The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-09-26

fraction of our exports and Imports.
american shipping in the foreign
trade was greater by almost one hun
drcd thousand tons in lSl0-nearly a
hundred years ago--than 1t was last
year. In the face of the continuous
decline in the record of American
shipping during the last forty-three
years, the promise OF the Republican
party to restore II is without encour-
agement. The record OF the Demo
cratic party gives assurance that the
/, task can be more wisely entrusted 70
it.
4 Ii is an arduous task to undo the
effect Of forty years OF decadence, and
requires the study and investigation
4 of thuse best fitted by experience TO
I lind tho remedy which surely does
mot lie in the granting OF subsidies,
wrung from the pockets OF all the
| taxpayers.
investigation of Govern
ment Departments.
Recent disclosures, coupled with
the rapid augmentation Of govern.
ment expenditures, show need of an
investigation OF every department of
the government. The Democrats in
congress demanded ii. The Republic
can majority refused the demand. The
people can determine by their vote
in November whether they wish an
honest and thorough investigation. A
Democratic congress and executive
will assure it,
Army and Navy.
I'VE are justly proud of the officers
and men of our army and navy, Both,
however. have suffered from the per-
sistent injection of personal and po-
litical influence. Promotions and ap-
pointmcnts have been> frequently
based on favoritism instead of merit.
Trials and court-martials have been
set aside under circumstances indi'
eating political interference, These
and other abuses should be corrected.
Pensions For Our Soldiers and Sailors
The national Democracy fayors
liberal pensions to the surviving sol
diers and sailors and their depend
ents, on the ground that they deserve
liberal treatment. 1t pledges by its
platform adequate legislation to tina:
end But it denies the right Of the ex
ecutive to usurp the power Of con
gress to legislate on that subject
Such usurpation was attempted By
sension order No. rs, and effect has
been given to it by a congress that
dared not resent the usurpation. II is
said that this order was made In the
performance of 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 re-
lating to pensions to civil war vet
Grams, does not authorize pensions on
the ground of age. II does grant pen
sions to those suffering from any
mental or physical disability, or dis
tbilities, of a permanent character,
not the result of their own vicious
habits, which SO incapacitates them
from the performance OF manual la |
5or as to render them unable to earn
4 support. This specified require |
ment of incapacity is in effect set |
aside by order No. rs as to all per
sons over sixty-two.
THE war closed nearly forty years |
ago. In the meantime many of our
soldiers and sailors long survived the
ige of sixty-two, and passed away
without receiving any pension. Skill
ul pension attorneys hunting through
he statute failed to find there pro-
Vision giving a pension to all who had
cached sixty-two Many prominent
reterans urged the justice of con-
yresional action giving s~<ce pen
lion To all veterans. Bills to that eff
ect were introduced in congress And
lot until March of this year did any
me ever claim to have made the dis
.overy that the president had power
o treat the statute as If IL read that
when a claimant had passed the age
# sixty-two years he is necessarily
isabled one-half in ability to perform
manual labor and therefore entitled
o pension.
Gen. Blacks View Of II.
"The president of the civil service
General John 6. Black,
commissioner of pensions
nd commander l-chief of the Grand
,rmy OF the Republic. indicated his
lew of the order when in recent adj
ress he thanked the president for
that he had done. and advised his {
carers TO use their influence that
Nv might be passed to the same ei-
ret Full confidence after all seems I
OF 10 have been placed on the de
ense Of justification, for it is pleaded
! mitigation that former Democrat
, president did something looking IN S
hat direction Even If that we're so '
(which is not admittcd-our present {
uty would be none the fess plain and (
Imperative. Our people must never :
Dlcrate the citation of one act of
surpation of power as an excuse for
mother. The first may possibly be s
ne to mistake; the second, being 5
ased on the first. cannot be. In ex- S
lanation, however. II should be said a
nat the order relied on simply pro a
lied that the age Of seyenty-hve 2