The Savannah morning news., 1904-09-26
William Sheehan Judge PaeTs Personal STATE Democratic Con-
Venhon Company With Senator Mcen the Democracy Brooklyn

pointments have been frequently based
on favoritism instead of merit. Trials
and court-martials have been set aside
under circumstances .indicat ting polit-
lcal interference. These and other
abuses should be corrected.
Pensions for Soldiers and Sailors.
The National Democracy favors lib
eral pensions to the surviving soldiers
and sailors and their dependents, on
the ground that they deserve liberal
treatment. 1t pledges by it's platform
adequate legislation to that end. But
II denies the right of the executive to
usurp the power of Congress to legis-
late on that subject. Such usurpation
was attempted by Pension Order No.
IT, and effect has been given to ii by
Congress that dared not resent the
usurpation. 1t is said that this order
was made in the performance of a duty
imposed upon the President by act Of
Congress" but the provision making
the imposition is not pointed out. The
act to which the order refers, which
is the one relating to pensions to Civil
War veterans, does not authorize pen
sions on the ground of age. 1t does
grant pensions to those Suffering
from any mental or. physical disabil-
ity, or disabilities, of a permanent
character, not the result of their own
vicious habits, which so incapacitates
them from the performance of manual
labor as to render them unable to earn
support" This specified require
ment of incapacity is in effect set aside
by Order No. rs as to all persons over
g.
The Presidents Pension Discovery.
The war closed nearly forty years
ago. In the meantime many of our
soldiers and sailors long survived the
age of 81, and passed away without
receiving any pension. Skillful PEN
sion attorneys hunting through the
statute failed to find there a provision
giving pension to all who had reach
ed g.. Many prominent veterans urged
the justice of congressional action Civ
ing a service pension to all veterans.
Bills to that effect were introduced in
Congress. And not until March of this
year did any one ever claim to have
made the discovery that the President
had power to treat the statute as II
ii read that when claimant had
passed the age of 81 years he is neces-
sarily disabled one-half in ability to
perform manual labor and therefore
entitled to pension.
The President of the Civil Service
Commission, Gen. John c. Black, for
| merly Commissioner of Pensions and
COMMUNICATIVE chief of the Grand
Army of the Republic indicated his
view of the order when in a recent
address he thanked the President for
what he had done, and advised his
hearers to use their influence that a
law might be passed to the same eff :
feet. Full confidence after all seems
m hla4 nj IL
Tense of Justification for it is plead
ed in mitigation that a former Demo-
cratic President did something looking
in that direction. Even if that were
so-which is not adfnitted-our pres-
ent duty would he none the less plain
and imperative. Our people must never
tolerate the citation Of one act of
usurpation of power as an excuse for
another. The first may possibly be
due to mistake; the second, being
based on the first, cannot be. In ex-
PLANTATION, however, IL should be said
that the order relied on simply pro-
vided that the age Of rs years should
be regarded as evidence OF inability to
perform manual labor. Few men
are able TO perform man
ual labor at that age, but
nearly all men are at 81. The first
order is based on a fact that expe-
rience teaches, the other is based on
the assertion Of that which is not true
as a general rule.
"What Are We Going 20 Dos"
The old inquiry, What are you GO
ing to do about it?" is now stated in
a new form. 1t is said by the admins
tration, i'm reply TO the public criticism
of this order. that 1T Is easy to test
our opponents sincerity in this matter.
The order in question is revoca Bile at
the pleasure of the Executive. II our
opponents come into power they can
revoke this order and announce that
they will treat the veterans Of sixty
two and seventy as presumably In full
bodily vigor and not entitled to PEN
sion. VIII they authoritatively state
that they intend 10 do this? If so,
we accept the issue"
This suggests the suspicion, at least,
that the order was made TO create an
issue-that It was supposed to present
a strong strategic position in the battle
OF the ballots. on the assumption that
the order as stated by the administra-
ton, is revocable at the pleasure OF the
executive, IL having been an attempted,
though perhaps unwittingly. encroach-
ment upon the legislative power, and
therefore unwarranted BY the consti-
4
clare that II elected. will revoke that
order. But ] go further and say that
that being done. will contribute my
effort toward the enactment Of law
10 be passed by both houses Of Con-
grees and approved by the Executive
that viii give an age pension without
reference 10 disability 10 the surviving
heroee OF the Civil War, and under the
provisions Of which a pension may be
accepted with dignity because Of the
consciousness that II comes ~ n just
due from the people through their
chosen representatives, and rot -
largess distributed BY the Chief Execu-
tive.
ForslEB Hsi0ti0Hs,
The foreign relations ~ fbs govern
niont have in late years assumed epe-
ciai importance. Prior 10 ma neqnis
stl0n n the Philippines, We we're prac-
ilcslly lngulnersDle against attacks by
fnrelfn states Those tropical posses
sions, hoNegef. 1900 miles from our
shores hnyN changed all f1lH sDd heye
~ erect ~ ~ under bonds ~ kert
fho peace. The rev conditions fali ~
u msnaFemeuf ~ foreign 1nalfg fhf
more flfcnmarfrf "a Nnf ~ recent
Amoncan inVfn'Qr n fofcIfr u1fkfff
III I'D rarfH ~ fff world Naf fEC.fea