The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-26
Political Courage.

Truth bids ns say that there lie a little
more spunk in Judge PARKER's letter OF
acceptance than in any preceding docu-
ment of his composition since the cam
paign began. A little more, but not
much.
1t is easier to read than its predeces-
sors, because Mr.. PARKER himself or
some useful friend has edited away the
overabundanoe of qualifying phrases
and modifying words with which the
excellent gentleman has been accustomed
in his political manifestoes to ballast both
sides so impartially that when you get
to the end OF obe Of his complicated sem
fences you do not know whether twee-
dledum or tweedIedee has the plurality
We bespeak the candid consideration
of all citizens for what is the NEST credits
able production, as literature, that has
vet enanated from Esopus, And we
call particular attention to its most M
teresting feature, namely. the raSeGepce
to the much debated Pension order max
ing the iee Of siatyztwo pres0pPtive evil
dence Of dfsabilityto earn a-living By
IQdItldl ldUOF. NO DdNC no ioeooii'
to revise our opinion that this Executive
order was very much like bid for the
soldier vote; that it's character as an en-
croachment on theproyinoe oflegislation
was not altered by the circumstance that
Congress- after%ard appropriated money
to give Reflect; and that the order must
stand as one of the acts of Mr. RoosE-
vELT's administration most. open to
just criticism. We say this even after
having read the ablest legal defence of
Pension OSief No, 7s that has vet been
put forward. namely. that by Mr.. HENRY
w. TAFT, lin his statement, printed this
morning. ~, ." = 90, ga. 90 49, ..
In Mr. RoosEvELT's, letter of accept
ance Of Sept. II he said:
1T is e+W. TO, test our, opponents SINCERITY In
this matter The orde+ IA question Is revocsble
at the pleasure the Executive. II our opponents
come Into power. they can revoke this order and
announce that they vii! treat the veterans OF sixty
two to seventy as presumably In fun bodily vigor
and not enadaJte pehaore, -w1p met nownvthor. I
ta,lvely state that they intend 20 do this. II so.
accept the issue. II not then We have the night
to ask why they raise issue which, when raised,
they do notSenture to meet" ~ "I~Gs+ d
We confess that The Suns hopes and
interest as an amateur of courageous
politics rose high in reading the first
part of Mr.. PARKBR's reply to the some
what crude. political challenge quoted
above. The Democratic candidate says:
ON the assumption that the order, as stated by
the Administration is fevocable the pleasure of
the Executive, II having been an attempted though
perhaps unvialng Iencroachment upon the legs.
latlve power. and therefore unwarrahted by the
Constitution. | accept the challenge and declare
that II elected uilI fsaoks thai order" ...
Do not these words ring like the ut
terance of a statesman who is for Duty
and the Constitution without reference
to the old soldier vote, and without fear
of its displeasure? They seemed to us
so to ring; and 1t was with profound dis
appointment that we encountered the
next sentence: ttF -@..,
But go further and say that that being done
! will contribute my effort toward the enactment
OF a law passed by both houses OF Congress and
approved by the Executive tina, will gre an age
pension wthoW reference TO disability TO the sur
vvlng heroes OF the civil war: and under The pro-
visions OF which pension may DO accepted with
dignity because Of the consciousness that 1t comes
J." Just due from the people through their chosen
representatives. and not as a largess distributed
by the Chief Executive
Solcitude for the maintenance in
violate Of the Constitutional boundaries,
or merely an ordinary attempt to outbid
for the so-called veteran vote? r"7
How puzzling are the anfractuosities
of the human mind when it is up for
elective office!
49, = ----4-- .--., =.