The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-26

will have a more beneficent influence
on our. future destiny than all ouI
material upbuilding, and that we
should ever remember that the idea
of doing a wrong to a smaller, weaker
nati@n that we, or even all mankind
may have a resultant good is repug-
nant to the principles upon which our
government was founded
Tnder the laws of the United States,
the duty is imposed on the executive
to proceed with due diligence IN the
work of constructing the canal That
duty should be promptly performed
American Shipping.
Our commerce in American bot
toms amounts to nine per cent of our
total exports and imports. For 40
years prior to 1861, when the 'Repub-
Hcan party came into power, our mer-
chant marine carried an average of
so per cent of our foreign commerce.
BY 1877 it had dwindIed to twenty
seven per cent Now we carry but a
contemptibly small fraction OF our ex-
ports and imports.
American shipping in the foreign
trade was greater by almost one hun
dred thousand tons in 1s10-nearly
a hundred years ago-than it was last
year. In the face of the continuous
decline in the record of American
shipping during the last forty-three
years, the promise of the Republican
party to restore it is without encour-
agement- The record of the Demo-
cratic party gives assurance that the
task can be more wisely entrusted to it.
IT is an arduous task to undo the
effect of forty years of decadRnce, and
requires the study and investigation of
those best fitted by experience to find
the remedy-which surely does not lie
in the granting of subsidies, wrung
from the pockets of all the taxpayers.
Investigation of Government Depart
mentS.
Recent disclosures, coupled with the
rapid augmentation of government ex-
peditures, show d need of an investi-
CATION OF every department of the gov
eminent The Democrats in congress
demanded il. The Republican majority
refused the demand. The people can
determine by their vote in November
whether they wish an honest and
thorough investigation. A Democratic
congress and. executive will assure it.
Army and Navy.
We are justly proud of the officers
and men Of our army and navy. Born,
however, have suffered from the per-
sistent injection of personal and politi-
cal influence. Promotions and appoint
menJS have been frequently based on
favoritism instead of merit. Trials and
court martials have been set aside I'M
These and other abuses
should be corrected.
Pensions.
The national Democracy favors lib
and sailors and their dependents, on
the ground that they Deserve liberal
treatment. 1t pledges by its platform
adequate legislation to that end. But
it denies the right of the execptive 10
usurp the power of congress to Iegis-
late on that subject. Such usurpation
was attempted by pension order No. 49,
and effect has been given to it by a
congress that dared not resent the
usurpation. 1t is said that this order
was made in the performance of a
duty imposed 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
any mental or physical disability, or
disabilities, of a permanent character,
not the result of their own vicious hab-
is, which SO incapacitates them from
he performance of manual labor as to
render them unable to earn a support
This specified requirement of i1capaci--l
" is sin effect set aside Ia. order No 20
as to all persons over So
The war closed nearly 40 years ago. |
In the meantime many of our soldiers |
and sailors long survived the age of g., !
and passed away without receiving any |
Skillful pension attorneys
hunting through the statute failed to |
ind there a provision giving a pension |
10 all who had reached 81. Many |
prominent veterans urged the justice |
IF congressional action giving a service |
pension to all veterans Bills to that
Effect were introduced in congress. And |
not until March of this year did any |
)ne ever claim to have made the dis |
;Overy that the president had power to |
-reat the statute as if 1t read that when |
claimant had passed the age of GO |
years he is necessarily disa bled one
half in ability to perform manual labor |
and therefore entitled to a pension,
The president of the civil service |
commission, General John c. Black, |
iormsrfy commissioner of pensions and |
of the Grand Army |
IF the Republic, indicated his view of |
he order when in a recent address he |
thanked the president for what he had |
lone, and advised his hearers to use |
heir influence that a law might be
passed to the same effect. Full conf !
1ence after all seems not to have been
placed on the defense of justification, |
for it is pleaded in mitigation that a |
former Democratic president did some
hing looking in that direction. Even |
4 that were so-which is not admitted
our present duty would be none the |
less plain and imperative. Our people |
must never tolerate the citation of one |
act of uSurpation of power as an ex-
cuse for another. The first may posi- |
bly, be due to mistakes: the second, be- |
ing based on the first, cannot be. In |
explanation, however, it should be said /
that the order relied on simply pro-
Vlueu tnat the age OF 30 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 62. The /
first order is based on a fact that ex-
perience teaches. the other is based on |
The assertion of that which is not true |
as a general rule.
The old inquiry, What are you 60
ng to do about ft?" is now stated in a /
new form. 1t is said by the admins |
-ration, in reply to the public criticism /
Of this order, that TT is easy to test |
our opponents sincerity in this matter /
The order in question is revocable at |
the pleasure of the executive If our /
come into power they can |