The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-09-23
POLITICAL CALM FOLLOWS DEATH
 OF BONUS BILL.
All Elements Played Cards Well and Are Satisfied. President Took All Re-
 SponSibiIity Himself
By HUGH W. ROBERTS Washington Bureau. The Age-Herald.
 300 Davidson Buildlua

Washington, September 22.-(Spe- ctal.)-A survey of the situation following the death of the bonus bill reveals a calm and rich content, an almost unexplainable satisfaction. on the part of all political clements in both great political parties.
 There Is no denial that the bonus movement if not entirely political was in the main political. Though the bonus bill was lost, the serenity of countenance displayed by every body is indicative of the probability that everybody played their cards exceedingly we'll.
 It is true that republican pof- tictans, before the rejection of the bonus, informed republican repre- sentatiyes and senators that. return ing home, they could not claim to have "stood by the administration If they crossed the administration respecting the bonus. But repubH- can senators and representatives are So aware of the attitude of their constituents that they are certain that the explaining of their "one and only" defeotion will result in forgiveness.
 Democrats Happy
 The democratic members of Con- gress who supported the bonus and lost are exceedingly well pleased with themselves and their positions. They are calculating on sweeping their soldier er-constltuents off their feet by declaring that they had gone fha limit hnf that uvifh a ranph1f- can majority, they had not proved strong enough to counteract the baneful effect of Wall Street.
 Experienced politicians in Wash ington declare that no other legis- lation has ever presented finer opportunity to the smart demagogue than the bonus. It is unQuestion- ably true that the democrat has the advantage. The republican cannot wax with bitterness lest he intrudes on the toes of the administration. But the democrat may proceed ad libertum, ad infinitum.
 As a matter of fact, there was very little propaganda either for or against the bonus. Hearst news papers played the game. The United States Chamber of Commerce op- posed the bill. Officers of the .Amer- IlCdH 6tBlOH tSpOu6tQ It. ne cA~ soldier of able body, the proposed alleged beneficiary, was most sig nificantly silent.
 Everybody Pleased
 The opponents of the bonus in Congress are as well pleased with themselves as the proponents of the bonus. They feel that the country, at large and at heart. will applaud them for preventing what they term a raid on the treasury, for having refused to yield to "a popular hys- teria."
 They feel that able bodied Ameri- can boys who defended their coun- try do not want a gratuity for a sacrifice of love. They argue that the country might as well pay It's sons for defending their parents as for defending 1t. They admit be- lief that the country would not cap italize patriotism. or set precedent as result of which. In the future. a soldier would proceed to fight with the expectation that he had more than honor at stake.
 The opponents of the bonus fur ther strengthen themselves by re- ferring to the lack of machinery provided in the ill-starred bill; and also to the fact that the bonus. In providing means of borrowing small sums at long intervals, in sense of concrete values, meant nothing.
 Harding Took Burden
 The bonus bill was attempted by republican members of Congress In response of the American Legion. They would not have attempted 1t in opposition to the President but for the fact that congressional cam paigns faced them.
 When the President informed Con- gress that he would oppose bonus bill unless Congress, by legislation, provided for the payment of the bo- nus, Congress trembled in its boots. It found it impossible to put into effect new methods of taxation for new methods of taxation would be ruinous, in political and economic sense. So in their desperate strait, they planned to throw the onus on the President. They preferred to embarass the national ticket rather than themselves especially as the national ticket had two-year lease of life.
 The President nombed back the buck. He IS pleased with himself