The New York herald., 1922-02-14
us PROPOSAL is TFIE DOCTRINE or HESSIANISM" BORAH

to me to know and should like ia
inquire IL the Senator can think Of any
reason why there should be attached to
the bonus bill a revenue measure for
the purpose of paying the burdens which
will be imposed by 1t. any more than a
revenue measure should be attached to
every other appropriation bill which
1 comes before the Congress-
Senator Borah: well. OF course. the
only reason why we should attach I
| method of paying the appropriation
which will be provided by the bill is t.
have the money with which to pay 1t.
The soldier will like to feel that it will
be paid. The Secretary of the Treasury
which to pay 1t.
1--WE have got to increase the taxes
somewhere we have got either to In
crease them in this bill or We have got
to pass an additional tax BILL We havS
not now sufficient means with which to
pay it. Then why not put the method
Of it's payment into the bill itself?
where weakness Lies.
"Of course, il we had sufficient funds
in the Treasury to pay the appropria-
! ton which will be provided by the bill.
which will be required. there would be
much strength in the position which
| the Senator from New Mexico takes,
but We have not sufficient funds. We
must write into the bill or we must
pass an additional bill carrying the
necessary appropriations. and, so far
as the taxpayer is concerned, it will
| not make any difference to him."
| Senator Jones: 1.-THE Senator from
Idaho has just indicated that no ap-
propriations will be made or contem-
plated, and that there will be a defi-
cheney of $500, 100000 Why should not
| the Congress in making appropriations
to meet that deficiency have anticipated
that situation and provided in the bill
making the appropriation the method
for the raisingg of the revenue?
.Tf this compensation is to be paid to
these men why single this bill out as
vehicle, If you please, through which
to carry tax measures which would not
otherwise be carried along? If this is
to be paid, If 1t is to be a burden upon
the Government. why not raise the rev.
enue for this debt precisely the same as
for any other and instead of putting a
revenue measure upon this bill why not
revise the revenue law and raise the
money necessary to meet the demands
upon the Treasury?
''Why not consider a revision OF the
law and reconsider the excess profits
tax or some other provision which
doubtless would be Incorporated IL we
were revising the revenue law to meet
what would be considered as just de-
mands upon the treasury. Why should
this measure be singled out here for
the purpose Of obnoxious means of rais-
ing revenue?"
Obnoxious to People.
Senator Borah: "Obnoxious? or
course everything is obnoxious now
which proposes to raise any more reve-
nue.. The Senator from New Mexico
loses sight Of the fact that it is inn
material so far as the recovery Of the
country is concerned whether we put
the tax in this bill or whether we put
1t in another.
IT am perfectly aware that as an
original proposition 1t is more desirable
to put it in another bill. but so far as
the taxpayer is concerned it does not
make any difference whatever, because
we have got to lay the tax somewhere.
and I submit to the Senator from New
Mexico that we have laid upon the
people of this country all the taxes we
should lay upon them, whether we do 1t
by special bill or by general tax bill.
at does not make any difference to
the taxpayer. he has got to pay 1t any
way. the country has got to bear it and
the economic conditions of the country
have got to suffer. Industry will be re-
tarded and agriculture will be still
further demoralized and it does not
make any difference.
''Why should not Congress say we
are going to pay this bonus, and this
Is the method in which we are going to
pay IT, and let the country look 1t ir.
xH~ 90 M M II
likes it?'"
Deterrent to Business.
Senator Edge IN. J.) "As matter
Of fact, following the Senator's statis-
tics. the Senator is right. At the present
time, without the additional tax which
would be necessary for the payment of
a bonus. millions of men are unemployed.
Therefore any addition to the present
system of taxation must be deterrent
to business necessary to be raised for
the payment of the bonus. Is not that
true?"
Senator Borah: Eyes, It is precisely
true. A Senator referred awhile ago to
the question of gratuity and asked
whether looked upon It as a gratuity.
do look upon 1t as a gratuity. I do
not know whether that Is a popular
thing to say or not, but believe the
soldier himself, when he comes to reflect
upon 1t, would much rather feel that he
was receiving from the country a
gratuity of FIVE hundred or six hundred
dollars for his services than that he
had consented to place a money value
upon his services as soldier.
"T can understand perfectly well how
a people, out Of the graciousness Of
their hearts, as a matter of gratuity,
might wish to donate money to those
who had been in their service. but
confess that 1 am utterly unable 20
comprehend the proposition that a. re-
public should undertake to fix a flnan-
cial compensation for those who were
willing to sacrifice when their country
was in peril.
Old Practice I'm Europe.
"That is the doctrine Of Hessianism:
that is the old practice in Europe, of
hiring paid soldiers. and / think it Is
infinitely more complimentary to the
soldier to say. We tender you this out
of the fullness of our treasury and out
of the fullness of our hearts, rather
than to say, We have fixed a dollar
day compensation upon your services as
a soldier SO I say, Mr.. President, that
between the two prefer gratuity.
"But where are you going to draw
the line in this situation in which we
find ourselvesf You know quite as well
as do that thousands OF people who