Evening journal., 1904-09-12
He SETS OUT THE MENACE
OF THE OPPOSITION IN A
STRIKING MANNER IN HIS
LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE
MADE PUBLIC TO-DAY


abroad Do our opponents object TO
the fact that the international tribunal
at The Hague was rescued from i'm
potence and turned into n potent in
strument for peace among the nations?
DO our opponents object TO the set
tlemeut Of the Alaska boundary line2
Do they object to the fact that after
freeing Cuba we gave her reciprocal
trade advantages with the United
States, while at the same time keep
ing naval stations in the island and
providing against its sinking into chaos
or being conquered by any foreign
power? Do they object to the fact that
our flag now flies over Porto Rico? Do
they object to the acquisition Of Ha-
waii? Once they hauled down" our
flag there. We have holsted It again.
DO they intend once more TO haul il
down? Do they object TO the part we
played in China? DO they not know
that the voice Of the United States
would now count for nothing in the
far east If we had abandoned the Phil
ippines and refused to do what was
done in China? DO they object to
the fact that this government secured
a peaceful settlement of the troubles
in Venezuela two years ago?
Do they object to the fact that
American warships appeared promptly
at the port of Beirut when an effort
had been made 10 assassinate an Amer
ican official. and in the port Of Tangier
when an American citizen had been
abducted. and that in each case the
wrong complained OF was righted and
expiated, and that within the last few
days the visit of an American squad
ron to Smyrna was followed by the
long delayed concession of their just
rights to those Americans concerned
in educational work IN Turkey? DO
they object TO the trade treaty with
! China, so full of advantage for the
( American people in the future? DO
they object TO the fact that the ships
carrying the national flag now have a
higher standard than ever before In
craftsmanship and in seamanship as
individual units and as component
parts of squadrons and fleets?
Executive Eneroachments."
When our opponents speak Of zen
croachments" by the executive upOi
the authority Of congress or the judi
cinry. apparently the act they ordinn
rily have in view is pension order No
IS, issued under the authority of exist
ing law. This order directed that here
after any veteran of the civil war whC
had reached the age Of sixty-twc
should be presumptively entitled to the
pension Of SO month. given under the
dependent pension law to those whose
capacity to earn their livelihood by
manual labor has been decreased so per
cent and that by the time the age OF
seventy was reached the presumption
should be that the physical disability
was complete, the age being treated as
an evidential fact in each case. This
order was made In the performance OF
n duty imposed upon the president by
an act Of congress which requires the
executive TO make regulations 10 gov
ern the subordinates Of the pension OF
fee IN determining who are entitled q
pensions. President Cleveland had al
ready exercised this power by n regu
lation which declared that seyenty-fiv'
should be set as the age at which tota
disability should be cOnclusively pre-
sumed. Similarly President Mckinlel
4 established sixty-fve as the age a
which half disability should be con
cluslvely presumed. The regulation
now in question I'm the exercise OF tn
same power supplemented these regu
lations made under Presidents Cleve
land and Mckinley.
1t is easy TO test our opponents sir
cerity in this matter. The order &
question is revocable at the pleaSur
Of the executive. II our opponent
come into power they can revoke thi
order and announce that they will trea
the veterans Of sixty-two to seventy a
presumably in full bodily vigor an
not entitled 10 pensions. VIII the
now authoritatively state that they il
tend TO do this? If so, we accept th
issue.
The Currency.
/ EU AAuiA AkA NhAA OAA NHI0ANAl
openly or cOvertly advance I'm the wa
Of an attack on the acts of the admin
istration. When we come TO cOnsids
the policies for which they profess
stand we are met with the difficult
always arising when statements Of pc
icy are so made that they can be inte
preted in different ways. On some (
the vital questions that have confron
ed the American people in the la
decade our opponents take the pos
, ton that silence is the best possib
, way 10 convey their views They Co
, tend that their lukewarm attitude
partial acquiescence in what othe
! have accomplished entities them TO |
made the custodians OF the financi
, honor and commercial interests viii,
they have but recently sought TO rui
Being unable to agree among theI
selves as to whether the gold standa
a Is curse or a blessing and US
q whether we ought or ought not to ha'
4 free and unlimited coinage OF silv,
!. they have apparently thought it e
o pedient TO avoid any committal
: these subjects and individually each
/ Foflorx- his no ffaftIar- horf rrl,of-