The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-02-09
OPINIONS ON
BONUS BILL
ARE DIVIDED
Proponents Are Men Coming
Up for Reelection This
Year = Some Southerners
Oppose Measure.
BOTH SIDES ARE ACTIVE
by MARK SULLIVAN

group OF United States senators which
is going to oppose the soldiers bonus
legislation is as representative a body
as could be picked
IL the merit of stand taken in the
senate is to be judged by the char
acter and ability of those who support
it, together with the element of cour-
age involved, then the opposition to
the bonus bill is rather more impress
sive than the support of it, even
though smaller numerically
The anti-bonus senators include to a
striking degree the men who are more
or less the leaders of every group in
the senate. Borah, who is the strong
est of the Independent Republicans,
has already spoken in the senate
against the whole principle of bonus
legislation.
Republican Opponents.
Among the conservative Republi-
cans, Wadsworth of New York op-
posed the bonus in the recent Repub-
lican caucus and will undoubtedly
vote against it. 1t is expected that
the Republican leader who has had
the longest experience in the senate
Warren, of Wyoming, will oppose the
bill.
Among the opposition Democrats,
Underwood, of Alabama, and Glass of
Virginia are accepted leaders and
among the best men in the senate.
John Sharp Williams, who | think is
the only ex-Confederate soldier in the
senate will onnOsa tha hill
This factor of the old Confederate
soldier is going to count in the bonus
situation. There is an invidious COM
parison between the Confederate SOL
diers who endured utter poverty and
got no public aid and the local young
colored cornfield farm hand who
would now get bonus amounting to
more than years wages in civil life.
View of Farmers
Also the southern farmers say these
farm hands could not be depended on
Tor the crops this spring. Nor until
the bonus money should be spent One
southern Democratic senator, who was
home a few weeks ago and told his
state legislature in a speech that he
intended to support the national bonus
got chilly response and has since
wavered in his position.
, Nelson, of Minnesota, who shares
with Warren of Wyoming the distinc-
tion of being the only ex-union soldier
III the senate, has already spoken in
scornful comparison of the way the
recent World war veterans have been
treated, as against the hardshps of
his own Civil war experiences Mel
son regards these younger men as
soldiers deluxe
Pepper Will Have Influence
One opponent of the bonus who will
carry weight is Pepper, of 'Pennsyl
Nania. He will carry conviction not
only because of his character and abil
lty. but also because he is one senator
who might be expected to have, but
apparently does not have what is call
ed the one-year pulse" A 'one-yeal
pulse" senator is one who must come
up for reelection this present year.
Peppers recent appointment was fol
an uneXpired term, and he must fact
the primaries in May and the election
In November. This fact does no
seem TO disturb his political pulse.
Two other senator's, both Demo
Gratis, are among those who eithe
have courage enough not to be ef
feCted by the fact that they come III
concluded that there are as many DC
litical assets as liabilities in opposing
the bonus. They are King, of Utah
and Myers, of Montana. 1t may wei
be that in those two farming state
opposition TO the bonus may be a
popular among the farmers as SUI
port for it would be among ev-so
diers.
Mclean's Stand
: There are some other senator
whose position on the bonus is nc
known but who, it is believed, Nigh
be relied on to oppose the bonus
they did not have the one-year in
pulse. Mclean, of Connecticut, chai
man of the banking and currenc
committee, is a man whose Who'll
course in the senate for 10 years ha
been one of steady devotion to col
servative finance. Every consider;
ton would lead one to expect ths
Mclean would take the same pos
ton on the bonus that Secretary Me
Ion of the treasury does. For Senate
Mclean to support the bonus woul
now seem inconsistent with ever,
thing in his past senatorial career.
Frelinghuysen, of New Jersey
another senator coming in th
primaries ana election lnlS year, WI
would ordinarily be expected to O
pose the bonus. But it is in easter
states like Connecticut and New Je
sey that the soldiers bonus is mo-
acute politically.
These states of large cities ar
crowded populations are just now a
fected by widespread unemploymer
1t is, in fact, the unemployed ex-sC
der who creates the political pro
tim. Present unemployment of e
soldiers, leading to actual need
money, is the most appealing arg
ment the advocates of the bonl
have. In this fact lies one possibili
of partial defeat or modification
the bonus proposal. Everybody a
mits that the disabled soldier shou
be cared for If to those some ol
p would add the proposal that the el
~ ployed soldier should also be car
for, that might make an effecti'
counter-proposal to the univers
bonus scheme.
Copyright 1922 by New York
Evening Post Inc.)