Evening star., 1935-05-26
See Influence in Election.

Should Congress at its next session
pass the bonus bill 1t might have the
effect of taking the issue out of the
next campaign. Otherwise, the advo-
Gates OF bonus payment without
further delay, predict it will have its
influence on the congressional elec-
tions in big way.
Talk of compromise bonus legisla-
ton, perhaps along the lines of the
bill introduced by Senator Harrison of
Mississippi was discounted yesterday
at the Capitol. In the first place,
Senator Harrison has no present in
tention OF reviving it. In the second
place, the veterans and their support
ers in Congress will have nothing to
do with a bill which does not call for
the immediate payment to the veter-
ans of the full face value of the ad-
justed service certificates.
The attempt to pay the veterans
$3.50 or $500 on a bonus certificate
whose face value is 81 600 would be
understood by the veterans as at
tempting to cut down the debt which
they consider the Government owes
them-now as well as in l945 when
the bonus certificates become past due.
The veterans, many OF them, do not
know nor realize that the face value
of their certificates was arrived at by
adding 25 per cent to the adjusted
pay due them, plus the compounded
interest. They only know that the
certificates say that the face value is
due them.
Senators Took Chance.
Senator Thomas of Oklahoma,
leader in the fight for the passage OF
the Patman bonus bill, told the Senate
in final speech on the measure be-
fore the veto was sustained that a
large proportion of the Senators who
had voted against the bonus had been
retired from public life in the past.
He warned them that others might
expect the same fate in the future.
Senators who voted to sustain the veto
knew that they were making renomi-
nation and reelection next year more
difficult for themselves. But they took
the chance.
OF the 80 Senators who come up
for reelection next year 19 voted to
override the bonus veto and l3 voted
to sustain the President. Thirteen
Democrats voted to override and six
Republicans. Voting to sustain the
President were seven Republicans
and six Democrats.
The Republican party has long stood
for sound money as against infla-
ton and fiat money. In the list of
six Republicans who voted for the
Patman "greenback" bonus bill were
two or three who have been mem
toned as possibilities for the Repub-
lican nomination in 1886, among
them Borah of Idaho, Dickinson of
Iowa, Nye of North Dakota and
Steiwer of Oregon. How such a vote
will affect their chances at the next
Republican national convention is
question.
Long Makes Threat.
Senator Long of Louisiana already
had threatened to campaign against
three Democratic Senators who voted
to sustain the bonus veto in the
Democratic primaries next year. They
are Senator Robinson of Arkansas,
majority leader; Senator Harrison
and Senator Bailey of North Caro-
lima. All have strong followings in
their own States. Robinson for years
has been the Democratic leader of the
Senate and in 1928 was the party's
candidate for Vice President Sen
ator Harrison, a veteran of many po-
litical battles, is extremely popular
in his State and has been considered
unbeatab BILE. Senator Bailey has made
his mark in the Senate. although he
has been Senator for a compare
lively short time.
The three other Democrats who
voted to sustain the veto and who are
up for reelection are Glass of Vir-
ginia, Coolidge of Massachusetts and
Gore of Oklahoma. Glass seems abb
Solutely sure of reelection if he de-
sires to run. Coolidge will run in a
State that in recent years has turned
strongly Democratic in Statewide
elections and Gore has won hard bat
ties in Oklahoma in the past.
March Is Frowned Upon.
Talk of new bonus army march
on Washington is deplored by sup
porters of bonus legislation as we'll as
by its opponents. They insisted yes
terday that such march would hurt
the chances of the veterans for the
payment of the bonus rather than
help it. They, and the leaders of the
veterans organizations, are doing all
they can to discourage a march of
the veterans on Washington.