The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1924-01-15

in White House and LET Nature
Take It's Course" Will Wage Last
Ditch Fight on Measure.
Frank B. Kent the Washington
representative of the Baltimore Sun,
writes that paper that the soldiers
bonus bill will not pass at this session
of congress, He says:
1t is dangerous to make unqualified
statements of that sort, particularly
when recent polls show enough votes
to override the presidential veto and
in face OF predictions by such cold
nosed antl-bonus senators as Smoot, of
Utah
Yet, there is a real justification for
the statement and it does not reflect
the actual and inner conviction OF the
best-posted men here, no matter what
they say publicly. Perhaps safer
way of phrasing it would be this-the
bonus is beaten unless Mr.. Coolidge
weakens, and there is no expectation OF
that.
Those who make the deepest analy-
sis of the situation present it this way
the bonus will pass the house and
senate by a wide margin. 1t will then
be vetoed by the president. The veto
will be over-ridden in the house and
the climax OF the fight will come on the
veto vote in the senate, all of which is
as old as it is obvious.
Now then, the polls that show the
bill passing over the veto IN the senate
by a margin OF two or three votes are
correct enough at this time and as lar
as they 60 but they are made on the
assumption that, after his veto has
gone to congress, the president, con-
sidering that his last card has been
PLAYED. will sit still in the White
House and "let nature take its course
II is a mistaken assumption. He does
not propose to do any such thing. 1t
can be stated on authority hard to
beat that it is his purpose to do Just
the reverse. He intends to use every
ounce of the weight Of his office IN
every legitimate way to sustain his We
to.
Not only is this the fixed Coolidge
policy, but it will be the policy OF the
administration from top to bottom. In
other words, every possible pressure
from the president and from his cabl-
net will be exerted if necessary to block
the final passage of the bill. If this
policy is adhered to no experienced
and clear-headed person has any doubt
as to the result.
There are a good many reasons from
the standpoint of presidential candi-
date why Mr. Coolidge cannot afford
to do anything but adhere to 1t. 1t IS
enough. however to give three.
First-A defeat would exhibit HIM to
the country as utterly lacking in lead
ership, as too feeble either to get what
he wants from congress or to prevent
congress from jamming the things ne
does not want down his throat
Second-The passage OF the bill over
his veto would tear the heart out OF ms
tax-reduction program and render alb
surd his campaign promises and CON
vention platform
Third-It would kill the confidence
in him Of the big business interests OF
the country which are now SO soildly
back of his candidacy and which look
TO him to save them from the bonus
and reduce taxes
In other words it would show MN
up as an inadequate and futile figure
II would completely spoil that beauti-
full picture OF wise, strong, silent, Ell
fective president which the republican
national publicity bureau has gone to
such pains to implant in the public
mind through the newspapers, the
movies and the radio 1t would come
close to making a political joke OF
him.
He cannot and he will not, say those
closest to him, be placed in such a po-
sition. and if the bonus does get by 1t
will only be because Mr.. Coolidge has
fought himself breathless. Most GER
tainly he is going to fight. He has got
to, and most certainly some of the sen
ators now listed as pro-bonus to the
last ditch will stop at the brink. They
will 90 to the ditch, but not over 1t.
Senator Lodge will be one OF them.
The pressure has not yet been applied
but it will be-