The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-05-16
PREDICT BONUS
MEASURE WILL
BECOME A LAW
Leaders Predict Passage of
Insurance Compensation
Bill Over Veto
WILL ACT TOMORROW
Coolidge Veto Message Is. OBJ
jected to by Proponents
of the Measure
WILL ACT TOMORROW

Washington, May 16.-Characteriz-
ed by President Coolidge as being
unsound economically and having
mo moral justification" the soldier
bonus bill will be taken up in the
House tomorrow with advocates
claiming more than the required two
thirds majority necessary to over
ride his veto.
Supporters in the Senate, which is
expected to be called upon to act
early next week if the measure is
repassed by the House, also claimed
enough ballots to make it a law.
Veto Message
The president in his veto message,
a document of more than two thou
sand words, declared he could see no
justification for enactment of the
bill into law and added:
Our country cannot afford it. The
veterans as a whole do not want it..
All our American principles are op-
posed to it. There is no moral justi-
fication for it,
Proceeding in his discussion of the
bill, Mr.. Coolidge declared no bonus
was owed able bodied veterans Of the
world war.
THE gratitude of the nation to
these veterans cannot be expressed
in dollars and cents,' he added. "7kl
respect and honor of their country
will rightfully be theirs for ever
more. But patriotism can neither be
bought nor sold. 1t is not hire and
salary. 1t is not material but spirit
ual. 1t is one of the finest and high
to pay money for it is to offer it an
unworthy indignity which cheapens,
debases and destroys it.
We must either abandon our theory
of patriotism or abandon this bill
The economic and financial
grounds for veto were stressed
particularly by the president with an
inference that should the bill become
law hope for tax reduction must be
abandoned. The government, he
said, had reached a financial condi-
tion which permitted reduction in
taxation but "if this bill becomes law
we wipe out at once almost all the
progress five hard years have accom-
plished in reducing the national
debt" The bill, he argued, would
commit the country for period of
20 years to an additional average an
nual appropriation of STA 100000
and at the end of that time it would
ho 70 coll 70 hn %1Nn
and half billion dollars in bonds
a major operation in finance-which,
he said, might be disastrous at that
time.
Veterans Fairly Treated, He Says
The executive asserted the disabl-
ed veterans were being given fair
treatment and that insurance had al
ready been provided for all veter-
ans.
"We have no money to Bestow
upon class of people that is not
taken from the whole people," he
said. sour first concern must be
the nation as whole. This out
weighs in it's Importance the consid
Grafton of aclass and the latter must
yield to the former.
The veto message was read in the
house promptly upon its being re-
ceived yesterday afternoon, and as
the reading was concluded shouts of
vote, vote" rang out. Amid some
Representative Longworth,
the Republican leader, asked unan-
imous consent that the bill be voted
upon for re-passage on next Thurs
day. This and similar request to
delay a vote until Monday were OBJ
jected to.
Representative Rankin, Democl at,
Mississippi, in demanding an imme-
diate vote characterized the message
as an "insult" to the world war vet
Grams. Leaders of both parties ma
however, to delay the vote
until Saturday. This decision was
reached by vote of 179 to I'll. ad-
CONTINUED an page 81