The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-09-26
THE SALT LAKE HERALD MONDAY SEPTEMBER ae 1901


eminent. The Democrats in congress
demanded it. The Republican majority
refused the demand The people car,
determine by their vote in Novegnber
whether they wish an honest and thor
Ough investigation A Democratic con-
gress and executive will assure it.
Army and Navy.
We 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 polit-
zeal influence. Promotions and APP
pointments have frequently been based
on favOritism instead of merit. Trials
and cOart-martials have been set aside
under circumstances Indicating polit-
zeal interference. These and other
abuses should be corrected.
Pensions For Our Old Soldiers and
Sailors.
The national Democracy favorS lib
erai pensions to the surviving soldiers
and sailors and their dependents on the
ground that they deserve liberal treat
ment. II pledges by its platform adj
equate legislation to that end. But il
denies the right of the executive 10
usurp the power of congress to legis-
late on that subject. Such usurpation
was attempted by pension order No IS,
and effect has been given to it by a con-
gress that dared not resent the usurpa-
ton. 1t is said that this order was
made in the performance of duty inn
posed 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 relating to pensions to civil
war veterans, does not authorize pen
sions on the ground of age. 1t does
grant pensions to those suffering from
any mental or physical disability, or
disabilities of permanent character,
not the result of their own vicious
habits, which so incapacitates them
from the performance of manual labor
as to render them unable to earn a
support"
Law Set Aside.
This specified requirement of in
capacity is in effect set aside by order
No. IS as to all persons over so. The
war closed nearly forty years ago. In
the meantime many of our sailors and
soldiers long survived the age of g.,
and passed away without receiving any
pension. Skillful pension attorneys
hunting through the statute failed to
find there a provision giving a pension
to all who had reached g. Many
prominent veterans urged the justice
of congressional action giving a serv-
ice pension to all veterans. Bills to
that effect were introduced in con-
gress. And not until March of this year
did any one ever claim to have made
h. - a.
power to treat the statute as if it read
that when a claimant had passed the
age Of 81 years he is necessarily dis
abled and only half able to perform
manual labor and therefore entitled TO
a pension.
The president of the civil service com
mission, General John c. Black, formerly
of pensions and comman-
der-in-chief of the Grand Army
o. 81 the Republic, indicated his
recent address, he thanked the presi-
dent for what he haG done and advised
MS hearers to use their influence that
a law might be passed % the same eff
feet. Full con fidence. after all seems
not to have been placed on the defense
Of. justification, for 1t is pleaded in miti-
cation that formed Democratic pres
ldent did something looking in that d.
rection Even if that were So-Which is
not admitted, our present duty would
be none the less plain and Imperative
Our people must never tolerate the eta
ton OF one act Of usurpation of power
as an excuse for another. The first may
possibly be due to a mistake: the second
being based on the first. il cannot be-
IN explanation, however. il should be said
that the order relied on simply provides
that the age of 70 years should be re-
garded as evidence of Inability to per-
form manual labor Few men are able
10 perform manual labor at that age.
but nearly all men are at 62. The first
order is based on a fact that experience
teaches; tho other-is based on the assert
ton Of that BiEiclr5is not true as a gen-s|
eral rule