The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1904-10-13
ORDER NO. rs
Which Judge Parker Will Not Have q
Chance to Revoke.


Which Judge Parker Will Not Have a
Chance to Revoke.
Nothing in the Democratic culver Of
whereases against President Roosevelt
has failed so utterly as that arraign-
ing his pension order, No. IS, making
the proof of certain ages by old SOL
diers e%vidential facts Of certain de-
grees of disability.
If the order had been cunningly de-
vised to betray the great constitutional
lawyers of the Democracy into max
ing more than the usual kinds of con-
t%inental asses of themselves it could
not have succeeded more completely
and l%udicrously. When the great
parker Constitution club" Of New
York. started in to arraign Theodore
Roosevelt for going through the con-
stitution as if it were a paper hoop
in a circus ring, it attacked his issu-
ance of order No. IS in these words:
I'VE find that President Roosevelt
deliberately disregarded article !, Sec
ton g., 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. 70 assumed that an old
soldier who is GO years of age is prob
ably able to earn only one-half of the
support the statute provides in case of
total disability. at which stage he ar
rives when he is 70, and says he shall
be entitled to the muniticent sum Of
SIS per month as a pension: and it finds
that at G5 he is two-thirds disabled
and entitled to IS.
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 reaso of strength many men are
as able to earn a support at 70 as
at 80, but the vast majority at GO have
passed the line where they are fully
capable of doing so in "the perform
ance of manual labor" and the evil
days approach when ''the g%rasshopper
shall be a burden and desire shall
fail"
Order No. IS merely recognizes the
course of nature. but it draws no mon
ey out of the treasury without authori-
ty Of law. 1t was issued March 3.
1904. to be effective April IS, 1904.
Congress being in session it was re-
ported to that body with the request
that S1,5cO.CCO be appropriated to car
ry it into effect. The sum was elm
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
IAN appropriation made by law"
Exit the Parker Constitution club, OF
New York, with it's constitutional ears
at half mast.
Now. mark the sequel: On Sept. 1c
last. $1.410.GC0 was covered back into
the treasury as the unexpended bal.
ance Of the appropriation of $1,5CO.C coo
after paying $4,000 on 1867 claims
adjudicated in April, May and June tc
the end of the fiscal year. Of the
certificates issued only $3.50 were fol
original pensions to veterans who had
reached the age of G2 or upward, and
14.7GS were increases allowed to claim.
ants who We're receiving pensions fol
disability less than the amount tc
which they We're entitled under the
pension for age.
Thus, it will be perceived, the dread
of a heavy pension raid on the treas
ury by reason Of order No. IS has
gone elimmering along with the con
stitutional Mysteries of the Parker
Constitution club, of New York.