Newark post., 1922-05-10
Largely 0liticaI

It is clearly up to President Harding and
his friends in the United States Senate to
block the proposed soldiers and sailors bonus
raid on the Treasury. They know that it is
wrong in principle and that it would be
ruinous in effect Therefore, they should
stand firmly in opposition to the raid and in
defense Of the public interests.
AS indicating the shamelessness and the
shamefulness of the bonus scheme and the
selfish and sordid spirit underlying it, the
New York Tribune says today:
According to The Tribunes Washington
correspondent President Harding shocked
delegation Of Senators by telling them that
the movement for the bonus was largely
political" The Senators were taken aback
not so much by what the President said as by
what they considered his temerity in saying
it. They prefer to be less open. Yet every
body knows that the bonus bill is in their
minds bill to aid Congressman seeking re-
election more than it is bill to aid soldiers.
When bonus advocate tried to tell the House
that it was grinding no AK of its own in
voting for adjusted compensation there was
an outburst of cynical laughter
The Congressman who want to rush
through bonus bill without providing new
revenue to meet its costs are looking out for
themselves AS Senator Borah has said they
hope to mend their fences by spending money
not contributed by themselves or drawn from
party campaign funds, but taken out of the
Federal Treasury. They want to WOO the
soldier vote by bonus legislation, yet not Of
fend the taxpayer by clapping on new taxes.
The President is in a different position.
He has to protect the Treasurys solvency.
The Administrators greatest achievement
in domestic politics has been the reduction of
taxation and expenditure. The governments
outlay in 1922 will be 81 00,000,000 under
it's outlay in 1921. This is an amazing con-
tribution to economic readjustment. Under
budget control the business of the govern
ment is being systematized in way to insure
further saving. But the fruits of all this
labor and progress will be sacrificed if Con-
gress passes a bonus act entailing an outlay
of billions and leaves the Treasury to pay the
new drafts out of it's present resources.
President Harding has duty to his own
work and policies. He has rightly put re-
turn to normal peace conditions ahead of all
other aims. In this he has the support of the
country. The bonus Congressmen ask him to
scrap his plans and to do violence to the pub
lie interest merely to make their-Way easy to
denomination and reelection.
The Treasury has two hard years ahead
Deficits, renewed borrowings and imitation
would put us back where we were couple Of
years ago. 1t is clear that if a bonus is to be
paid a tax ought to be levied to pay it. Other
wise bonus legislation ought to be deferred
That is the Presidents view.~ It is the only
view consistent with sound finance or with
the continuance Of the policy of administra-
tive efficiency which, as General Dawes latest
report shows, has already yielded magnificent
results.
Sentiment in Delaware is overwhelmingly
against the raid, and that is true with respect
to the other States.
President Harding should take the high
ground that the welfare and the solvency Of
the United States are of far greater import
ance than is the reelection of any member of
the Senate or the House and that any Senator
or Representative who cannot be reelected
unless he become party to the proposed
Federal Treasury raid, should be defeated
and retired ANONYMOUSLY to private life
Evening Journal.