The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-09-25
''P9i PoLlTlcA nc aME
By Hugh w. M

Dy huBu W. xX43xUH&l
Washington, Sept. q 6urvey of
the situation followin{ the death Of
the bonus bill reveals 3ealm and RIGA
content, an almost und plainAble sat
isfaction, on the part Il SIT political
elements in both great belitlcal par
ties. 49,
There is no denial HAT the bonus
was in the main political. Though
the bonus bill was losE Tie serenity
of countenance displa}kd Sby every
body is indicative of ne Probability
that everybody played Heir cards ex-
ceedingly we'll.
1t is true that RepubIican pohti-
clans, before the reHcsion 2of the
bonus, informed Republican represen-
tatives and senators Nat, Returning
home, they could not Slaira to have
"stood by" the admirist thtion if they
crossed the administrator respectin 9
the bonus. But RepubfsSN senator's
and representatives arS 30 hare of
the attitude Of their iktituerts that
they are certain that fbS explaining
of their zone and Infection will
result in forgiveness.
The Democratic menib&rs Of con-
gress who supported ths bonus anil
lost are exceedingly well pleased with
themselves and their pos;tions. They
are calculating on sweeping their
soldier constituents off 86eir feet by
declaring that they hDa gone the
limit, but that, with a Republican ma
jority, they had not proved stron,.
enough to counteract theF Shameful eli
feet Of Wall street.
Experienced politicians IN Washing
ton declare that no other Legislation
has ever presented finer opportunity
to the smart demagofpe than the
bonus. 1t is unquestienably true tina.
the Democrat has the advantage. Tie
Republican can not wa& with bitter
ness lest he intrude on tie toes of the
administration. But tie; Democrat
may proceed ad libert IA. adj infni
tum. Wk
AS matter of fact, TIE was very
little propaganda either q Or against
the bonus. Hearst ewtaapers play
ed the game. The ufked s. Itez
chamber of commerce opfSse7 the bin
Officers of the Americs Ion es.
poused IL The ex-so4 4e
slixs - arrA Aake5 i. !. " "
was niosbesignil.k Xly silent.
The opponents Of the b aus I'm con.
eress are as we'll pleassa with them.
selves as the proponents Of the borSs
Thep feel that the country at large
and at heart will applaud them foi
preventing what they term a raid or
the treasury, for having refused t,
yield to ga popular hysteria."
They feel that able bodied Ameri
can boys who defended their countl '
do not want gratuity for sacri
flee of love. They argue that the coun
try might as well pay It's sons fol
defending their parents as for de
Tending it. They admit belief tina
the country would not capitalize pa
triotism, or set precedents as result
of which, in the future, a soldier woulc
proceed to fight with the expectation
that he had more than honor a
stake.
The opponents of the bonus furthe
strengthen themselves by referring 4
the lack of machinery provided in th'
ill-starred bill; and also to the fac
that the bonus, in providing mean;
of borrowing small sums at long in
tervals, in a sense of concrete values
meant nothing. ~
The bonus bill was attempted b.
Republican members of congress il
response to officials of the America:
Legion. They would not have attempt
ed it in opposition to the presiden
but for the fact tina c0ngressiona
campaigns faced them.
When the president informed con
gress that he would oppose bonu
bill unless congress, by legislation
provided for the payment of tn
bonus, congress trembled in its boots
1t found it impossible to put into eff
feet new methods OF taxation, fer ney
methods of taxation would be ruinous
in a political and economic sense. s.
in their desperate strait, they plan
ned to throw the bonus on the presi
dent. They preferred to embarras
the national ticket rather than then,
selves, especially as the national tick
ct had two year lease of life.
The president bombed back tn
hucL uo 20 y,Ioacad with him oself