Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-09-26

'oiuioiS anu SdllOrS long survived the
age OF sixty-two, and passed away
without receiving and pension. SkilfuI
pension attorneys hunting through n.
statute failed to find there a provision
giving pension to all VINO lad
/ reached sixty-two. Many prominent
! veterans urged the justice of con.ras-
s:onal action giving a service pension
to all veterans. Bills to that effect
We're introduced in Congress. AID not
until March of this year did any one
! ever claim to have made the .liscov
cry that the President had power to
| treat the statute as if it read that
when claimant had passed the age of
siNty-two years he is necessarily dis
abled one-half in ability to perform
manual labor and therefore entitled tn
pension.
The president of the civil SER
vice commission, General John O.
Black, former commissioner of nen-
siOns and cOmmander-in-ch chief or
the Grand Army of the Repuhlic
indicated his view of the order whom
| in a recent address he thanked tho
President for what he had done and
advised his hearers to use their infu-
ence that law might be passed to the
same effect. Full confidence after all
seems not to have been placed on the
defense of justification, for it is
pleaded in mitigation that a former
Democratic President did somethinp
locking in that direction. Even if that
were So-which is not admitted-our
present duty would be none the less
plain and imperative Our people
, must never tolerate the citation of one
act Of usurpatipn of power as an ex-
cuSe for another. The first may pos
sibly be due to mistake: the second
being based on the first, cannot be. In
| explanation, however, it should be said
that the order relied on simply pro-
vided that the age Of seventy-five
years should be regarded as evidence
of inability to perform manual labor.
Few men are able to perform manual
labor at that age, but nearly all men
are at siXty-twO. The first order is
based on a fact that experience teach
es, the other is based on the assertion
of that which is not true as a general
rule.
The old inquiry. What are you go
ing to do about ito" is now stated in a
new form. 1t is said by the ad-
minstration, in reply to the public
criticism of this order, that 1T is easy
to test our opponents sincerity in this
matter. The order in question is
revocable at the pleasure of the Ex-
ecutive. If our opponents come into
power they can revoke this order and
announce that they will treat the VET
Grams of siXty-two and seventy as pre-
hi in, f,,lI
entitled to pension. Will they au-
thoritatively 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 an
issue-that it was supposed to present
a strong stategic position in the battle
Of the ballots.
On the assumption that the order az
stated by the administration is re-
VOkabe at the pleasure of the Eyecu-
tive, it having been attempted, though
perhaps unwilling encroaCh,nent upor
the Legislative power and therefore
rnwarranted by the constitution. l &C.
cept the challenge and declare that if
elected l will revoke that order.
But l go farther and say that
that being done, / will contribute my
effort toward the enactment of a law
to be passed by both houses of Con-
gress 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 dignity because of the
consciousness that it comes as a just
due from the people through their
chosen representatives, and not as
largess distributed by the Chief Ex-
ecutive.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
The foreign relations of the government
have III lace years assumed special i'm
portance. Prior to the acquisition OF the
Philippines, we were practically invul-
neidDle against attacks by 10. eign States.
Those tropical possessions, however, Sc en-
thousand miles from our shores, nave
changed all this and have in effect put us
under bonds to keep the peace The new
conditions call Tor a management OF
foreign affairs the more ciTCumspect in
that the recent American INVASION of
foreign markets in all parts of the world
has excited the serious apprehension of all
the great industrial peoples. 1t is eS-
sential, therefore, more than ever, to ad-
here strictly to the traditional policy OF
the country as formulated by its first
president and never, i'll my judgment, |
wisely departed fFom-to invite frcndl. |
relations with all nations while avoiding, |
entangling alliances with ans. Such a |
policy means the cultivation of peace in |
stead OF the Qualification OF war, and the |
minding Of our own business in lieu OF |
spectacular intermcddling with the affairs
OF other nations. Ii means strict OhSclV- |
ancc OF the principles ut international law |
and condemns The doctrine that a grea I
state, by reason of its strength, may |
rightfulIy appropriate The sovereignty or |
territory OF a small state on account OF |
its weakness. 1t means for other Ameri- !
can states that We claim no rights and !
Will assume no functions save those of Il |
friend and OF an ally and defender as |
against European aggressions. 1t means |
that We repudiate the role of the Ameri- |
can continental policeman; that We refuse |
to act as debt collector for foreign states |
or their citizens: that we respect the indie |
pendent sovereignty of each American |
state and its right to preserve order ana
otherwise regulate its own internal al |
fairs i'm its own way: and that any in
tervcn;ion in it's affairs by us is limited to
the single office of enabling its people to
work out their own political and national
destiny for themselves free from the coer-
cion of any European state.
Twenty-eight yea1s nave passed since
the Democratic party of the State of New
York. in convention assembled. recon-
mendcd 10 the National Democracy the
nomination of Samuel J. Tildcn as its can
dilate for the Presidency. and declared 1t
to be their settled conviction that re-