The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-09-13

tlempnt of the Alaska bOuUuaTY llne
Do they object 10 the fact that after
freeing cuba we gave her reciprocal
trade advantages with tie United
States. while at the same time keep
ing naval stations IN the island ana
providing against its sinking into claos
or being conquered 10y any foreign
powerg po they object to the fact that
our nag NOW flies over Porto Kicof DO
they object 10 Tie acquisition of Ha-
wall? once they "huuled down our
flag there We have hoisted il again.
10 they intend once more 10 haul it
down: DO they object 10 the part We
played in Chiuat DO they not Know
that the voice OF The United states
would now count for nothing in the
far east II we had abandoned the Ihil-
ippincS ami refused 90 d0 what was
done in China3 10 they Object 10
the fact that this government secured
a peaceful settlement of the troubles
i'm Venezuela TWO years ago.
DO they object 10 the fact that
American warships appeared promptly
at the port of Beirut when an effort
had been made 40 a>SasSinnte an amer
lean official, and in Inc port OF Tansler
whom an American citizen had been
abducted. ana that i'm each case the
wrong complained of WAS riShted and
expiated. and that within the last few
DAYS The visit of am American squad
ron 10 SMYRNA WAS followed 10y the
long DELAYED concession of their just
RIGHTS 10 those Americans concerned
in educational work ina Turkey! DO
they object To the trade treaty with
Chma. SO fun OF advantage for the
American people i'm the future! DO
they object to the fact that the ships
carrying the national faE NOW have IL
higher standard than ever before in
craftsmanship and in seamanship as
individual units and rs component
parts of SquadroLs and fleets!
Executive "Eneroaehments.'
When our opponents speak Of zen
cr0aehueuts" los thc executive upon
the authority ol congress OF the judi
ciary. apparently Tie act they ordina-
rily have iu view is pension order No.
-. ISSUED under The authority of exist
iu.. uw. This order directed that here
after any vetcrun If The civil war who
had reached ihr age of siXty-two
should bc pIesUup,ivpy entitled 10 the
pension of S6 month. given under the
dependent pension law 20 those whose
capacity 10 earn their livelihood by
manual labor has been decreased 80 per
cent and that rs the time the age of
seventy was reached the presumption
Should be that the physical disability
was complete. the aye being treated as
an eyidental fact i'm each case. This
ORDER was made ia the performance Of
4 duty imposed upon the president by
an act of cOngtess which requires tie
executive to make regulations 10 gov
ern the subordinates OF the pension Of
ice In determining who are entitled to
pensions President Cleveland had al
rprdv exercised This power 10y reSu-
lntion which declared that SeVenty-nYe
should be set as the age al which total
disability should be cOnclUsiyely pre-
sumed. Similarly President Mckinley
established siXty-hye as the axe at
which half disability should be con
clusirely presumed The regulation
now in question I'm the exercise OF the
same power supplemented these reEu'
lations made under Presidents Clerc-
land ana Mckinley.
Ii is easy to test our opponents SIN
cerity in this matter. The order in
question is revocahle M 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 slXty-two % seventy as
presumably in full bodily yigor AMI
not entitled To pensions. VIII they
now authoritatlyely state that they In
tend TO do this3 II 50, We accept The
issue