The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-10-08
ORDER NO. 70
Which Judge Parker. Will Not Have
Chance to Revoke.

Which Judge Parker Will NOT nave
a Chance to Revoke.
j. Nothing in, the Democratic CULVER ct
whereases against President Roosevelt
has failed so utterly as that arraigning
his pension order, No. IS, making the
proof of certain ages by old soldiers
evidential facts of certain degrees of dis
ability.
If the order had been cunningly de-
vised to betray the great constitutional
lawyers of the Democracy into making
more than the usual kinds Of continental
asses Of themselves it could not have
succeeded more completely and ludicrous-
w. When the great ''Parkcr Constltu-
ton Club Of New York. started in to
arraign Theodore Roosevelt for going
through the constitution as if it were
a paper hoop i'll a circus ring. it attack
ed his issuance of order No. IS in these
words:
I'VE find that President Roosevelt de-
libcrately disregardcd Article |. Section g..
of the Constitution. providing NO money
shall be drawn from the Treasury. but i'll
consequence of appropriations made ny
law
Now, what are the facts?
Order No. IS assumes that all old
soldier who is 81 years of age IS prop
ably able to earn only one-half of the
support the statute provides IN case or
total disability, at which stage he ar
riyes when he is seventy. and says lie
shall be entitled to the m,lnicent sum
of $6 per month as a perslon: and 1t
finds that at IS he is two-thirds disa bled
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
MS able to learn Il SllppOrt' at seventy
as at thirty. but the vast majority at
sixty have passed the line where they
are fully capable of doing so in the
performance of manual labor and the
evil days approach when 1.-The grasshop-
Der shall be a burden and desire shall
fail.''
Order No. IS merely recognizes th>
course of nature, but it draws no money
out of the treasury without authority
OF law. 1t was issued March Is, 1901.
to be effective April -. 1904. Congress
being in session it was reported to that
body with the request that $1.5O).W0
be appropriated to carry it into effect.
The sum was embodied 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 issue. and not till then. Every cent
paid under Order No. IS was drawn
from the treasury i'll consequence of IAN
appropria ton made by law
Exit the Parker Constitution Club. Of
New York, with its constitutional ears
at half mast.
Now, mark the sequel: On September
10 last, $1,41O,000 was covered back
into the treasury as the uneXpended
balance Of the appropriation of $780,
coo. after paying $4,000 on 1862
claims adjudicated in April. May and
June to the end Of the fiscal year. OF
the certificates issued only 1850 were
for, original pensions to veterans who
had reached the age OF sixty-two or
upward, and II, 768 were increases al
lowed to claimants who were receiving
pensions for disability less than the
amount to which they were entitled
under the pension for age. -
Thus, it will be perceived, the dread
Of a heavy pension raid ON the treasury
by reason Of Order No. IS has gone
glimmering along with the constitutional
mysteries of the Parker Constitution
Club of New York. SIS. = :. =. j i