The river press., 1904-10-12
ORDER NO. 70
Which Judge Parker Will Not Have
Chance to Revoke.

a Chance to Revoke.
Nothing in the Democratic quiver of
whereases against President Roosevelt
has failed SO utterly as that arr;igning
his pension order, No. IS. making the
proof Of certain ages by old soldiers
evidentia1 facts of certain degrees of dis
ability.
If the order had been cunningly de-
vised to betray the great constitutional
. lawyers OF the Democracy into making
more than the usual kinds of continental
asses of themselves it could not have
succeeded more completely and lulicrou>-
ly. When the great Parker ConSti:u
tion Club" OF New York. started in to
! arraign Theodore Roosevelt for going
through the constitution as if it were
a paper hoop in Il circus ring. it attack
ed his issuance of order no. IS in these
words:
eve find that President Roosevelt de-
liberately disregnrlcd Article !. Section O.
OF the Constitution. providing NO money
shall be drawn from tho Treasury. but in
consequence Of appropriations made by
law
Now, what are the facts:
Order No. 7S assumes that IN old
! soldier who is G2 years OF age is prob
ably able to earn only onc-l,Alf Of the
support the statute provides in case OF
total disability, at which stage he ar-
rives when he is seventy, and says lie
shall be entitled to the munitirenr sum
of Sc per month as Il pensions; and it
finds that at G5 he is two-thirds disabl
and entitled to Us.
| There can be no serious objection to
| the principle Of the order. which is
based OH the experience Of mankind us
t. the gradual decay Of human powers.
| BY reason OF strength many men are
as able to learn a support ut seventy
as at thirty, but the vast majority at
| sixty have passed the line where they
are fully capable Of doing so III the
! performance of manual labor" and the
| evil days approach when "thc grasshop-
| per shall be a burden aud desire shall
tail"
Order No. 78 merely recognizes the
course Of nature, but it draws no money
ont Of the treasury without authority
of law. 1t was issued March II, 1904.
to he effective April Il. 1904. Congress
hcing in session it was reported to that
body with the request that S1.jOO.OO
he appropriated to carry it inro effect.
The sum was embodied in the pending
deficiency bill, after free discussion the
money was voted, and III due order under
the Act of Congress, the pensions began
to issue, and not till then. livery cent
! paid under Order No. 7S was drawn
from the treasury in consequence of IAN
appropriation made by law"
! Exit the Parker Constitution Club of
New York, with it's constitutional ears
| at half mast.
Now, mark the sequel: On September
10 last. $1,41O,OOO was covered bacl;
into the treasury as the uneXpended
balance of the appropriation Of $500.
coo. after paying 100000 on 1862
claims adjudnated in April. May and
June to the end Of the fiscal year. OF
the certificates issued only 3.S:9 wer,
for original pensions to veterans who
had reached the age OF sixty-two OF
upward. and 14,7GS We're increases al
lowed to claimants who were rercivin
pensions for disability less than the
amount to which they were entitled
under the pension for age
Thus. it will be perceived. the dread
Of a heavy pension raid Oh the treasury
by reason of Order No. IS has yon.
glimmering along with the constitutional
Mysteries OF the Parker Constitution
Club of New York.