Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-10-19
ORDER NO. 78
which Judge Parker Will Not Have o
Chance TO Revoke.

Nothing in the Democratic culver of
whereases against President Roosevelt
has failed : utterly as that arraign-
ing his pension order. No. IS, making
the proof Of certain ages by old sol,
dlers evidcntial facts of certain de-
grees of disability.
If the order had lccn cunningly de-
vised to bplray the great constitutional
lawyers OF the Democracy into MAX
Inc more than the usual kinds of ron.
tinental asses of themselves it could
not have succeeded more completely
and ludicrously. When the great
Parker Constitution club" Of New
York. started in TO arralgn Theodore
Roosevelt for going through the con-
stitution as If it were Il paper hoop
in a circus ring, il attacked his issu-
ance of order No. IS i'm these words:
I'VE lind that President Roosevelt
deliberately d%isregnrdcl article ], see
ton 8, of the constitution, providing
No money shall he drawn from the
tlNlSula W III NillSiNlA llft VI uIliAO
priations made by law"
Now, what are tie facts?
Order No. as assumed that an old
soldier who is G2 years Of age Is prob
ably able 10 earn only 0ne-half Of the
support the statute provides in ease of
total disability, at which stage he ar
rives when he is 20. and says he shall
be entitled to the munllicent sum of
So per month rs II pension: and il finds
that at G5 he is two-thirds disabled
and entitled TO SO.
There can be no serious objection
to the principle Of the order. which is
based on the experience of mankind ne
TO the gradual decay of human powers.
BY reason Of strength many men are
as able to earn a support at 20 az
at 80, but the vast majority nj 60 have
passed the line where they are fully
capable of doing so in "the perform
ance of manual labor" and the evil
days approach when the grasshopper
shall be a burden and desire shall
fail"
Order No. rs merely recognizes the
course of nature. hut il draws no mon
ey out of the treasury without authori-
ty of law. Ii was issued March .,
1904. to he effective April IL. 1901.
Congress being IN session II was re-
ported to that body with the request
A.. 81 -ln lin la nnpAariutn IN pu p
nv il into effect. The sum was n
bodied in the pending deficiency bill.
after free discussion the money was
voted, and in due order under the act
of congress. the pensions began to Is
sue. and not till then. livery cent
paid under order No. rs was drawn
from the treasury in consequence of
IAN appropriation made by law"
Exit the Parker Constitution club. OF
New York, with its constitutional ears
at half mast.
Now. mark the sequel: On Sept. II
last, S1.41O.OOO was covered back into
the treasury "a the unexpended hal
ance Of the appropriation Of S1.j0O,OOO
after paying $4,000 on 1902 claims
adjudicated in April. May and June 10
the end Of the fiscal year. or the
certificates issued only $50 were for
original pensions to veterans who had
reached the age of G2 or upward, and
IA, 1GS were increases allowed To claim
ants who were receiving pensions fol
disability less than the amount t.
which they were entitled under the
pension for age.
Thus. 1t will be perceived, the dread
OF a heavy pension raid on the treas
ury by reason of order No. IS has