Evening star., 1924-04-25
BONUS ELIMINATED
AS CAMPAIGN ISSUE
Both Parties Likely to Use Money
Waste Charges as Chief
Weapons in Race.
SOLDIER RESENTMENT ENDS
Most Paramount" Questions Fad
ing From Political Picture.
ny DAVID LAWRENCE.

The soldier bonus has been shelved
as a paramount issue" Irrespective
of the action of President Coolidge,
the controversy will not be a vital
part of the coming presidential cam
paign, The bill passed by the House
and Senate has enough votes to be-
come law over presidential veto. IL
is being discounted already as a law.
The Republican national platform will
point with pride" to its accomplish
ment. The fact that Democratic
nominee might say he would have
signed the bill that Mr.. Coolidge
might veto is not likely to be of any
considerable value on the stump.
The main thing is that members
of the Senate and House Will not
have the bonus to contend with IN
the elections and there will be little
organized opposition TO the few op-
ponents of the measure.
The Democrats have as much right
to claim credit for the passage or the
bill as the Republicans, for they sup
ported IL overw h elmingly. Had there
been vigorous opposition from the
Democrats, the issue might have
proved troublesome. The vote on the
cash feature may here and there arlse
to plague a Few mem OerS, DuI on III e
whole one of the most veXing issues
in American politics has been re-
moved.
Resentm ent AIlayed.
President Coolidge is strong enough
politically TO be nominated even
though he vetoes the bill. But there
is no likelihood of much resentment
being expressed next November
against the President on this one
point. The election will turn on other
issues.
What will they be? With the SOL
dier bonus out of the way and both
parties likely to support the tax bill
which is finally brought out of con-
ferences of. the two houses of Con-
gress, the so-called paramount" is
of course, will insist that Teapot
Dome proves what happens when the
Republicans are in power and Will
ask the country to point to single
case of corruption of cabinet oficer 3
under their rule, to which the Re-
publicans will answer, as usual, with
charges of waste and mismanage-
ment in war time. And thus the de-
bate will be developed, with the Dem
ing the confidence in the Republican
party as an institution in Washing
ton.
designations Help Coolidge.
Mr.. Coolidge's acceptance of the
designations of some of those con-
cerned in the oil controversy has
helped him from the viewpoint of
disclaiming responsibility for their
acts.
He has not been effectively tied
up with the misrule of the few who
have been exposed in the oil scan
dals. If Mr.. .Coolidge's own charac-
ter is sufficiently impressed IN the
electorate to overcome any TACK of
confidence in the Republican office
holders. it will take away much from
the force of the oil cases as an issue.
The Democrats will hammer away on
that just the same, arguing for clean
government" In the West the DEM
ocrats will probably take advantage
of the discomfort inside the Repubii-
can party on proposals for agricul-
tural relief. 1t begins to look as if
the issues will not be principles of
action SO much as neil and their
character, their sincerity, their in
tegrity and their individual capacity
for efficient administration