Evening journal., 1922-06-21
BONUS To WAIT
ON TARIFF BILL

CONTINUED From First Page)
luton. put through by Senator
Lodge majority leader, will have on
the bonus situation. is a matter of
conjecture. Republican bonus Sena-
tors who refused to accept the judg-
ment of the President, all Senators
OF both parties opposed to the bonus
and the Democrats who charge that
they were betrayed" by McCumber,
made II quite clear that they would
not be bound by any agreements,
rules or any other legislative OBJ
stacles that would ordinarily govern
their activities.
The one outstanding fact Is that
the bonus promises to be a running
sore in Congressional politics until
il is disposed of one way or another
or until the majority in the Senate
adopts the policy suggested by Pres
ident Harding and sets it aside. an
undertaking that will be character
lied by thrillers in the way of oral
and emotional expressions.
The Presidents attitude, while
clearly understood by both the pro-
ponents and opponents of the s5,-
O00,O0O.000 bonus raid was not re-
ferred to during the spectacular
scrimmages. The opponents Of the
scheme were even more pronounced
in expressing confidence that the
President would veto the bonus bill
IL II was sent to him.
The reason for their optimism was
n positive and comprehensive state
ment unofflcially communicated by
the White House to the Capitol. II
was in effect that the President be-
lieves he has, with sufficient fire.
quency and reasonable accuracy, in
dicated his position on the bonus.
The statement. which was direct
enough to Justify complete accept
ance that IL any doubt now exists
as to the Presidents attitude on the
bonus his letter to Mr.. Fordney is |
still on file and constitutes his fna. |
judgment on the proposition.
The President was not brought !
into the Senate rumpus yesterday |
There was. as said, no reference (
made as TO his position beyond DEM
Ocratic charges that he was attempt
ing to usurp the prerogatives of
Congress- But the bonus itself was
pretty we'll tried out from every
angle and at times under stress OF
mental excitement on the part OF
the bonus advocates, who discover
ed many imaginary tricks to de-
fraud them out Of the political sup
port of the soldier voters clam orins
for a bonus.
The war cry of the bonus Sena-
tors brought the largest attendance
of Senators recorded since the be-
ginning Of the tariff debate two
months ago. During the action
which provided lots of animation
and some entertainment, probably
one-third of the membership took a
hand, or more correctly, a voice in
the exchange of charges. warnings
threats and pleadings that ensued.
The bright spot in the line of ora
tory was contributed by John Sharp
Williams, miss, Dem). He vigor- {
ously denounced the motives Of the
advocates of the bonus, condemned ,
the ambitions of soldiers seeking il
and whimsically told a story or two
that took the sting out of some of
the ponderous efforts of few of his
party colleagues who all but wepi
over the alleged distress Of the able
bodied ex-service men seeking cash
from the treasury.
Mr.. McCumber. the sponsor for
the bonus measure. was severely
heckled by the Democratic bonus
Senators. who charged him with vio- Il
Iating his agreement to call up the I
bonus without further delay. The T
North Dakota Senator, who is facing {
defeat in the primaries next week
FOR various reasons. including the a
bonus. attempted to Justify his I.
action in agreeing to the program
suggested by the President
His experience in doing so was
not a happy one. Delegations Of eX- f
,ervice men who helped pack the
senate galleries indicated their COM p
,lete concurrence with the Demo- o
ratio view that Mr.. McCumbeE had c
deserted the bonus army at the COM {
nand of President Harding.
Mr.. McCumber was compelled &c
,dmit the charge. but he contended c
hat the agreement made by twenty s
even Of the sixty Republican SEN
tors to bring in the bonus bill after a
he tariff would enable him to make
rood his threat to compel the pass 81
.ge of a bonus bill at this session.
Mr.. McCumher's statement of his
position was much more Apologize
n tone than his previous decisions
N the subject After he had made p
he took a back seat, leaving Sen 4.
tors LodgeC leader of the upper u
.ouse and Watson. UndO in COM o
nand Of the Administration forces -