Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-09-20
VETOED
DRES1DE,

DRESlDENT HARDlNG'S veto Of the
Soldier Bonus Bill was inevitable. No
one In Washington. either in the lobby or
gnnizcd by Commander MncNidcr or in Con-
grcss. expected Il different outcome of what
may justly be called n scandal Of political
orportunism in the Senate.
The House. being even less sensitive than
the Senate TO considerations of its general
responsibility, probably will rcpass the bill
over the Presidents veto with Il hurrah.
such action will he in accord with political
science as 1T is understood by the average
Representative. The gallery will he pleased.
And the House will know that the bonus
measure will die. ns II was destined first
TO die, in the Senate. where enough votes
I" carry 1t over the veto cannot be mar
shalcd.
calm and just regard for the material
ana moral interests of the country Is re-
t"r'ed in Mr.. lIarding's message. The
noh'irians in Congress have been thinking
only OF themselves. Commander MaCNidcr
mas b'en thinking only of the pro- bonus
members of the American Legion. The
President took time TO think for the country.
and for that hc deserves the sratitud" of
hend and his courage. IN returning the bill
unsigned he does little but repeat his orgi.
nal objections and remind Congress again
OF condition TO which he called its nttcn-
ton nt the outset when he informed the
leaders OF the bonus movement that he would
veto any bonus bill that did not provide
means of obtaining the necessary revenues.
No dependable means of obnining revenues
was suggested. Congress could not think Of
any. II didn't feel in its heart that it
needed to think of any. because the men who
had most TO say in favor Of the bonus knew
that bonus was impossible.
In the present fiscal year the Government
will spend over half billion dollars for
the care of disabled soldiers. There must
never he any limit to the effort which such
expenditures represent. Next y"ar. as Mr.
Harding points out. we shall spend virtually
as much. The total of the awards made in
discharge bonuses was approximately
n quarter Of billion. If the Bonus
Bill had been signed instead Of We
'ocd W" should now hav" to pre-
pare to find about four billions more
for further awards 10 men who served in
military organizations during the recent
war. None of the revenue raising methods
proposed casually during the debate of the
last six months was practical. Many of
them wore fantastic and some Of them were
actually dangerous. Congress compromised
in the usual way. It decided +" put the
burden Of n stupendous debt upon posterlty.
Doing that however. II was ready to impair
III" credit Of the country permanently Even
service mon would hay" benefited little.
Bonus certificates of the sort proposed as
promisSory notes issued against future gen
orati"ns would almost certainly have been
of uncertain value in the present financial
state Of the country and til" world. Speru
lators of the far future might have grown
rich on bonus paper. Almost every ono
inmcdiatcly concerned would have lost in
ono way or another.
The senate hated the Thought "i II bonus
from tho first Instead Of rejecting the s. =
sestlon, however. il rcsortpd 70 an uncx.
amplcd series Of prctonseS. poses and sub
tcrfugcs The lobby that was in part rc.
sponsiblc for the Senates Might must share
the blame for one Of tho sorricst games Of
political evasion ever played ont on the floor
of Congress. For Congress merely imposed
upon the President duty which mono Of its
leaders had the courage to perform. II left
10 Mr.. Harding tn" duty Of telling the
service men that the pa!ment Of the bonus
they demanded was impossible: TINT the
country. burdcned as IL IS, couldn't bear the
additional weight. and that II is tho duty OF
the Nation 10 devote its wealth and it's
I ttouyhts TO the welfare Of sick and disabled