The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-09-01

fSpecial Dispatch to i ne heloIHle''i
Copyright 1922.
WASHINGTON, Sept. l.-Soldier
bonus looks hopeless. \ count of noses
in the senate shows the improbability OF
massage over a presidential veto. Charges
of jnsincerity are being openly made FOR
the bill as it passed the house has been
loaded up with amendments which alone
would produce presidential 7eto' a.'"
the fact is that men who are known TO De
ro,dv to vote agains+ hc bonus bill when
= i dnaily presented have helped by
a.. votes 70 attach amendments to the
bill .. -, .e
American Legion men are still conn
don't that President Harding will not
commit what seems to them political
blunder in vetoing the soldiers compensa-
ton bill. They argue that Mr. Harding
acknowledges that in principle ne fayor5
a soldiers bonus and that he conn l'.'
himself to that course IN the Iy-V e'n.
,a;g, Mr. Harding has said. however,
R5a9 No obiacts to the methods proposed
for financing the bonus. If he can De
convinced that the methods are SOUND, M
fnndameptaI attitude on the bonus ltseii
would II is commended. make it lncum-
bent upon him to sign the bill.
Nav Save 1t in Conference.
Tho friends of the bill still have an
o,,,,crtunitv TO eliminate the undesIraOle
SENATE amendments when the Dih 60
into conference committee 30 !ohe ~
there is chance OF securing Iii
ennroyaI the champions Of the Dill Will
,iorL 10 get things in such shape as 10
attract the presidential pen. -
-, far MS Mr. Harding Is concerned
no has reiterated recently that he taVorS
a bonus. but that unless sales TAX Is
enacted the legislation should be post
1,o,ed until the nations finances are III
better condition than they are now. Sen
ator SmoOt proposed a sales tax ana II
1ras rejected in the senate. Thus MI.
Harding's request has been refused ana
he is i'm a position if he chooses to make
that the basis of his veto.
The President has not publicly pro
claimed his intention OF vetolng tne Dill
bowpver. nor has he said 50 IN any formal
yvav to congress. In response to lnqm-
rias. he has declared that he dad not
think If prbper for the chief executive to
say what his course would be IN advance
of action by congress. This IS not an al
together new conception OF executive
courtesy toward congress, but 1t IS IN
line with Mr.. Harding's belief that the
legislative branch should be given every
opDnrtunity to exercise its free Judgment
without dictation from the White House.
60 many times in the past members OF
congress have excused their votes on the
ground that they did not wish to vote
against the President or that they felt
it useless to champion a bill which was
certain of executive disapproval.
Congress Must Be Independent.
The Presidents idea is that congress
sional responsibility for the passage of
laeisTa tior shall rest solely on members
of congress. He knows. of course. that
many members of congress who might
otherwise oppose the bonus are fearful of
the political consequences and will be
pleased by the presidential veto for they
will be Squaring themselves with their
soldier constituents on the one hand while
the others who think it harmful to the
community viii be spared the ill-etfects
by the action of the executive IN killing
the bill.
Curiously enough. the thought of the
moment is that failure to pass over the
Presidents veto viii end the matter. But
il will not Politicians who have watched
congress behave under the stress OF fall
elections are of the opinion that the day
of the bonus IS merely being postponed
and that the Republican party viii not
dare to go into the 1924 presidential cam
paign without a specific pledge in favor
of a soldier bonus and that the preSden-
tial candidate viii find it necessary to
make that pledge. Broadly speaking, the
advocates Of soldier bonus will not quit
their fight with the present session of
congress. They really believe their
chances of ultimate success are better
than ever and that the Votes in both
houses of congress, either before or after
the presidential Veto viii be an over
whelming mandate to the Republican
party and its choice for 1924.