The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1904-09-14

DO they object to the fact that after
freeing Cuba we gave her reciprocal
trade advantages with the United
States, while at the same time keep
Ing naval stations in the island and
providing against its sinking into chaos
or being conquered by any foreign
power? DO they object to the fact that
our flag now flies over Porto Rico? DO
they object to the acquisition Of Ha-
wall? Once they "hauled down our
flag there. We have hOisted it again
DO they intend once more TO haul 1t
down? DO they object to the part we
played in China? DO they not know
that the voice Of the United States
would now count for nothing IN the
far east If we had abandoned the Phil
ippines and refused to do what was
done in China? DO they object to
the fact that this government secured
a peaceful settlement Of the troubles
in Venezuela two years ago?
DO they object to the fact that
American warships appeared promptly
ct the port of Beirut when an effort
had been made to assassinate an Amer
lean official, and in the port of Tangier
when an American citizen had been
abducted, and that in each case the
wrong complained Of was rlghted and
expiated, and that within the last few
days the visit of an American squad
ron to Smyrna was followed by the
long delayed concession of their Just
rights to those Americans concerned
in educational work in Turkey? Do
they object to the trade treaty with
China, so full of advantage for the
American people In the future? DO
they object TO the fact that the ships
carrying the national flag now have
higher standard than ever before in
craftsmanship and In seamanship as
individual units and as component
parts of squadrons and fleets?
Executive "Encroachments."
When our opponents speak Of "en-
croachments" by the executive upon
the authority Of congress or the judi
clary. apparently the act they ordina-
rily have in view Is pension order No.
rs, issued under the authority of exist
ing law. This order directed that here
after any veteran of the civil war who
had reached the age of siXty-two
should be presumptlvely entitled to the
pension Of SO n month, given under the
dependent pension law to those whose
capacity to earn their livelihood by
manual labor has been decreased 80 per
cent and that by the time the age of
seventy was reached the presumption
should be that the physical disability
was complete, the age being treated as
an evidential fact In each case. This
order was made in the performance of
q duty imposed upon the president by
an act of congress which requires the
| executive TO make regulations TO gov
ern the subordinateS of the pension of
flee in determining who are entitled to
pensions. President Cleveland had al
| ready exercised this power by regu-
lation which declared that seyenty-fve
should be set as the age at which total
disability should he conclusively pre-
sumed. Similarly President Mckinley
established siXty-five as the age at
which half disability should be CON
| clusively presumed. The regulation
now in question in the exercise of the
same power supplemented these regu-
lations made under Presidents Cleve-
land and Mckinley.
1t is easy to test our opponents sim
cerity in this matter The order in
question is revocable at the pleasure
of the executive. If our opponents
come into power they can revoke this
order and announce that they will treat
the veterans Of siXty-two TO seventy as
presumably in full bodily vigor and
not entitled to pensions. VIII they
now authorltatlvely state that they IL
tend to do this? If so, we accept the
issue.
The Currency.
So much for what our opponents
openly or covertly advance in the way
of an attack on the acts of the admin
istration. When we come to consider
the policies for which they profess to
stand we are met with the difficulty
always arising when statements of pol
lev are so made that they can be inter-
preted In different ways. On some of
the vital questions that have confront
ed the American people in the last
decade our opponents take the posi-
ton that silence is the best possible
way to convey their views. They con
tend that their lukewarm attitude of
partial acquiescence in what Others
have accomplished entities them to be
made the custodians of the financial
honor and commercial interests which
they have but recently sought to ruin
Being unable to agree among them
selves as to whether the gold standard
is curse or blessing and as tc
whether we ought or ought not to have
free and unlimited coinage of silver
they have apparently thought 1t eX
pedient to avoid any committal OF
these subjects and individually each tC
follow his particular bent. Their near
est approach to Il majority Judgment
seems to be that It is now ineXpedieni
to assert their convictions one way ol
the other and that the establishment
of the gold standard by the Republic
IN party should not be disturbed un
less there is an alteration in the rela
tive quantity Of production of silve
and gold.
We, on the contrary, believe in The
gold standard as fixed 10y the usage
and verdict of the business world ant
in sound monetary system as matters
of principlc-as matters not of none
nf nor