The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-05-27
COURAGEOUS REPUBLICANS

President Coolidge's veto of tho
Bonus bill was admitted even b,
his enemies and It's friends to be
IN act OF great courage. But con
slider the greater courage of the
thirty Republican Senator'S who
voted to override his veto and so
made the bill law They had TO
face the ordeal of standing up ana
repudiating their own President
That took courage. They had to
confess that the Republican Party
is a shattered and leaderless or
ganization. That took courage.
| They had to rise and present to
| their Democratic opponents an is
sue and cry which will resound
to the hurt OF the Republicans all
through the Presidential election.
That took courage. They were
called upon to acknowledge pub
licly, what has before been known
only in private, that they dislike
the President, that they do not
mean to support him honestly, and
that they would witness his defeat
next November without tear.
That took courage. The whole
group of them, from Curtis to
Lodge and Warren, ought to be
presented with a special medal for
bravery.
Nor did their courage stop with
the manifestations just cited. They
boldly took a stand that logically
means the defeat of tax revision
and the end of the hope of a re-
duction OF tax burdens. On an al
ready threatened deficit they piled
an additional $146,00O,000. Under
the guise Of passing an insurance
dill for veterans. they opened, as
they well knew, door through
which the triumphant lobbyists for
the bonus will press instantly with
demands for larger payments in
cash. Instead of making an end of
the bonus in our politics, they made
sure that it will continue there in
a still more misunderstanding
form. While praising courage, do
not forget to give high place to
that Of these Republican Senators
who could face such dread conse-
quences without blenching.
They displayd. moreover, very
unusual courage in withstanding
the appea6'of the most disinterest-
ed and intelligent among their
constituents. Take the New Eng
land Senators. They were urged
to stand by the New England Pres
ident. They were plainly told as
for example by The Boston Herald,
that "if Calvin Coolidge should
fail of election to the Presidency
in November, it would in our judg-
ment be due more than anything
else to the charge which the Dem
oCrats are sure to make-that he
lacks ability, as leader; and they
will base this upon the attitude OF
a Republican Congress, and par
ticularly of its New England mem
bers toward his great vetos." But
did this have any effect upon "our
own Henry Cabot Lodge? Did it
influence. Frederick Hale of Maine?
Did it cause the two Republican
Senators from Connecticut, Brande-
gee and Mclean, to waver in their
purpose? Not for moment. New
England, God forgive her, she's a.
kneelin' with the rest.
. There is a kind of courage which
verges on recklessness and insan-
ity. Moral philosophers have de-
fined it as "the courage of fools"
The exhibition of it which the Re-
publican Senators have given, the
country can survive. But can they
outlive it? Can their party recover
from the frightful blow they have
given it? These are questions
which no one will be asking today
with more anxiety than loyal Re-
pnblicans.-+New York Times.