The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1904-10-14
ORDER NO. 70
Which Judge Parker Will Not Have
Chance to Revoke.

Chance to Revoke.
| Nothing in the Democratic culver OF
whereases against President Roosevelt
his pension order, No IS, making the
proof of certain ages by old soldiers
! evidential 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 ludicrous-
ton Club" of New York, started in to
arraign Theodore Roosevelt for going
through the constitution as if it were
paper hoop in a circus ring, it attack
ed his issuance Of order No. IS in these
words:
"We find that President Roosevelt de-
liberatey disregarded Article l, Section g.
of the Constitution, providing mo money
shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in
consequence of appropriations made by
law
Now, what are the facts?
Order No. IS assumes that an old
soldier who is 62 years of age is prob
ably able to earn only one-half of the
support the statute provides in case of
total disability, at which stage he ar
rives when he is seventy, and says he
shall be entitled to the munifcent sum
of Sc per month as a pension; and it
finds that at 65 he is two-thirds disa bled
and entitled to So.
There can be no serious objection to
the principle of the order, which is
based on the experience of mankind as
to the gradual decay of human powers.
By reason of strength many men are
as able to learn a support" at seventy
as at thirty, but the vast majority at
sixty have passed the line where they
are fully capable of doing so in ''the
performance of manual labor" and the
evil days approach when 'the grasshop-
per shall be burden and desire shall
fail"
Order No. 70 merely recognizes the
course Of nature, but it draws no money
out of the treasury without authority
Of law. 1t was issued March Is, 1904,
to be effective April 10, 1904. Congress
being in session it was reported to that
body with the request that $1,500,OO0
be appropriated to carry it into effect.
The sum was embodied in the pending
deficiency bill. after free discussion the
money was voted, and in due order under
the Act of Congress, the pensions began
to issue, and not till then. Every cent
paid under Order No. IS was drawn
from the treasury in consequence of ian
appropriation made by law"
Exit the Parker Constitution Club, Of
New York, with its constitutional ears
at half mast.
Now, mark the sequel: On September |
10 last, $1,410,O00 was covered back |
into the treasury as the unexpended |
balance of the appropriation of $780,
600, after paying $4,000 on 1922
claims adjudicated in April, May and
June to the end Of the fiscal year. OF
the certificates issued only $3.50 were
for original pensions to veterans who
had reached the age Of sixty-two or
upward, and 14,768 were increases al.
owed to claimants who were receiving
pensions for disability less than the
amount to which they were entitled
lnder the pension for age.
Thus, it will be perceived, the dread
II a heavy pension raid on the treasury
~ reason of Order No. 70 has gone
,limmering along with the constitutional
lysterics of the Parker Constitution
Tub Of New York.