The New York herald., 1922-06-21

derous efforts of few of his party
colleagues who all but wept over the
alleged distress of The able bodied ex-
service men seeking cash from the
Treasury.
Mr.. McCunsber the sponsor for the
bonus measure, was severely hecllled
by the Democratic bonus Senators,
who charged him with violating his
agreement 20 call up the bonus with
out further delay. The North Dakota
Senator, who is facing defeat in the
primaries next week for various rea-
sons. including the bonus, attempted
10 Justify MS action in agreeing to the
program suggested by the President.
His experience in doing so was not
a happy one. Delegations of ex-ser-
vice men who helped pack the Senate
galleries indicated their complete con-
currence with the Democratic view
that Mr.. McCumber had deserted the
bonus army at the command of Presi-
dnt Harding.
McCumber Driven to Corner.
Mr.. Mccumber was compelled to ad-
nit the charge, but he contended that
the agreement made by twenty-seven
of the sixty Republican Senators to
bring in the bonus after -he tariff
would enable him to make good his
threat to compel the passage of a
bonus bill at this session.
Mr.. McCumber's statement of his
position was much more apologetic in
tone than his previous decisions on the
subject. After he bad made. it he took
a back seat, leaving Senators Lodge,
leader of the upper house, and Wat
son Gnd.) N command of the Ad-
ministration torces.
The complications over the bonus
were greatly aggravated by the
aggressive attitude assumed by Sen
ator La Toilette, Republican radical
of Wisconsin. Mr.. La Toilette served
notice on his colleagues that he not
only intended to move to bring up
the bonus every day or two, but that
he was getting ready to attack the
tariff bill with every weapon at his
command.
In taking this position the Wiscon-
sin Senator was openly encouraged by
the nine Republican Senators who
joined with Mr.. McCumber in trying
to commit the Republican conference
yesterday to a program with the
bonus in the star place. These Re-
publican Senators were tonight solic-
iting recruits on both sides of the
Chamber to support the motion that
La Toilette will make on Thursday to
bring up the bonus, which will prob
ably precipitate recurrence of the
maneuvers to-day.
In the meantime the tariff and
other legislative matters will be prob
ably held UP until the Republican
majority leaders finI a way out of the
deadlock which is apparently impend-
ing.
A paraphrase of the Presidents
views on the bonus project did not
have the slightest effect on members
of the Senate when unofficially COM
municated to them. The bonus advo-
Gates on both sides of the chamber
were in no mood to pay attention to
anything except their determination
to fight out the most disturbing of all
legislative problems without waste OF
time
During the continuous lombard
ment of the Republican majority, sit
ting smugly behind the agreement to
keep the tariff before the Senate in
accordance with the Presidents
wishes. every parliamentary device
tage on both sides. Having succeeded
in vindicating the Presidents leader
ship by showing the bonus back of
the tariff, Senators Lodge and Wat
son, who assumed control Of the situa-
ton, devoted their efforts to trying
TO negotiate an agreement that would
keep it there.
The debate which followed was one
of the most spectacular that has
occurred in the Senate since the fight
over the League of Nations. Before
the conflict had proceeded very far
ii was apparent that the majority of
the Democratic Senators were center
ing their attacks on both the front
and fianks of the enemy.
Purpose of Democrats.
Their twofold purpose was obviously
to delay consideration of the tariff,
which was the technical order of the
day, and pour bonus salt into the
Republican party wound to keep II
from healing up. AS the Democrats
proceeded with their attacks, with the
help of Senator La Toilette and some
of the more ardent bonus Republicans
who refused to respond to the dis
ciplinary rod of the conference which
decided to adopt the program advo-
Gated by the President, Mr.. McCum-
her was elbowed out of the action
after the preliminary gestures.
Senators Lodge and Watson then
took hold and tried to straighten out
the tangle. The Senators opposed to
the bonus sat contentedly on the side
lines. as it were. nd joyously watched
the fracas between the two groups en-
gagged in trying to hold the other re-
sponsible for the snari. II did not take
Senators Lodge and Watson long To
find out that the conference agreement
was Of little IL any value in determiu-
ing Senatorial procedure.
Democratic Senators in favor of the
bonus. as also Mr.. La Toilette, who
aggressively ventured an independent
course of his cwn. made 1t extremely
clear that they Gid not intend to over
look any opportunity to swing the