Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1904-10-28
CaDa1 NO. ~
wbici Judge Park : Will Not Have .
" lhancs 10 IevoIse. n

wbici Judge Park Will Not Have
III CHANCES 10 Levohe.
Nothing III the Democratic CULVER of
whereases against President Roosevelt
has failed SO utterly as that arraign-
Ing his pension order, No. Is, making
the proof Of certain ages by old SOL
diers evidential facts Of certain de-
grees Of disability.
IL the order had been cunningly de-
vised to betray the great constitutiona
lawyers OF the Democracy into maxi
ing more than the usual kinds Of con-.
/ tinental asses Of themselves 1t could
not have succeeded more completely
and ludicrously. When the great
Parker Constitution club" Of New
York, started in to arraign Theodore
Roosevelt for going through the con
stitution as IL it were a paper hoop
in a circus ring, It attacked his issu-
ance Of order No. q in these words:
I'VE find that President Roosevelt
deliberately disregarded article /, Sec
ton 8, of the constitution, providing
No money shall be drawn from the.
treasury, but in consequence Of appro-
priations made by law
Now, what are the facts?
Order No. 70 assumed that an old
soldier who is 81 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 70, and says he shall
| be entitled to the munificent sum Of
Sc per month as a pension; and it finds
that at 65 he is two-thirds disabled
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 support" at 10 as
at 30, but the vast majority at 60 have
| passed the line where they are fully
capable Of doing SO in '.the perform
/ ance Of manual labor" and the evil
days approach when "the grasshopper
shall be burden and desire shall
i fail"
Order No. 70 merely recognizes the
course Of nature, but it draws no mon.
ey out Of the treasury without auti1ori.
j ty of law. 1t was issued March s.
1904, to be effective April IS, 1904
Congress being in session 1t was re
ported to that body with the request
that $1,5O0,OOO be appropriated to car
~ it into effect. The sum was EN-
bodied 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 is
sue, and not till then. Every CEN
paid under order No. 70 was drawn
from the treasury in consequence o.
ian appropriation made by law"
Exit the Parker Constitution club, O.
d New York, with its constitutional ear
at half mast.
Now, mark the sequel: On Sept. !!
{ last, $1,41O,OOO was covered back int
the treasury as the unexpended bal
ance Of the appropriation Of 81, 800, 00C
. after paying $4,000 on 1892 claim
adjudicated in April, May and June t
the end Of the fiscal year. OF tn
certificates issued only 1850 were 70
original pensions to veterans who ha'
reached the age Of 81 or upward, an
: 14,768 were increases allowed to claim
ants who were receiving pensions 70
disability less than the amount t
which they were entitled under tn
pension for age. is
Thus, It will be perceived, the drea
) Of a heavy pension raid on the treas
ury by reason Of order No. 70 ha
gone glimmering along with the cor
! stitutional Mysteries Of the Parke
Constitution club, Of New York.