to-
day. including the civil and Spanish war
pension lists.
Vast Cost Computed.
mfr. President. the cost of the So
called bonus which is provided by this
bill will exceed the cost to the Fed
eral Government of the whole civil
war. This means the addition OF
1000 100000 or 5000 900 900 to the public
cebts. which already approximates $780,
600. 100000. IL is impossible to create a
public debt that leaves the shoulders
of any man free from the burden IL
imposes. Its effect will be felt by
those who are to be the immediate
beneficiaries Of this plan for genera
tion after they have lost all recollec-
tion of the pittance which the bill
proposes to give them
Senator Myers Dem., Mont.). in ex-
pressing his opinion Of the bonus. said
great stress has been put upon the
propaganda In opposition to the bonus
BILL, but he declared there has not been
nearly so much propa aganda In opposi-
tion to the bill as there has been in
favor of II. The Montana Senator said
II 1t is the privilege OF the people seek
ing legislation at the hands of Congress
TO initiate and conduct propaganda In
It's favor the same privilege should be
accorded to those who oppose II.
Rests on Propaganda.
"TLe truth OF the matter" he said.
"ie that in my opinion nearly all legis.
laton enacted by Congress Is brought
about by propaganda. We used to
think that Congress sat here and de-
liberated and In It's judgment enacted
legislation which II thought was for
tbs best interests OF the country. But
believe that idea has been largely
superseded by the idea that IL you wan,
10 get anything out of Congress you
must institute propaganda and carry
IL on very extensively and very
actively. There has been moro propa-
ganda carried on In favor OF this legis-