Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-15
BONUS BILL To GET
RIGHT OF WAY OVER
OTHER LEGISLATION
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Ueased Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1927

the progress OIL the OCner may De GAN
gerously retarded. Yet the bonus
will win QUIT will be passed by
the senate during the present ses-
sion of congress whether or not con-
sideration Of the tariff is concluded.
All thought of jamming the bonus
through in a few days is being aban-
doned. Senators who oppose the
measure do not wish to fllibuster or
otherwise delay it's passage but they
do want an opportunity to tell their
constituents why they are against
the proposal. Usually it takes a
member of congress more time to eX-
plain why he is fighting something
than why he favors it. Especially
is this true with measure such as
the bonus. which interests so many
thousands of eX-serVice men.
The senator who is planning to
vote against the bonus wants to ex-
plain comprehensively all his rea-
sons for so voting. There are at least
thirty senators who will vote against
the bonus. Nearly every one will
make a speech. The addresses will
vary in length. Many of the argu-
ments will have to be answered by
those sponsoring the bill. Those who
favor it also will want to show their
constituents how actively they
championed it. All this takes time.
This means that if the tariff gives
way on the calendar to the bonus,
the latter may take three or four
weeks to pass through the senate.
Veto Not Likely
Should the tariff be sidetracked
for three or four weeks it will be diff
ticult to get back the momentum al
ready achieved through night ses,
lsioffs in the last month. Relatively
little progress has been made thus
far. The intersection Of the bonus
debate will delay final action on the
tariff bill so that congress will be
in almost continuous session.
AS for the debate on the bonus.
there is talk of a presidential ad-
dress to the senate when the meas
ure breaches the floor of the SEN
ate. Mr.. Harding waited last year
until the bill was in the senate and
it was finally reported back to the
committee after he made his plea.
Mr.. Harding has let it be known
a half dozen times recently that his
attitude toward the bonus has not
changed since he asked the house
to drop the matter if the sales tax
couldn't be enacted. The house ig'
nored the presidents wishes and the
senate has before it a bill substan'
TALLY the same as the one adopted
by the house. Close friends Of the
president in the senate, including
Jim Watson, of Indiana, predict that
Mr.. Harding eventually will sign
the bonus bill. They point out that
Mr.. Harding has never said publicly
he would veto the measure and that
he hasn't said "Veto" in so many
words to members of congress-. The
argument is made on Capitol Hill
that when Mr.. Harding sees the
overwhelming majority cast for the
bonus he will gracefully bow to
the mendate of congress and sign
the measure on the ground that a
veto would be futile.
Harding Keeps Own Counsel
But Mr.. Harding has privately
to give a conspicuous example OF
idea that he wiggles and wabbles
and is reported to be getting ready
togive a conspicuous example of
consistency by Vetoing the bonus
bill Princeton university gave Mr..
Harding a degree the other day for
his "quiet courage" in opposing the
bonus and it is considered hardly
likely that at this time he will re-
verse himself though it is amazing
to see the absolute confidence which
prevails among Republican leaders
that Mr.. Harding will have change
of heart and follow their wishes.
So strongly entrenched has the
idea become of having the presi
dent follow instead of lead congress
that Capitol Hill imag1nes the pres
ident will find some reason for ac'
cepting the will Of both houses on
the bonus.
If this is to happen, in Justice to
Mr.. Harding, let it be said that he
hasn't given a. hint Of it to any
CORRESPONDENT. On the contrary, he
has assiduously cultivated the I'M
preston that he hasn't changed one
iota on the bonus and by inference
therefore that it will not earn his
signature.
HARDING WOULD PUT
TARIFF BEFORE BONUS
WASHINGTON, June '14.-Presi-
dent Harding, it was said at the
White House today, hopes and ex-
poets that the tariff bill shall be
passed prior to soldier bonus legis-
lation.
The matter of tariff legislation, it
was added, is considered by the pres
ident as most important and worthy
of the undivided attention of con-
gress.
The views of the president with
respect to the tariff bill were set
forth in connection with the report
ed intention of some members OF
the senate to seek to lay aside the
tariff bill and take up the recently
reported bonus bill.
PROPOSES TO PAY
SOLDIERS WITH CASH
WASHINGTON, June IA pro-
posal to pay the soldier bonus in
cash, the financing to be done by
means of special taxes on banks and
through use of the interest on the