Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-09-02
American Legion Still Is Con-
fident That President Will
Reconsider Decision if
Measure Is Passed
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
DOWNRIGHT 1921

Copyright. 1929
WASHINGTON, Aug. 31.-Soldier
bonus looks hopeless today. A count
of noses in the senate shows the
! improbability of passage over a pres
idential veto. Charges of insincerity
are being openly made for the bill
as it passed the house has been load
ed up with amendments which alone
would produce a presidential veto,
and the fact is that men who are
known to be ready to vote against
scented have helped by their votes
to attach amendments to the bill.
American Legion men are still con-
fident thaE President Harding will
not commit what seems to them a
political biunder in vetoing the sol
diers compensation bill. They argue
that Mr.. Harding acknowledges that
in principle he favors a'soldiers' bonus
and that he committed himself to
that course in the 1920 campaign.
Mr.. Harding has said, however that
he objects to the methods proposed
for financing the bonus. If he can
be convinced that the methods are
sound, his fundamental attitude on
the bonus itself would, it is contend
ed, make it incumbent upon him to
sign the bill.
Chance Is Small
Enough votes are assured to pass
the measure in the senate and the
friends of the bill still have an OPP
portunity to eliminate the undesira-
BILE senate amendments when the bill
gets into the conference committee.
So long as there is chance of Sc
curing presidential approval, the
champions of the bill will work to
get the thing in such a shape as to
attract the presidential pen.
So far as Mr., Harding is concern
ed, he has reiterated recently that
he favors bonus bills but Unless
sales taxes is adopted the bill can
not be adopted unless the nations
finances are in better condition than
they are now. Senator Smoot pro
posed a sales tax, and it was re
jected in the senate. Mr.. Harding
request has been refused and he is
in a position if he chooses. to make
| that the basis of his veto.
The president has not publicly
proclaimed his intention Of vetoine
| the bill, however. nor has he sale
so in any formal way to congress
In response to inquiries he has de
clared that he did not think it prop
1 err for the chief executive to sa,
what his course would be in ad
vance of action by congress. Thi:
is not an altogether new concep
ton of executive courtesy toward
congress. but it is in line with Mr.
Harding's belief that the Legislative
branch should be given every op
portunity to exercise it's free judg
ment without dictation from hi
White House. So many times il
the past members of congress hav'
executed their votes on the grounC
| that they did not wish to Vot'
against the president or that the.
felt it useless to champion a bill
which was certain of executive dis
approval.
Congress Responsible
The presidents idea is that con
gressional responsibility for pas
sage of legislation will rest solel.
on members of congress. He knows
| Of course, that many members o
congress who might otherwise op
pose the bonus, are fearful of tn
political consequences, and will b
pleased by the presidential veto, TO
they will be squaring themselve
with their soldier constituents OF
the one hand, while the others VIII
think it harmful to the communit'
will be spared the ill-effects by tn
action Of the executive in killing
the bill.
Curiously enough the thought o
the moment Is that failure to pas
over the presidents veto will en-
the matter. But it will not. Poll
ticians who have watched congress
behave under the stress of fall cleo
tons are of the opinion that tn
day of the bonus is merely bein
postponed and that the Republica,
party will not dare to go into tn
1924 presidential campaign without
a specific pledge in favor of a so,
der bonus, and that the presider
tial candidate will find it necessar
to make that pledge. Broadly. speak
ing, the advocates of soldier bonu
will not quit their fight with tn
present session of congress. The
really believe their chances of ulti
mate success are better than eve
and that the votes in both house