Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-05
The Political Mill
By G. Could Lincoln.

L
The Democrats are Weighing the cash
bonus for veterans Of the World War.
Some Of them have reached the con-
| wise move at this time for the DEM
ocratic party to make partisan issue
| of the bonus. They argue somewhat in
4, this fashion: If the Democrats get SOL
| idly behind cash bonus for the vet
| erans costing anywhere up to three and
| quarter billion Of dollars at time
| when the Treasury Is facing $S75,-
600, 900 deficit, and because of the drain
| on the financial resources of the eoun-
| try, or because of any other reason
| times do not improve and unemploy-
ment does not grow less, then the DEM
| ocratic party will be in position to
be charged with having forced the cash
bonus on the country. This would not
be so good from the Democratic point
| of view. They are anxious to cash in,
! when the national election takes place
next year, on the unpopularity of the
G. o. P. because of hard times. To be
in q position where the G. o. P. might
| turn the guns on them and say that
| the Democrats had forced the cash
bonus and prevented q return OF bust
| ness does not appeal to some OF the
Democratic leaders.
Owen D. Young Of New York and the
General Electric, mentioned frequently
as a Democratic presidential possibility,
appearing yesterday before the House
Ways and Means Committee, urged the
adoption of o plan for loaning the
value of their bonus certificates only
to those veterans who are in real need.
He estimated that this could be done
for q half million dollars. But this
, of course, was an estimate. NO one
AL, ftFcf hOyx mo NM
of the veterans are. out OF work or In
need because of other circumstances.
Mr.. Young's testimony, In which he
turned his back fatty against the pay
ment of a cash bonus at this time to
all the veterans, and his declaration
that the attempt to float Government
bonds to the tune of $3.50 000, 900 or
more in the face of present conditions
would be disastrous. in all probability,
has given encouragement to the Demo.
Gratis, who do not believe that IL would
be advisable now to go through with
a cash bonus of such proportions.
X X X
Mr.. Young took occasion while he
was here to insist that he Is not a
candidate for the presidential nOmina-
| ton. His connection with business and
electrical power has been urged against
him by some of the progressives, both
| in his own party and In the R:pub-
lican party. Senator George W. Norris
of Nebraska, Republican, who sup
ported the last Democratic nominee
| for President does not look with favor
on the possibility of Mr.. Young's be-
coming President of the United States
| Nevertheless, the Young boom for Presi-
dent is brought to the surface now and
then. His statement on the soldiers
cash bonus is likely to put him still
more in tbs limelight.
The Democrats are wondering wheth-
er it would perhaps not be better to
go to the polls next year claiming that
the Republican adm 'niStrat!on should
have advocated and put through q
cash bonus for the veterans at this
time. Such strategy would place the
blame fer failure to pass the bonus on
the party in power, and at the same
time would relieve the Democrats OF
the chance of being charged with re-
tarding business conditions If the bonus
were put through now and proved 9
burden on the country.
The fear of special session Of the
Congress after March Is apparently
growing upon the Democrats. II Con-
greSS ends and goes away from Wash
ington until next December, as a great
many persons in the country seem to
hope it will go, the Democrats may be
spared as much or more embarrassment
than the Republican admin stration
For If the Democrats force a special
session, which is admittedly an UNI
popular proposition, they will have to
bear the blame for 1t, Even the fiery
statement Of Senator William E. Borah
of Idaho, Republican Progressive, de-
Iala ,twaa, k~oA -
all Summer If the administration will
not yield and permit the passage Of the
| $25,000,000 appropriation to buy food
for the distressed all over the country,
or some such measure, cannot relieve
the Democrats of the Senate from the
odium. If there IS any odium, for a
special session II 1t materialiZes now.
The Democrats issued their ultimatum
before Mr.. Borah made his address.
Furthermore, Mr.. Borah is the last man
to hold the Senate floor for hohrs in
filibuster.
The Democr. 5 must consider what
their program is to be in the event q
special seSsi ion is held. They will have
in both houses Of Congress almost paper
equality with the Republicans. They
will have in both houses greater
strength than the Republican admins
tration, for they may count upon the
Republican insurgents to vote with them
against the administration. Under such
circumstances the country will look 10
the Democratic leadership for q pro-
gram of legislation, or perhaps a pro-
gram against legislation. Anyway, the
| Democrats must have q program OF
soma kind. Some of the leaders fear
that the cash bonus proposal might get
away from them and go through at a
special session whether they wish 1t to
do so or not. What are they to do about
| the tariu in special session where
| they actually have control with the
Republican insurgents, ard about halt
a dozen other things?
So the pressure to get through and 60
away after March is growing OH both
sides OF the House and Senate Cham
befs. 1t Is Questionable now whether
this will be possible after SO many hard
words have been said. But it is reported
that the Democrats are willing to pass
UP q great many things, including
Muscle Shoals, to make the getaway.
The Wickersham report en- national
prohibition as it is enforced or not en-
forced, according to the way the ie-
port IS interpreted, has not yet had any
material effect on the Congress, al
though it has had its influence on
some OF the individual members of
that bJdy. For example, the Wicker
sham report made several definite rec
concentrations looking to more ade-
quate enforcement. One of them pro-
poses TO do away with the limit now
imposed under the Volstead act on the
prescription of liquor for medicinal
purposes. The Senate has had under
consideration for several days the
Howell bill. setting up a prohibition
enforcement for the District of CO.
lumbia. An amendment was offered to
the bill permitting physicians to pre-