The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-25
PRESS ON VETO OVERTHROW

PRESS ON VETO OVERTHROW
 It is remarkable fact that the ma jority of newspapers of the country sharply crit icize the overthrow of the presidents veto of the measure providing for adjusted com pensation to ex-servce men. Just why they should do so is somewhat difficult to under- stand, for if ever a president invited such reply to a veto, President Coolidge did so with his amazing arraignment of the good intentions of those who supported the meas ure. Undoubtedly many journals laid more stress upon the question of the bonus itself than upon the presidents denial of patriot ism and sincerity to those who could ap- prove a bonus. There have doubtless been times when congress has deserved executive censure, but certainly this was not one of those occasions. The presidents attempted rebuke has been turned back upon himself, and he has insufficient executive achievement to his credit to offset the damage to his pres tige involved in the rejection of the veto
 In the opinion of the New York World, the overthrowing of the veto is q case of chickens come home to roost, for, says this journal: "The disaster which has befallen Mir. Coolidge on the eve of the campaign proves certain things quite definitely about him, his party and the relation between them. It proves that Mir. Coolidge is not political leader; that the long record of he's itation and evasion over Denby, over Daugh- erty, over Japanese exclusion, over the bonus itself for that matter, has robbed him of commanding influence over the actual bosses and managers of his own party. He is to be nominated, but he is neither feared, re- spected nor obeyed, and the same sinister forces which set up a puppet president in 1920 are at the same game in 1924. The AL-L .1 character does not determine the result. It Is the party organization. with Coolidge as an ornamental facade, which rules in Wash ington and seeks reelection. It is that or ganization, claiming to be only. thirty per cent corrupt under Harding, which has now shown itself to be just thirty-three and a third per cent. faithful to Coolidge" In other words, the World would draw the de- duction that only the corrupt element in the senate supported Mir. Coolidge.
 In sharp contrast to this is the voice of the party organ, the New York Herald Tribune: President Coolidge has made gallant fight on behalf of the voters. His veto message will live as classic state ment of the case against the bonus He will fight on, such is his character and faith. The first battle has been lost. In the long campaign that lies ahead it is good to know that, by every indication of popular opin- ion, the people will have as their leader in the White House in their struggle against rapacity four years more of Calvin Cool idge." To which even a goodly number of Republicans will fervently ejaculate: God forbid!
 That the "senate betrays the taxpayer" is the opinion of the Philadelphia Public Ledger, which sees no i'll in denying the ex-service man, provided those who profit by all our other bonuses of high tariff and the like are carefully sheltered from taxes The Ledger adds: Meanwhile, a taxation measure that will fall at least one hundred and fifty mil lion dollars short of meeting the necessary and current national expenditures is being shaped in a senate-hOuse conference. The ad- ditional one hundred millions necessary to meet the first payment on bonus will in- crease this deficit to a quarter of a billion The senate has practically forced the presi dent to veto the tax-relief measure. There will be no other way by which he can insure to the treasury enough money to meet the bonus and other demands in 1925" It seems rather curious that Senator Shoot hadn't figured all these items when he made his statement last Wednesday that the con ference tax measure leaves the treasury an estimated one hundred million dollars to the good. It may all depend on what the one doing the figuring desires to prove.
 Likewise the Kansas City Star believes that unless there is a modification of the tax bill, the veto of that measure is likely to be imperative. Congress may vote away huge sums one day and then the next put through a measure to reduce taxes. Con gress may do that because it is irresponsible. T1,t a responsible executive who will not deal in fraud cannot acquiesce.' But then an Irresponsible congress, just as like as not, will also override veto of the tax-reduction measure.
 After declaring that the people must now dig down deeply to pay bonus that repre- sents an enormous burden, the Detroit Free Press makes the further assertion that "the e--service men have been goldbrcked by congress because they are promised pres ent which will cost many of them much more than they receive But if the bonus is so insignificant from the ex-service mans standpoint, how can it be so burdensome +o taxpayers numbering twenty times the yumber of recipients? It seems that oppo- nents of the bonus sometimes get tangled up in their own logic, which may therefore be regarded as tricky.
 And along the same line the St. Louis Post Dispatch declares: Special privilege and bureaucracy are in the saddle, expand ing federal functions and bureaucratic powers and activities, granting privileges footing the public resources. Business will be crushed and the people impoverished unless there is asradical change And all this in the face of a tax-reduction amounting to three or four times the annual bonus charge! II these same newspapers had shown slmllar regard for the ultimate consumer when the heavy tariff bonus was given to big busi- ness and the rate bonus was given to the railroads. they might now be more convinc- ing in their defense of the taxpayer, which ;n this case can mean only the big taxpayer who is best able to afford taxes.
 Defense or criticism of the bonus on It's merits is one thing, and doubtless there are sincere arguments on both sides, but when it comes to saying that the bonus will i'm poverish the nation, then public creduilty mas been asked to do too much.