The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-10-13
oEDEE no. 7a
Which 5udEe Parker wlu Not Have %
Chance 10 Revoke.

Which Su6ge Parker VIII Not Have
Chance 10 Revoke.
Nothing in the Democratic culver Of
whereases against rreEi3eat Roosevelt
has failed so utterly as that arraign-
I1g' las pension order, No. IS. making
the proof Of certain ages by old sol
diers eTidontial facts of certain de-
grees Of disability.
II the order had been cunningly de-
yised to betray The great constitutional
lawyers OF the Democracy into max
ing more than the usual kinds of con
tinental asses Of themselves it 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-
stituton as if il were a paper hoop
in a circus ring, it attacked his issu-
ance Of order No. rs in these words:
We find that President Roosevelt
deliberately disregarded article |, sec.
ton 9, 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. rs assumed that an old
soldier who is g. Years of age is prob
ably able to earn only one-half of the
support the statute provides in ease Of
total disability. al which stage he NJ
rjyes when he is 70, and says he shall
be entitled to the munificent sum Of
Sc per month as t pension; and ii finds
that at 50 he is two-thirds disabled
and entitled to %8.
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 earn support at 70 as
at 50. but the vast majority at 50 have
passed the line where they are fully
capable Of doing so in the perform
ancc of manual labor" and the evil
days approach when the grasshopper
shall be turden and desire shall
fail"
Order No. rs merely recognizes the
course Of nature, but it draws no mon
ey out Of the treasury without autholt-
ty Of law. It was issued March ),
1894 to he effective April 13, 1904.
Congress being in session it was re-
ported to that body with the request
that 81 ,500000 be appropriated to car
ry ii into effect The sum was els,-
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 cent
paid under order No. IS was drawn
from the treasury in consequence of
"an appropriation made by law"
Exit the Parker Constitution club, OF
New Icrk. with it's constitutional ears
| at half mast.
! Now, mark the sequel: On Sept. u
| last, $1,41O.000 was covered back into
the treasury as the unexpended bal
ance Of the appropriation cf $l,5o0. eco,
| after paying $4,000 on 1S,627 claims
! Qdjudicatcd in April, May and June 10
the end Of the fiscal year. Of the
certificates issued only $3.50 were for
original pensions to veterans who had
reached the age of 62 or upward. and
II. .T6S were increases allowed to claim,
ants who were receiving pensions fal
! disability less than the amount te
which they were entitled under tht
pension for age.
| Thus, it will be perceived, the dleat
of a heavy pension raid on the treas
ury by reason of order No. rs has
gone gIinmering along with the con
stitutional Mysteries of the Parke
Constitution club, of New York.