The New York herald., 1922-08-07
DEMOCRATS REJECT
SENATE BONUS BILL
Refuse to Commit Themselves
to Support Of McCum-
ber's Measure.
HAVE THEIR OWN PLAN
They Will Propose Many
Amendments to Put Re-
publicans in Hole.

Special Dispatch 10 THE NEW YORK HnxALn.
New York Heruld Bureau.
Washington. ID. c., Aug. g.
The Democratic leaders of the Senate
have turned down their thumbs on the
McCumber bill to impose a $4,000. .0oo.-
600 bonus raid on the public Treasury.
Overtures from Republican bonus SEN
ators for an agreement committing the
Democratic sympathizers of the raid to
the support Of the measure have been
rejected on the ground that minority
Senators have some other plan for pay
ing their individual political debts than
out Of the public treasury
While many Democratic Senators, like
some of their Republican colleagues.
still labor under the delusion that the
politicians in the American Legion can
help them politically, the majority OF
them regard the McCumbcr measure as
the worst plan yet suggested.
The Democratic bonus Senator'S have,
therefore, served notice on MIR. Nc
Cumber and other ardent bonus Repre-
sentatives that they Will accept the
McCumber measure only as last resort
and IL other plans are rejected. The
dominant influence on the Democratic
side is to put the Republicans In
hole" by compelling them to pass the
$4,000. 00O, 900 bonus raid and thereby
pile further burdens Of taxation on the
people of the country.
strategy of Democrats.
A few Democratic leaders. both in and
|
strategy to lend as much help as nec-
essary to represent bonus Senator'S In
rutting through the bill In order to In
fiuence sentiment against President Har-
dmg's Administration. which Is pledged
to retrenchment and economy II rs OF
little concern to the Democratic leaders
that President Harding will reject the
McCumber measure as he has Indicated
On several occasions. The Democrats
plan to point out 10 the people that the
Republican majorities in both Houses
completely disregarded the economy
pledges of the Harding Administration
and proposed to increase the burdens of
taxation for many years to come.
The chief Republican sponsor of the
bonus bill continues to be Senator Me-
Cumber, who. having been defeated for
renomination has nothing to lose. The
defeated North Dakota Senator seems
more insistent than ever that his party
shall expose itself to the indignation OF
citizens who have repeatedly empha-
sized their opposition to the project to
live Government money TO men who
suffered no injury, but were rather
helped by their experience in the service
ct the country
Mr.. McCumber and other representa-
tive bonus Senators still assert that the
Republican party is committed to the
bonus" The record of party declara-
tions on the subject shows that it did
not do anything of the sort individual
Senators voluntarily offered TO support
movement for bonus for able bodied
men. but the party itself limited its
pledge to caring for the manned, sick
| and disabled survivors of the war
| against German militarism.
Persistent Attitude shown.
The repeated objections urged by
President Harding against the McCum-
Der bonus bill have made little if any
impression on some Senators OF his
party. who still assert that the Execu-
tive can be induced to accept It, Per-
sons who have talked with the Presi-
| dent have the very best reasons for hold
ing contrary opinion. Even the most
ardent bonus Senators concede the prob
The fact Is few of them really care
what the President dves. Their entire
concern is to capitalize individual ad-.
Vocacy of II by pointing TO the fact
that they voted FOR IL. Mr. McCumbcr
and his bonus allies have made several
attempts to devise bonus bill which
might stand n chance Of receiving presi
dental approval. They have completely
laiied to produce ono against which the
ooJections enumerated by the President
and Secretary Mellon would not apply.
The Democratic bonus Senators re-
gard IN humorous light the efforts of
Mr.. McCumber and MIG associates ~
frame new bonus bin They have
made several suggestions in a Pick
wickian sense. which Mr.. McCunfber and
his allies know full well would not bc
acceptable at the White House
When the bill In brought up al Tho
close OF the tariff debate the Democrats
bonus Senators will propose numerous
attractive" amcndmentss 10 the Nc
Cumber measure. They will demand
that full cash bonus be paid on the
spot and that wartime taxes be restored
or that the foreign debts be wrunr
out OF European governments without
further delay to pay the bill. None OF
these proposals would be acceptable Ia
the President and all OF them are GER
tain to find disfavor with the people OF
the country, who continue TO Register
their protest against the whole bonus
business.
Some of the Protests.
Convincing evidence that the citizens
OF the country have set their faces
against the bonus is furnished by the
communications protesting against II
whlCi continue TO shower on Senator's
Some of the most interesting OF these
protests received during tho last few
days are as follows:
From a resident OF Illinois: SEQ In
THE NEW YoRK HERALD that tho bonus
will soon come up for consideration
You have never announced your stand
on the measure. The voters OF this
state stand about three to one against
! H. I sincerely hope you will come out
| against it,
1 From resident in Wisconsin: "Thc
platform OF the Republican party stood
for a reduced taxation, and firmly be-
lieve the bonus bill calling for some
5000 900. 900 additional taxes will de.
feat the party in tho next election Il
permitted to bc passed by the Republl-
can majority"
/ From resident Of Nebraska II have
been Republican all my life. bu.
frankly. I am sufficiently disguised st
that II win take mighty little more such
as this bonus proposition to lose my vot,
entirely. This goes for, the rest of tbs