The New York herald., 1922-06-17
PRESIDENT FORCES DELAY
IN ACTION ON BONUS BILL

JeCleQ every overture iiiduc III ti0 way
of deal. They announced they would
oppose the bonus at every stage and
expressed confidence that the grow
ing resentment of the people would
compel the final rejection of the
scheme.
When he found th,.t the great ma
jority of Republican Senators were
against him Mr.. McCumber agreed to
withhold his motion to displace the
tariff. In doing so he incurred the
wrath of some of the other Republic
can bonus Senators and several times
displayed a tendency to wobble. His
last statement regarding his plans was
this:
II am not sure what will develop
on Monday. / am not disposed to
precipitate an ugly fight on the ad-
justed compensation issue. l will make
no effort to have the bill considered
at this time If an agreement can be
reached whereby I am assured the
measure will be acted on this session
of Congress. If / find there Is any
disposition to sidetrack the measure
indefinitely or not to take it up this
session, then I will do everything pos
sible to force action in this Congress.
The terms of the deal between Mr..
Lodge and Mr.. McCumber will be set
forth In a resolution which Mr.. Nc
Cumber will submit to the party con-
ference. The substance Of it will be
that it Is the sense IF the conference
that the tariff bill should be kept be-
fore the Senate until final disposal and
before any other important legislation
is taken up, except appropriation bills.
A rider to this resolution. which has
not been referred by the leaders. will
be offered by Mr.. McCumber. 1t will
provide that after the tariff bill is
acted on the bonus measure shall be
brought before the Senate and kept
there until voted on. There will be
considerable opposition to this sugges-
ton, due to the insistence Of Presi-
dent Harding that the merchant ma
rine bill be given preference In the
Senate after the tariff.
Obstacles Foreseen.
Many things are likely to interfere
with the consummation of the Lodge
McCumbef deal. One is that third
of the Republican Senators will not
participate in the conference and will
not be bound by any agreements or
conclusions reached By 1t. Another
obstacle In the way of the agreement
arranged to-day is that the President
is expected decisively to meet the mer-
chant marine issue in the same way
he approached the McCumber scheme
to sidetrack the tariff.
Still another complication to the
bonus muddle Is the Democratic posi-
ton. That party also is split over the
bonus. although the majority of the
Senators on that side of the chamber
unquestionably IRE In favor of it at
the moment They do not like the
McCumber proposition, which is the
one that the bonus Senators will try
to pass. Most of the Democratic Sem
ators will propose amendments that
will lead to unlimited debate.
The minority group among the DEM
ocrats. constituting more than one
third of their number, will unite with
the anti-bonus Senators among the
Republicans to prevent the measure
from coming up on the floor by every
available parliamentary device. Shorn
of cloture rule, which would be de-
cidedly unpopular and result in further
complexities in the parliamentary sit
uation, there is no way by which the
bonus Senator'S can stile the opposi-
ton.
Under the rules a Senator can talk
for or against the measure as long as
his breath holds out. Most of the Re-
n n ae- t.,
tors opposed to the bonus have pretty
lusty lungs and are adept in the art OF
long distance oratory.
Calls Bill Un-American.
Some idea Of the temper of the anti.
bonus Senators was revealed to-day
by Senator Glass (Va., Dem.), who was
the last Secretary of the Treasury in
the Wilson Cabinet.
II am in favor Of resorting to any
means and of taking advantage of any
opportunity" said Senator Glass. ito
prevent the abominable bonus meas
ure from coming before the Senate.
1t is un-American. un-Republican and
un-Democratic. 1t IN something that
calls for though. above personal or
partisan ambition or purpose. There
is not the slightest Justification for
the effort to saddle the people of this
country with an additional debt of at
least $1,000, 100000. and which is ad-
mitted to be only a political expedient.
The beneficiaries will have an over
night jollification with the money
given them and then spend the rest
OF their lives in raging IL back"
An illustration of the difference of
opinion as to the length of time that
might be required to pass a bonus bill.
was furnished by the estimates of two
Senators tonight. Mr.. McCumber be-
iieved "a few days would be sufficient
TO pass the BILL" Senator Borah, op-
posing N. said he thought "it would
take several weeks"