The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-26
PENSIONS FOR OUR
SOLDIERS AND SAILORS

The national Democracy favors liberal
pensions to the surviving soldiers and
ground that they deserve liberal treat
ment. 1t pledges by its platform ade-
quate legislation to that end. But 1T
denies the right OF the executive to usurp
the power of congress to. legislate on that
subject. Such usurpation was attempted
by pension order No. 70, and effect has
been given to it by congress that dared
not resent the usurpation. 1t is said that
this order was made in the performance
of duty imposed upon the president by
act of congress, but the provision max
ing the imposition is not pointed out. The
act to which the order refers, which is
the one relating to pensions to Civil war
veterans. does not authorize pensions on
the ground of age. 1t does grant pensions
physical disability, or disabilities, of a
permanent character, not the result of
their own vicious habits. which so in
capacitates them from the performance
of manual labor as to render them un-
able to earn support" This specified
requirement of incapacity is in effect set
aside by order No. IS as. to all persons
The war closed nearly forty years ago.
In the meantime many of our soldiers and
sailors long ago survived the age OF sixty
any pension. Skillful pension attorneys
hunting through the statute failed to find
there a provision giving pension to all
who had reached sixty two. Many proni-
gressional action giving a. 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 dis
covery that the president had power to
treat the statute as If it read that when
claimant had passed the age of sixty
half In ability to perform manual labor
and therefore entitled to pension.
The president of the civil service COM
mission Gen. John c. Black, formerly
commissioner of pensions and commander
in-chief of the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie, indicated his views of the order when In
a recent address he thanked the president
hearers to use their influence that a law
might be passed to the same effect. Full
confidence after all seems not to have
been placed on the defense of justifica-
ton, for it is pleaded in mitigation that
former Democratic president did some
thing looking IN that direction. Even If
our. present duty would be none the less
plain and impera tive. Our people must
never tolerate the citation OF one act of
asnTbParlonr OF power as excuse for
to mistake; the second, being based on
T the frst:4 cannot be. In explanat ion. how :
lied on simply provided that tt the e a age Of
evidence Of inability to perform M. manual nan u
. labor, Few Few men, are able to perform,
men are at sixty-two: The first order
is based on a fact that experience teaches.
the other is based on the assertion of that
which is not true as general rule
The old inquiry What are You going
ito do about it 2. is now stated in a new
s form. 1t is said by the -administra ton,
in reply to the public criticism of this
s order that 1T is easy to test our op--
penents's sincerity in this. matter. The
order in question Is .revocable at the
pleasure of the executive If our oppon-
entS come into power they can revdlSe this
order and announce that they win treat
the Veterans of sixty-two and seventy as
presumably il full bodily vigor and not
entitled to: a pension, Will they autheri-
tatiyely state that they intend to do this?
II So we accept the issue
This suggests the suspicion at lea ST
that the orderwas made to create an Issue
that It was supposed to present strong
strategic position in the battle of the ball
lots On the assumption that the order.
as stated by the administration, is revoc.
able at the pleasure of the executive It
having been. an attempted, though per-
legislative power, and therefore unwar-
ranted by the constitution accept the
challenge and declare that If elected I
will revoke the order.
But ! 90 further and say thas that helm,
done, Will contribute my effort toward
the enactment OF law to be passed bv
both houses OF congress and APPROVED bv
the executive that Will ulve an ace pensie5S
+ without reference to disability Ia ffe
surviving heroes Of the Civil war: and
under the provisions OF which neneIon
may be accepted with dignity because 81
the consciousness that Il comes as lust