The Opelousas courier., 1890-12-13
Confederate Pensions.
Progressive Lea que.

Progressive League.
The revenue amendment, which pro"
| yides for the payment OF Sl,SoU'UVO per
| annum for twenty-five consecutive
| wears for the privilege OF malntalning
lottery in Louisiana, contains the fo4-
lowing clause devoting q specinc sun
to a specific purpose:
tn Pens;ons-$50,0o0 annually, pay !
able quarterly in Advance, as above pre-
q,;ded. to the pensioning OF Disabled
iu1iy1p or INDECENT confederate Tetef0Hs'
citisens resident in louisiana.
Tt is not difficult to ascertain the mum"
her of disabled, infirm or indigenb con-
fe6erate soldiers in Louisiana. Ihe
legislature of 1884 passed Act SO q the
legislature of 1885 passed Act 1l8, eacn
nroyjdipg for the free entry OF 100 acres
If land by confederate soldiers suffer-
ing under the disabilities already named.
The widows still unmarried OF sueh
confederate soldiers are also undef Tue
terms of the acts named entitled 20
enter free the same quantity OF ianu;
the names of the benetciaTies OF these
} acts. They number 300, and it is fair TO
assume that those who will take al
vantage OF the clause in the revenue
> amendment providing $4,000 annually
{ for pensions will not exceed 900 ID nun"
Der. This will entitle each disabled,
s infrm. or INDECENT confederate soidier
: or widow of such to about S65 the first
d wear after the lottery amendment goes
into operation ; and as the years
T and the number is decreased by oeash,
the amount per capita VIII natufa1iy
" be increased. And not only does tne
!. amendment provide pensions for the
old confederate soldiers, but it also ae'
o votes O specific sum annually 60 tns
support Of the Soldiers Home IN New
"a Orleans, where the veterans OF tue wal
- now aged, decrepit and unit for tht
active vocations of life, may be caree
=" for in a way BETTING the reverence am
yeneration and sense OF obiiRatlol
IL which every true Louisianian nus zee
T. toward them. ..o
~ internal revenue tax upon the people o
- Louisiana which amounts to man.
10 70 thousands of dollars annually. In az
y dition to this, the people OF the STA
nav in the way of import duties nun
ny dreds of thousands OF dollars which 8
I'd into the national treasury. More cha
he one-fourth of all these annual taxes al
he devoted TO the payment OF pensions !
on soldiers who fought in the noftheE
rs. army. They believed that their cans
ut was just, and those VINO !ose u -
u GLfuEGI0 tuC RGJ~4S1A
it, a livelihood, and also the widows an
OF orphans of those who lost their i've
is- are supported largely by the tax Whie
be the people of Louisiana pay each yea
les The revenue arising from the lottel
a business in Louisiana does not con
7er from Louisiana. Barely 8 per cent
bis 1t is paid by the people OF this state;
per cent of it comes from other stat
'ho and territories. Will it not be wise Z
i've Louisiana to make s0Tne return to l
for old soldiers by adopting such an amen
ment. to the Constitution OF the state
will result. in securing q pension 1ul
to support. the disabled, inhrn or
of' digent confederate veterans within .
limits of louisiana It has alrea'
in been shown that the continental co
md rewarded the revolutionary vetera
Iri. in this way.
era The legislature under the terms OF t
,te- lottery amendment, is required to ps
cad such laws as will properly carry II
icai effect the provision for pension TO &C
lich federate soldiers. 1t is to be expect
tenn that not only the soldiers who aetua
ure, served and who are now disabled,
atly firm or INDECENT, will receive. the bei
fits of the act, but that to the WHO
of those who have died in similar G
8 e cumstances will accrue the adyantal
arising from the amendment.