Bisbee daily review., 1904-09-27
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made in the performance of a duty i'm posed upon the president by act of congress- but the provision making the imposition is not pointed out. The act to which the oroer refers, which is the one relating to pensions to Civil War veterans, does not authorize pen sions on the ground of age. It does grant pensions to those suffering from any mental or physical disabil- ity, or disabilities, of permanent character. not the result of their own vicious habits which so inncapiciates them from the performance of manual labor as to render them unable to earn a support" This specified require ment of incapacity is in effect set aside by order No. 7S as to all persons over sixty.
 The war closed nearly forty years ago. In the meantime many of our soldiers and sailors long survived the age of siXty-two, and passed away without reciving any pension. Skill ful pension attorneys hunting through the statute failed to find there pro vision giving a pension to all who had reached sixty-two. Many prominent veterans urged the justice of congress sional action giving service pension to all veterans. Bills 10 that effect were introduced in congress. And not until March of this year did any one ever claim to have made the dis covery that the president had power 10 treat the statute as if it read that when claimant had passed the age of siXty-two years he is necessarily dis abled cne-half in ability 10 perform manual labor and therefore entitled to a pension.
 The present pension commissioner indicated his view of the, order when m a recent address he thanked the president for what he had done and advised his hearers to use their in1lu- ence that LAW might be passed to the same effect Full confidence ar ter all seems not to have been placed on the defense of justification for it is pleaded in mitigation that a former Democratic president did something looking in that direction. Even II that were so, which is not admitted our present duty would be none the less plain and imperative. Our Peo- ple must never tolerate the citction c. one act of usurpation of power as an excuse fer another The first may possibly be due to mistake; the sec ond. being based on the first, can not be. In explanation, however. it should be said that the order relied on sim ply rovides that the age of seventy-fve years should be regarded as evidence of inability to perform manual labor. Few men are able to perform manual labor at that age, but nearly all men are at sixty-two. The first order is based on a fact that experience teach es. the other is based on the assertion of that which is net true as a general rule.
 The old inquiry. What are you So- ing to do about it?" is not stated in a new form. It is said by the admins tration, in reply to the public criticism of this order. that Tt is easy to test cur opponents sincerity 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 '62 and 70 as presumbably in full bodily vigor and not entitled to pension. Will they authorAtat:vely state that they intend to do SO? If so. we accept the issue.
 This suggests the suspicion, at least, that the order was made to create an issue-that it was supposed to present a strong strategic position in the bat tle of ballots. But as the making of that order was. in my judgment. an attempted. though perhaps unwilling, encroachment upon the legislative power. and. therefore, unwarranted by 1he constitution, the challenge is ac- Cepted If elected. 1 will revoke that order. But I go further, and say that being done I will contribute my effort toward the enactment of law 10 be passed by both houses of con gress and approved by the executive that will give an age pension without reference to disability to the surviv- ing heroes of the Civil War. and un- der the provisions of which pension may be accepted with dignity because of the consciousness that it comes as a just due from the people through their chosen representatives, and not as largess distributed by the chief eX- ecutive.
 Foreign Relations
 1Ee tOTelSn TelalloHS OL lHS SofS'N ment nave in late years assumed spe- cial importance. Prior to the acqulsl- tion of the Philippines, we were practi- cally invUinerable against attacks by foreign states. Those tropical pos sessions. however. seven thousand miles from our shores. have changed all this. and have in effect put us un- der bones to keep the peace The new conditions call for management Of foreign affairs the more circum- spect in that the recent American in vasion of foreign markets in all parts of the world has excited the serious apprehension of all the great indus trial peoples.
 It is essential, therefore. more than ever. to adhere strictly to the tradi-