The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-26


long survived the age of 81, and passed away
without receiving any pension. skilful pension
attorneys, hunting thru the statute failed to
find there a provision giving a pension to all
who had reached g. Many prominent veterans
urged the justice Of congressional action giving
| service pension to all veterans. Bills to that
effect were introduced in congress- And not
until March of this year did anyone ever claim
to have made the discovery that the president
had power to treat the statute If it read
| that when claimant had passed the age of 81
years he is necessarily disabled one-half in
| ability to perform manual labor and, therefore,
| entitled to a pension.
The president of the civil service commission
General John G. Black, formerly commissioner OF
pensions and commander in chief Of the Grand
Army of the Republic, indicated his
view of the order when in a recent address he
thanked the president for what he had done. and
advised his hearers to use their influence that
law might be passed to the same effect. Full
confidence, after all, seems not to have beeSe
placed on the defense of justification, for 1t is
pleaded in mitigation that a former democratic
president did, something looking in that direc-
ton. Even If that were eso--which is not adj
mtted-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 excuse for another. The first may
possibly be due to mistake; the second, being
based on the first, cannot be. In explanation,
l
| on simply provided that the age of rs years
should be regarded as evidence Of inability to
perform manual labor. Few able to
perform manual labor at that age. but nearly all
| men are at 81. The first order Is based a
| fact that experience teaches; the other is based
on the assertion Of that which is not true as a
| general rule.
| The old inquiry 'What are you going to do
about tt?' is now stated in new form. It is
said by the administration, In reply to the public
criticism of this order, that 1T is easy to test
our opponents sincerity in this matter. The Or
der in question is Eevocable at the pleasure of the
executive. If our opponents come into power
! they can revoke this order and announce that
they will treat the veterans Of 81 and 20 pre-.
s,.mably in full bodily vigor and not entitled to
pension. Will they authoritatively state that
they intend to do this? If so. we accept the
issue"
This suggests the suspicion, at least, that the
order was made to create al issue-that it was
supposed to present a strong strategic position
in the battle of the ballots.
On. the assumption that the order as stated
by the administration is revocable at the pleasure
Of the executive, it having been attempted
tho perhaps unwilling encroachnent upon the
Legislative power and therefore unwarranted by
the constitution, I accept the challenge and de
clared that if elected I will revoke that order
But I go further, and say that thai
being done. will contribute my eff
to be eoeh of and
proved by the executive that will give an agt
pension without reference to disability to the sur
provisions Of which pension may be accepted
with dignity because of the consciousness that 1
comes as just due from the people thru thei
chosen representatives, and not as ar1ess dis
tributed by the chief executive. -
Foreign Relations. T..
The foreign relations of the government have Fl
late years assumed special Importance. Prio
to the acquisition of the Philippines, we wer
practically tnvu1enrable against attacks by for
eign states Those tropical possessions, how
ever, seven thousand miles from shores hav
changed all this and have in effect put us I'm
der bonds to keep the peace. The new condition
call for management of foreign affairs tn
more crcumspect IN that the recent AmeT
all parts Of :" the world has excite
the serious apprehension of all the grea
, Industrial speoples. 1t is essential. therefore
more than ever, to5adhere strictly to- the trdi
= tional policyzof the country as formulated by it
first president and never in my judgment, wisel
departed from-to invite friendly relations wit
all nations while avoiding entangling alliance
with any. Such policy means the cultiva tio
of peace instead Of the gloriication of war, an
the Winding of our own business in lieu o
spectacular intermeddling with the affairs o
other nations. It means strict observance Of tn
principles of interna tional law and condemns tn
doctrine that great state; by reason of it
strength. may rightfully appropriate thA sover
its weakness. it means for other America
states that we claim no rights and will assum
no functions save those of friend and Of an all
/
, means that we repudiate the role of the Ameri
can continental policeman that we refuse to &C
as debt collector for foreign states or The;
citizens; that we respect the independent sove1
; eighty Of each American state and its right
preserve order and otherwise regulate its ow
internal affairs in its way; and that any II
tervention in its irs by US is limited to til
single office of enabling it's people to work on
their own political and national destiny fc
| themselves free from the coercion of any Euro
Ipean state.
Reform in Governmental Expenditures
Twenty-eight years have passed since the den
, ocratic party Of the state Of New York in cor
yention assembled. recommended to the nation,
democracy the nomination of Samuel J. Tilden 8
Its candidate for the presidency, and declared
to be "their settled conviction that return I
, the constitutional principles frugal expense
, and administrative purity Of the founders of til
| republic is the first and most imperious dut
of the tines-the commanding issue now befo,
the people Of the union This ST.. ,,ls expressio
the year 1875 which amounted to $s74 ooo 600
! a situa ton which, in the opinion Of a maiorit
Of our people. justified an imperative deman
for reform in the administration of public a
fairs. AS the expenditures of the last hsc,
year amounted to the enormous total Of $3.50 900
900; it is evident that thoro investigation of IL
E of useless and extravagant expenditures al
q more necessary now than they were then. Til
astounding increase is out of all proportion to IL
r increase Of population, and finds no exeus
from whatever aspect we view the situation II
national democratic platform declares tina. ..lors
5 reductions easily be made in the annual e.
i penditures Of the government without impairir
e the efficiency Of any branch of the public Sc
f vice. Can there be any doubt OF the accurac
: of this statement Between the expenditur,
e iof the year 1885, amounting to $242, ooo, 900 AZ
J. those Of the last fiscal year--the seventh aft
Q Grover Cleveland ceased to be presideat-aggr
t eating 1852 000 there is difference so gre,
as to excit, alarm in the breasts OF i'll though
: full men. Even excluding the sum Of $50 900 OK
n paid for the Panama canal rights and 10 IL
4 state Of Panama, the expenditures of the la
fiscal year exceeded the sum of 1852, 600, 600 b
ing more than double the expenditures of tt
E government for all purposes during the first YET
of Mr.. Cleveland's administration