The Washington herald., 1922-04-23
BONUSF FOES GRIND
AXES AS M'CUMBER
CONFERS ON BILL
Borah Letter Crying PO-
litical Purchase to Be
Broadcasted.
CALL LEGION CHIEFS
Senate Hopes to Increase Cash
Payment to S160 and
Avoid New Tax.

Although facing the certainty
that a soldier bonus bill will be put
through the Senate this session.
foes of this legislation yesterday
began organizing for effective OPP
position to Il.
Their hrst-step was to obtain per-
mission from Senator Borah. Idaho.
to broadcast a letter he recently
wrote assailing the bonus plan as
an attempt to buy office by paying
for il out Of the public Treasury.
Borah's letter. written to the Poe
Stello. Idaho. post of the American
Legion. declared that eff I wanted
to stay in the Senate at the expense
OF my convictions this would have
been one of the first purchases of
power 1 would have contracted.
Borah DecrIes Bonus.
But one thing no one will ever
he able to say. and that is that I
sought to purchase political power
by drafts upon the public Treasury
or that ] chose to buy a continual
tion in office by putting $4,000. OO0.-
900 upon the bonded backs OF Amer
lean taxpayers.
respect lot the
man who buys office. even though
he pays for it with his own money.
But the most Shiny creature which
dtsgraces American politics is the
man who buys Office for it with ap-
preparations out of the public treas
ury and charges his venal political
obligations to the taxpayers"
In reply to a threat from the lc-
Eion post that il would try to pun
ish him politically for his opposi-
ton to the bonus. Borah wrote be
was not afraid Of the consequences
of his position.
Want to Please Public and Soldiers.
Two detectives will be sought by
the Republican trainers of the bonus
bill. They are:
1. To make the bill satisfactory
to the American Legion. represent
ing those to be beneficiaries under
the measure.
2. To prevent public clamor
against the bill by avoiding an ad-
dition to the tax burden.
Senator McCumber. chairman of
. the Finance Committee. said last
night that officials Of the American
Legion will be the only persons
consulted by the committee mem
bers who will draft the bill Sec
rotary of the Treasury Mellon will
not be asked to give any further
expressions of opinion or as to pol
icy. President Harding will not be
consulted until the bill has been
written.
Senator McCumber planned to
confer over the weekend with Ie-
gion officials. who. he understands.
have recently canvassed the le-
-
certain phases of the bonus legisla-
ton McCumber wants to learn.
for one thing. the effect of increas-
ing from $50 to 500 the cash bonus
limit in the bill. II such an in
crease will not make prohibitive
the first years cost. McCumber will
seek to have IL inserted
First Cost 5000. 100000.
Rough estimates made by COM
mittee members yesterday were
that the increase would make the
cash requirements for the first year
about s2O0.OOO000. What McCum-
Der wants to know from the legion
is how many Of those entitled to
the bonus would take the cash I'M
der the increased limit
Legion officials are qualified to
tell the views of those who will be-
come benefiCiarieS under the law,
said Senator McCumbeT. For that
reason the committee feels that
with the cooperation of the le-
Eion's Legislative committee mem
bers want to know whether ii will
he possible to let Secretary Mellon
find the money by issuing Treasury
certificates of indebtedness. with
out additional authorization from
Congress. In the recent tax bill
Secretary Mellon was given author
ity to issue approximately $1,000
100000 Of such certificates But that
was primarily to meet the matur-
ing shOrt-term war savings certifi-
Gates and Victory notes, which be-
gin to fall due in 1923. Some Sena-
tors. however. believe that some of
the $1,000. 100000 could be used to
raise the money for the first bonus
payment, as not all of it would be
needed Immediately. in their opin-
ion. for the refunding or repay
ment Of the shOrt-term debt"
President Harding. however may
insist that if certificates of indebt-
edness are to be issued that they
he Sneci6c91ly aufhOrized