Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-06-13
An Old Rebel on Pensions.

A Frankfort (ky.) dispatch says /:
The old rebel, State Senator William
Lindsay, has received strong protest
from Happy Jack, another oIdrebel,
who is Il prominent and worthy citl-
zen of Lincoln county. He protests
against the passage OF a bill provid-
ing a home for old Confederate sol
diers in Kentucky on the ground
that it would be a dangerous prece-
dent to establish. The home will be
a pension, and with pensions Happy
Jack" sees visions of thousands and
tens of thousands Of crippled, disabled
and impecunious Confederate sol
diers. That other old rebel, Colonel
+. Polk Johnson, publishes the letter
in the daily Capital, as follows
Judge William Lindsay Dear Sir :
For the Lords sake-and if you have
no respect for the Lord, just for us
old rebels sake-don't pass that Con
federate Association bill. Why, old
man, don't you know what a tendency
pecuniary aid of any kind has to dis
able a mani Has our Legislature
lost every bit Of its good sense? Don't
YOU know that the United States pen
sion bills have crippled mo Federal
soldiers than the combined armies OF
Lee and Jackson, Of Hill and Long
street, OF Buckner and Albert John =
son, of Joe Johnson, Bragg and
Hood, of Price, Van Dorm, Dick
TAYLOR and Kirby Smith Great
Fathers above man, stop and think
before you further get. Here | am,
now, tripping along towards sixty
been out Of the rebel army since May
. 1865 been able to cut cord wood
and maui rails every day since, and
the very mention Of your bill makes
me begin to feel on the decline.
Don't do it, Judge; don't do it.
You are out on high grass, and may
be tempted into the wrong pasture,
but you surely haven't forgot that
little. close boundary OF short grass,
and the temptations suggested there
by. Don't do it; it will paralyze me
and make others like Inc. Why, look
at Dick Warren, great, fine speci-
men Of mankind and the very best OF
good fellows; has ten handsome
children and lovely wife, all in one
little incIosure OF short grass with
him. He would be tempted to break
through and steal il he ever had been
a rebel. and il you pass this bill, don't
YOU suppc Sc he will wish he had been
a rebel!
Judge, don't do it. Look around
YOU. and | expect you can find a
member Of the present Legislature or
Senate who, to all appearances, Is a
great big, hearty and healthy man,
but interrogate him and you will find
he has doctors certificate OF disa-
DlIlty, contracted III the SCI VI 'A1N
best government the world ever saw.
Now. you step over there and ask
him if that is not so. Why, your bill
will cripple the last one OF US, Judge
and | don't want to be cripple.
Then in a few years more, we Will
have the sons of veterans, and there
will come up some blear-eyed,
hatchet- faced. hat-headed boy and
tell you that he is Happy Jacks boy.
Happy Jack had no boy, replies
the commissioner, or whoever he
may be. Who was your mother and
where do you live, anyhow! Now, !
don't want TO be imposed on in that
way.
Judge, don't do it. Think about
Woodie Longmoor, with his leg cut
of at the hip-joint. He is taking
care OF himself. Look across the
house at Rudy. Didn't l see him al
Emory and Henry with one leg cut or
until there was just enough left for q
knob for his walking-stick : Didn't
nv brother languish and suffer in the
same hospital with Rudy until hi
youthful body wasted into a bag o