Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-11-02
THE BONUS CAN CARRY:

Within the past few DAYS there has considerable discussion
the possibility OF the soldiers bonus beng defeated III TINS
state even majority of the favor it, account OF an
alleged Joker in the law providing for the submission OF the que
This discussion argument based on portion OF Sec Is
of Article " of the constitution which reads
and the moneys thus borrowed shall be applied for the
pose for which they obtained and other debt
shall be contracted unless the law authorizing the same shall
at general election have been submitted the people and have
received majority the for members OF the General
Assembly at such election
In the first place the manner which the bonus be voted
on (Which the contracting by the OF debt TO the
bonus and INTEREST," Joker different from any other similar
debt authorized the present constitution OF 1870 went INTO
effect will be voted and the result determined as provided by that
constitution quoted above The idea advanced that the
could be carried under system OF voting for rereSe
the general assembly each voter entitled to three votes
In this the coming election is estimated that approximately
100000 voters will their ballots Allowing three for
representative each 100000 votes will be cast lS
would under literal reading necessiate 3ooooo1 votes to be cast
of the bonus fifty than the number 81
voters order that should carry OF such construction
would be absurd any such grounds would be useless to sub
NIT the question ALL would be foredoomed to defeat
The supreme passed upon exactly this question the
Mitchell Lo5ed 2SS Ill., 32 the decision being rendered by
Chief Justice Dunn opinion dated June 10 1919 in test
the S6ooooooo for the construction of the statewide
roads In insisted that 1.-THE finding by the
canvassng board of this majority favor of the
Gus for the canassng board had the
(8oS82 who voted for members OF the general
assembly instead the number of cast by such for
bers of the general assembly which number of three
times the number of and that by proper construction
of the law the majority of the votes cast the election for
bers of the general assembly for the act The
the meaning Of the constitution that the law did
therefore, receive constitutional majority for such meaning
wolves the asurity OF holding that the trainers OF that instrument
and the people adopting intended prohibit the creation of debt
unless the proposition for creation should receive cleo
greater than all the electors entitled cast And
further h intention of Section Is of Article " of the contu
ton the general assembly imposing Indebtedness
the where majority of the election
for members of the general assembly should of the
mourning the liability and that the construction which give
its language
The foregoing largely for the benefit of number of readers
who really believed there "a niger the wood pile defeat
the bonus OF if such the would have been
rpped up the back long before this All that necessary put
the bonus get majority of the their ballots
for November J. and is hardly be presumed that Illinois
will be the first voting defeat it has been voted
nneeen and has carried every All the other allies
have long ago financed generous bonus and did without qu
bling and trimming the nations suffering severely from the
burden of the recognized debt and did this thing
cosy for their soldiers The boys don't ask the bonus gift
charity but the ground that they entitled better
compensation for their time than given them Nor do they favor
the idea published number of papers implied threat that
they would be any less patriotic ready respond call if
necessity demanded in the future if the bonus should fail
Bonus bonus they will be the service of their country
event but they do believe that they honestly entitled
compensation for being deprived of the opportunity of
ing the liberal paid those who the during
the time they gone. The bonus is gift but debt