Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-18
Civil Service Employees Retirement.

TO the Editor of The Star:
I believe it to be the duty of Congress
to provide for the support of superan-
nuated and disabled employees of the fed
eraf government, but l do not believe
that Congress has any power to require
a compulsory contribution exclusively from
such employees for that purpose any more
than it has to require such a contribution
exclusively from federal judges or federal
soldiers for like purposes. A compulsory
contribution of money is a tax, neither
less nor more. If it be laid on civil serv-
ice employees only, whether ostensibly for
the exclusive benefit of that class or not.
it will be class legislation. 1t will be an
anomalous tax, neither uniform through
out the United States nor apportioned
among the several states according to
population, and therefore a void tax.
The contributOry scheme, therefore, Is
absurd.
But there is d plan which will stand
the test of constitutionalty. / suggest
that Congress increase the salaries of all
government employees twenty COO per
cent as the first step toward the solu-
ton of the problem. AS the next step,
that it provide system of probation
and retirement requiring persons disa-
bled in the line of duty and persons over
sixty 0O) years of age to retire OH half
pay, and supplying their places by ap-
ing the lives of their predecessors and
afterward full pay until they reach the
age Of compulsory retirement.
This plan would embrace all the adj
vantages of insurance against perjury in
old age or helplessness from disease, and
also a system of rewards for good serv-
ice and temporary sacrifices in youth,
while obviating constitutional objections,
for in honor and in morals the govern
ment owes debt to its outworn servants,
l,0e 70 Low nj oil NJ
taxes, but not to levy bla ckmail, in order
to pay that debt.
The question What is debt of the
United States?" was clearly decided by
the Supreme Court on the 10Th of May,
1885, in the case of the United States
agt. Realty Company. 163 L. s., AT,
44U-444. The opinion of the court in sub
stance is this:
What are the debts of the United
States within the meaning of this consti-
tutional provision? 1t is conceded, and
indeed it cannot be questioned, that the
debts are not limited to those which are
evidenced by some written oblsation or
to those which are otherwise of a strict
ly legal character. The term debts in
cludes those debts claims which rest
upon merely equitable or honorary
obligation and which would not be re-
coverable in a court OF law IL existing
against an individual The nation. speak
ing broadly, owes a debt to an indi-
vidual when his claim grows out of gem
eral principles of right and justice; when,
in other words, it is based upon consid-
erations of a moral .or merely honorary
nature, such as are binding on the con-
science or the honor of an individual. al
though the debt could obtain no recognl-
ton in a court of law. The power of Con-
gress extends at least as far as the rec
ignition and payment of claims against
the government which are thus founded.
To no other branch of the government
than Congress could any application be
made successfully on the part of the
owners of such claims or debts for the
payment thereof Their recognition de-
ponds solely upon Congress, and whether