Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-10
TIGHTENING
BONUS PRESSURE
Soldler Vote" Organized to
Beat Congressman Who
Arc Not "Edght''
! BUSINESS RoARs PROTEST
By q star Corresamde,lt


eommanders In the States.
The department commanders have full
ciscretion In their respective jurisdic.
t10ns to do whatever they consider bcSi
70 Keep the bonus question before tht
Pubic and put pressure on members
ofCongrcss to support bonus legislation
AS matter Of fact. We do moi
regard the Bonus Bill as political
question" II. II. Raege. member ol
the National Legislative Committee OF
the American Legion. asserted. eve
regard II MS an economic question
What is the American Legion doing
to push the bill through Congress-
Observation-Disclosures to keep
In touch with the situation here
What are you doing in the States?'
That Is up to the departme com
manders. The national organization OF
the Legion is not interfering with the
department commanders or suggesting
programs for them. They may do what :
ever they wish on the bonus
AS IL works out. tho procedure in
most Of the States is substantially the
same. Through the State organizations
and local posts. every member OF Con :
sress is checked ur, and IL not right
on the bonus. pressure Is cxerted 10
convert him to the support Of the bill.
This method oe arplving local pressure
has proved 50 effective that the Bonus
Bill Is strSdger in the House today than
TWO yecfs ago, when it was passed by n
vote ,of 2s0 to o..
Members Of Congress who voted
ASainst the bill before have been op-
posed for reelection on, that issue.
Others who vote against bopus. legisla-
stion when 1t comes M again this spring
win likewise run tho risk of opposition
In their home districts.
se "Soldier candidates are entering the
deld in some districts. making a direct
appeal for the support of service mon
on the ground that they favor the bonus.
This form Of political intimidat ton has
won over many members who. rather
than face the opposition of the or
Eanized ''soldier vote,' have fallen in
line for the bonus
Meanwhile Congressman are hearing
also from opponents Of the bonus.
Business men and taxpayers are writing
them. This opposition is becoming more
widespread. Sometimes it is bitterly
antagonistir.
Typical Letter Of Protest
Here is a letter received by one mem.
ber Of Congress, with the name and
address OF the sender deleted:
''My Dear Congressman:
I'VE arc told mp here in the public
press, and otherwise, that we are about
ito be presented with the Soldiers Bonus
Act, SO called. 1t seems to be looked
up on a good deal as a visitation of the
BLACK Plague might have been n few
centuries ago. something to be dreaded
sand feared. but something which must
sbe submitted to as visitation of Provi-
tdence.
! when. however. We consider that it
NUT be voted into the law Of the land
6y our representatives in Congress be-
fore We have to have it. it does not
seem quite so providential in any aspect
as. say, the Black Plague.
''The subject has been debated almost
as thoroughly as the thrice cursed VOL
stead act, and it is waste Of your
time to ask you to listen to arguments
against the Soldiers Bonus Act from
me, which wou already know by heart
backward.
s 1T may not be out Of place, how
ever, to state to you how the subject
appears right here in B to the
writer and many of his friends. clients
and associates, we who live and vote
in B, and whose votes sent you as
our Representative to Washington.
Taxes Are Too High Even Now
"With taxation what it is now
and, without exception, taxation is the
one paramount question before the busi-
ness man today-the putting of billion
dollars more or less on the business
mans back yearly for the purpose of
stopping the political screeching of a
comparatively few of the radical wing
OF the American Legion-and this at
a time when the country is trying its
best Il almost said its tt to re-
cover from the knockout now paralyzing
the world, Is to commit harikari in the
most finished and approved manner,
and TO pull down the temple as Sam
son did on the business of the country,
and on those who by their votes bring
r this situation to pass.
THE taxation situation at present
with the business man in 1922, unable
to know bis overhead in 1917, is dia
bolicnl. With this proposed legislation
accomplished, there is no adequate word
: ] believe, in Webster or out Of It, tC
fairly express the situation.
Cheap, Sickening Mendirancy"
II would not be tit TO he tho Amcri .
can know ! am with the war record
: in my family running back 10 the War
Of 1S12), il did not stand back Of and
demand that the Government adequately
care for those disabled. but when it /,
proposed to tax the country, already
braked almost to standStill by foo
taxation methods. fy billion or more
10 scatter few pennies to each scrvic,
man, the whole operation becomes one
Of cheap, sickcning mcndicancy or
one hand and business suicide on tn,
others, and all for what-P-O-L-I,
Tics?
"Do you or any other intcligen
representative in Washington thini
that the few thousand radical srryir,
men OF the country control it? DE-
You or any other intelligent representa-
tive in Congress think that the cater
ing to the insane demand which pro
notes the hue and cry for the soldiers
Bonus ACT is going 10 work for you
or their advantage personally or 70
your or their party?
'"The honorable Secretary of tn
Treasury seems to be the only publ
man In the entire country with tn
courage OF his convictions. lie stand
to his guns and points out with kecr
insight ana unswerVing fidelity wha
cannot possibly help happening if thi
bill goes through,
II hope you will have the Soun,
judgment and stubborn uprichtncs
which your name indiratps your ra"ia
ancestors possessed. and which YOU
friends, one and all, hope you are cqla
TO, and that at least one representative
from b can be placed in the safe
and sane column when the wreckin
crow is on the job
fNEr -------------------
Chicago Opera Baritone to Wed
New York, Feb, 10.--(By \. p
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