Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-09-30

was hluuc III tIlc performance Oh
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 re-
fers. which is the one relating to pen
sions to civil war veterans, does not
authorize pensions Oh the ground of
age. 1t does grant pensions to those
suffering from any mental or physical
disability or disabilities Of q perma-
nent character, not the result of their
own vicious habits, which so incapaci-
tates them from the performance Of
bic to earn support" This specified
requirement of incapacity is in effect
set aside by order No. Is as to all per-
sons over sxty-twO.
The war closed nearly forty years
ago. In the meantime many Of our
soldiers and sailors long survived the
age of siXty-twO and passed away
without receiving any pension. Skill
full pension attorneys, hunting through
the statute, failed to find there pro-
vision giving pension to all who had
reached sixty-twO. Many prominent
veterans urged the justice of congress
sOnal action giving service pension
to all veterans. Bills to that effect
were introduced In congress. And not
until March Of this year did any one
ever claim to have made the discovery
that the president had power to treat
the statute as IL 1t read that when a
claimant had passed the age Of sixty
two years he Is necessarily disabled
One-half In ability to perform manual
labor and therefore entitled to u pen
sion.
The present pension commissioner In
dictated his view Of the order when in
recent address he thanked the presi-
his hearers to use their influence that
law might be passed to the same eff
feet. Full confidence, after all, seems
not to have been placed on the defense
of justification, for 1t is pleaded in
mitigation that former Democratic
president did something looking in that
direction. Even IL that We're so, which
Is not admitted. our present duty
would be none the less plain and I'M
perative. Our people must never toll
crate the citation Of one act Of usurpa-
ton Of power as an excuse for anOth-
er. The first may possibly be due to
mistake; the second, being based on
the first, cannot be. In explanation,
however, 1t should be said that the Or
der relied OH simply provided that the
age of seventy-five years should be re-
garded as evidence Of inability to per-
form manual labor. Few men are able
to perform manual labor ut that age,
but nearly all men are Mt sixty-two.
The first order is based on 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 60
ing to do about it?" is now stated in a
new form. 1t is said by the admins
tration, in reply to the public criticism
Of this order. that lit is easy to test
our opponents sincerity In this mat
ter. The order In question is revOcable
ut the pleasure Of the executive. II
our opponents come into power they
can revoke this order and announce
that they will treat the veterans Of
sixty-two and seventy as presumably
in full bodily vigor and not entitled to
pension. VIII they authOritatively
state that they intend to do this? II
so, we accept the ISSUE"
This suggests the suspicion ut least
that the order was made to create an
issue; that it was supposed to present
a strong strategic position in the bat
tie OF the ballots. But rs the making
of that order was, In my Judgment, an
attempted though perhaps unwittingen-
crOachment upon the legislative power
and therefore unwarranted by the con-
stitution. the challenge is accepted. II
elected l will revoke that order. But
l go further and say that. that being
done, will contribute my effort toward
the enactment Of law to be passed by
both houses Of congress and approved
by the executive that will give an age
pension without reference to disability
to the surviving heroes Of the civil
war and under the provisions OF which
pension may be accepted with digni-
ty because Of the consciousness that it
comes as just due from the people
through their chosen representatives
and not as largess distributed by the
chief executive.
Foreign Relations.
The foreign relations Of the govern
ment have in late years assumed
special Importance. Prior to the ac-
QUESTION Of the Philippines We We're
practically invulnerable against at
tacks by foreign states. Those tropical
possessions, however, 1000 miles from
our shores, have changed all this and
have In effect put us under bonds to
keep the peace. The new conditions
call for a management Of foreign at
fairs the more circumspect in that the
recent American invasion Of foreign
markets in oil parts Of the world has
excited the serious apprehension OF
all the great Industrial peoples. 1t IL
essential, therefore. more than ever
to adhere strictly to the traditional
policy Of the country as formulated by
its first president and never, In my
Judgment. wisely departed frOm-to in
vite friendly relations with all nations
while avoiding entangling alliances
with any. Such policy means the cul-
tivation Of peace instead OF the glorifica-
ton of war, and the minding of our own
business In lieu OF spectacular intermed-
ding with the affairs OF Other nations
II means strict observance of the prin-
ciples of international law and condemns
the doctrine that a great state by rea-
son of its strength. may rightfully ap-
propriate the sovereignty or territory or
q small state on account OF Its weakness.
1t means for other American states mat
we claim no rights and will assume no
functions save those OF 4 friend ana OF
an ally and defender as against European
aagressions 1t means that We repudiate
the role Of the American Continentai po-
iicaman, that We refuse 20 act as dep'
collector for foreign states or their GU.
zens. that We respect the independent.
sovereignty Of each American state ana
its right to preserve order and other" ise
regulate its own internal affairs In its
own way, and that any intervention In its