Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-09
PENSION ORDER
IS IIACKED
Bourke Cochran Claims the
President Has Usurped the
Power of Congress
MAKES SPEECH IN THE HOUSE
New Member of Congress From New
York Bitterly AssaiIs the President
for Issuing an Order Which Lowers
the Age Limit For Disability Pen
sions.

today, Cochran of New YORK, successor
to George b. Mcclellan, spoke on his
resolution directing inquiry by the ju-
dietary COMMITTEES as to whether there
was authority in law for the recent exc
cutive order relating to pensions of age
disability. The committee on rules re-
ported an order directing that the ord
er lie on the table. Cochran command
ed the close attention OF members on
both sides of the house. He said the
resolution was offered solely to vindi-
cate the dignity of the house. He did
not, he said, question the propriety of
paying liberal pensions to federal SOL
diers. but he declared that the basis of
these payments should be laws of con-
gress and not any self-constituted au-
thority.''
IT. he said, the presidents order is
recognized by the house, what frag-
ment OF power is there left to the
house?'' BY one stroke Of the pen. he
declared, the president has appropriat-
ed $30,000,000 and he said it was a mat
ter with which congress must DEAL II
it has any regard for Its own powers or
If 1t be animated by a shadow OF 10y
atty for the cons titution which created
ut. He vigorously asserted that I'VE are
here; at the parting of the ways" and
Inquired IF this order be tolerated
without protest by the house, what
power is there that the executive order
cannot usurp." Continuing he said that
this pretense of Interpretation OF the
law Is but hollow mockery and play
of words" and added. ut Is known by
the man who wrote 1t, as shown by the
order Itself" After attacking what he
declared to be the presidents usurpa-
tion OF power of Interpretation. when
he said that the order should not be
retroactive Cochran appealed to mem
bel-s on both sides of the house. To
consider the enormity of this proposal"
which he said affected the liberty and
safety of the government. In his opin-
ion the steady decline In the dignity of
the house had attracted much atten-
ltion. In a sarcastic vein he declared
the president allowed congress the
privilege of declaring war and he was
loudly applauded by the democrats
when he added .fbut the president MAX
es war when he chooses to-"
Congress, he declared, had so lost
caste that today there was not paper
outside OF Washington that gave more
than one or two paragraphs about its
proceedings. He then fiayed the mem
bers for permitting the senate to grow
UP at the expense OF the house by per-
sistently asserting It's rights. He
charged that the house had been re-
miss in its duty In not asserting Its
rights. He received vociferous ap-
plause from both sides OF the chamber
when he declared Notwithstanding
Speaker Cannon's utterances that pub
lie opinion must come to the rescue
of congress. Public opinion of the
United States is here, we are its agents.
its creation" Raising his voice to a
high pitch, he said the house is the
sanctuary OF our constitutional temple.
We are the priests to whom it is en-
trusted, and" pointing finger at the
speaker), you, sir, are the high priest,
responsible for the method in which
that trust shall be discharged" He
referred to the attempts made In Eng
land to usurp the legislative authority
and declared the presidents order WIS
usurpation of power mot by appropria-
ton, but by Interpretation" which he
attributed to ''pusillanimous failure of
congress to do it's duty to itself" He
attacked the rules of the house and
said If the members We're not to be
trusted I'VE ought to be abolished :
Cochran closed amid storm of APP
plause by appealing to both sides of
the house to unite on declaration Of
rights beyond which aggression of the
senate or of the executive shall not go"
AS Cochran took his seat he was
surrounded by members from both
parties who warmly congratulated him
and it was some time before order was
restored.