The National tribune., 1904-04-28

IS. at least not enough to base statistics
on, though it was i'm 1898 and 81 that
Judge Lochren established in an expert
mental way an age limit ranging from TO
to ,sd %, But in Judge Lochren's time
tleoo) the great army which was then
over million men averaged % years OF
age. As time passed BY, this vast army.
cfombling meantime, Began to pass the
year of 10. while the advance guard was
passing GS and the head of the column was
at TO. Experience began to accumulate.
IN the Bureau, and year by year the ex-
pcrience of many thousands Of lives were
added to the statistics by the Bureau. 1t
Yves found that very great number were
totally disabled at 10. it was found that
nearly all were one-half disabled at 62.
and more disabled at 65 and SO. And Us
years rolled on it was seen that there
were scarcely any who were not totally
disabled for manual labor at 10. 1t was
found that service in the army burned the
candle at both ends; that it shortened life
IN youth and shortened it in old age. As
Senator Spooner once said with much
truth and much wisdom, Service in the
army was q draft upon the future which
must be honored in old age Hence il
was found in the statistics of the Bureau
that there was no soldier 62 years of age
or at least only small per cent. thereof
who could not prove by his neighbors and
by medical examination, and to the salts
faction of everybody. that he was onehaif
disabled. The average of this great army
now in age is between 81 and Go years :;
that is to say, one-half are 65 years and
over. and one-half are Ga years and under
The statistics during Judge Lochren's ad
ministration were insufficient to arrive at
results. They were considerably so in
MIR. Evans's administration. But during
! the last two years, while the bulk of the
army has been passing between 60 and e.
fhnrn hop %oI hat IL
diers should be pensioned for one-fourth
and one-half physical disability at those
ages. and while much political comment
has been made because the order No 7Sl
has now been issued it will stand for all
time as sound pension law. because it is
founded on experience. Nor could these
statistics have been formulated earlier
1.-The ages of those who went into the
armv in time of our Civil War were prac-
tically the same as i'm the Mexican War.
and at the end of 30 years after the close
OF war the events arrange themselves
in about the same line. and so it was that
Congress 30 years after the Mexican War
found bv experience that soldiers became
nensionable at GO years The Mexican
War pension WAS not guesswork. hut an
intuitive perceDtion Of facts. Whether or
not civilians who were never in the service
are at disability age when GO years old
is not established because there are NO
facts available except general untabulated
observation. The facts which have bner
obtained and tabnlated pertain to soldiers
MANY soldier in one day does the work
Of years. Anvbodv who has snont si~
hours in front Of IN active Confedera to
battery has lived long time during those
six hours. and tho fact that so manv col
diers find themselves at maturity suffer
ing from heart disease is but indicative
of how rapidly thew did live during some
eventful day. In the life Of civilian the
heart is rarely overtaxed. but i'm the life
of soldier 1t often has to do double duty
for n long while. And the disabilities
from these attacks and overstran in the
long run become apparent and have their
effect upon the ability to do manual labor
day on shipboard during battle or bonn
hardment. or few months at Anderson
vile begins to show its effects often be-
fore GO
at is unnecessary here to discuss the
legal aspects. The law gives the Depart
ment having charge of pensions the right
to make rules and regulations concerning
proof of disability Courts take judicial
everybody knows. All executive officers
having to decide questions that arise in
the performance of their duties have a
right to apply the facts of science. the re-
suits of experience and the conceded
knowledge Of mankind. as far as they per-
tain to the questions involved. And if o.
persons in 100 are totally disabled at 20
years of age. the Bureau has a right TO
apply the knowledge of that fact and save
the Government the time. trouble and
money which comes from the application
Of the knowledge. Much criticism has
been expended on the question as to whv
| this pension Order No. 7S was not issued
| wears ago. This has been explained bv
the foregoing. 1t has been issued as soon
rs the statistics could be fully settled. The
Bureau was obliged to wait for time and
observation: hut now the facts being es-
| fablished. the Order will stand for all time.
| And forever in the pension laws of the
| United States this age limit will remain
mistaken by suspicion. And there can be
no charge against it that it is Bureau leg
| slation or an invasion of the Constitution
| any more than the entertainment of any
other known fact can be said to he an in,
| vasion for the Order is simply the an
| nlication of facts in the furtheranre of
| low md to carry out Congressional legisla-
ton"