Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-03-13
BONUS GETS AID
FROM OPPONENT IS
THEIR STUPIDITY LIKELY TO
RESULT IN THE PASSAGE
OF THE MEASURE.
BY EDWARD B. CLARK

w
house and senate who were not for
the bonus at heart, but who originally
intended to vote for the measure for
political reasons, came to the conclu-
sion some time ago that the country
was opposed to the measure and they
would be safe in Withholding from it
their support. Now, some of these
members have been forced back to
their first position, and the forcing, GU
riously enough, has been done by OPP
ponents Of the whole bonus scheme IN
all its aspects.
Veterans Of the World war today
are looking forward to bonus victory
instead of a defeat, a victory made
possible by the action Of the enemy.
Men in Washington who are conscien-
tiously opposed to bonus legislation
are wondering why it is that the prop
agandists in opposition to the legisla-
ton had so little sense when they out
lined their campaign.
Many Of the American legionnaires
in Washington who, yesterday, did not
want the bonus bill to become law,
today are in favor Of it's passage. The
ranks of the veterans are being solldl-
fed behind cause to which only re-
Gently many of them were opposed.
The instant that it was made to ap-
pear that coercive methods were being
used to defeat the legislation in con-
gress, bonus opponents focked to the
standard of its proponents. 1t is re-
garded as even possible that because
of some Of the methods which have
been disclosed in promoting the anti
bonus legislation, President Coolidge
may change his attitude in the matter.
Opponents Kill Their Cause.
"Leave it to the enemy" is not
rule of either strategy or tactics, but
In this case Leave it to the enemy"
may prove to have been all sufficient.
1t is held that if the Garner revenue
act, even in form somewhat COM
promised, shall become the law of the
land, it will be more difficult to pay
the bonus than ever, but even with
deficit instead of surplus in the rev
enues facing the country, the chances
now seem to be that the bonus bill Will
be enacted, and then let what may
happen, happen.
In an old melodrama which, as mem
ory has it, was called "Youth," there
was line not altogether snappy, but
nevertheless truthful. It was to the
effect that the man who talks too
much is a fool, and that the man who
writes anything is an idiot.
Letters seemingly have proved the
undoing Of the cause of those men
who, for patriotic or other reasons,
have opposed bonus legislation. How
a manager of any great corporation
could have thought for minute that
he could write letters to his employees
charging them in turn to write letters
to their congressman in opposition to
the bonus, and hoping that the fact
Of the writing would not become
known, passes understanding, or at
any rate the understanding Of Wash
ington where letter writer's have met
their fate on many an occasion.
Quinn Changed the Situation.
It may be, as good many men here
seem to think, that bonus legislation
will keep taxes up and do lot OF
other things unpleasant to the peace
Of mind Of the average American citi-
zen. There is a wonder here, how
ever. how some corporation chiefs
ever succeeded in business when they
have shown SO little sense in handling
this particular matter.
When John r. Quinn, the national
commander Of the American Legion,
was in washington day or two ago,
he disclosed things OF which he had
written proof, which changed the
whole bonus Legislative situation with
In the time that it took him publicly
to read the letters.
It is only a coincilent, probably,
that two or three of the group which
seemingly have been active In anti
bonus activities are Of the so-called
Mellon interests. Doubtless the secre-
tary Of the treasury knew nothing
about the activities of some of the
companies in which he formerly was
interested, but the fact that these con-
Germs were in a part at least of the
so-called Mellon group of industries,
has helped to damage the anti-bonus
cause.
In view Of what has happened re
Gently this would seem to be an ex-
ceedingfy bad time to bring to bear
in the field Of legislation influence
from sources which in the present
state of the public mind, rightly or
wrongly, are regarded with suspicion.
Huguenot Anniversary.
President Coolidge has been present
ed with the first Of the new Huguenot
flfty-cent pieces, which have been
struck In commemoration of the COM
ing three-hundredth anniversary of
the landing Of the first Huguenot
refugees in the United States. The
day also will be the three-hundredth
anniversary Of the founding Of New
York city.
There are some matters of human
interest, matters which show how the
world has moved, in connection with
this celebration, and particularly with
the presentation Of the Huguenot
fifty-cent pieces to President Cool
fdge. Present on the occasion, a chief
figurs, was J. J. Jusserand, ambassa-
dor of France to the United States,