Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1894-03-03
MISSISSIPPI MATTERS.



The State pensioners. like those draw
ing funds from the United States, con
time to rapidly increase each year. ons
of the striking differences is that tht
State has made an honest. earnest eif0r'
TO prevent the undeserving from receiving
the fund.- while it is frequently charged
the United States has not. All manner
of devices have been adopted by the STATE
to keep the list within reasonable bounds
and especially to prevent any except tnost
who are almost in actual want and VINO
are unable by reason of bodily infirmities
TO earn living, from getting any of the
benefits. Each year the auditor mas
added some new restriction with this END
In view, but each year has seen the num-
ber constantly increased over the previous
year. Since 1889, the first distribution
ever made by the State, the number has
little more than trebled The claims
are first passed on by county board
consisting of the Sheriff. Chancery Clerk
| and Board of Supervisors. All the applt
cations this board adopts is sent to the
State Auditor, who, under the law, ls
pension commissioner. and has to run the
gauntlet Of his scrutinizing eye. The
new constitution makes it obligatory on
the Legislature to "provide bylaw pen
sionS for INDECENT soldiers and sailors who
enlisted and honorably served in the Con
| fedcrate army or navy in the late civll
war who are now resident in this State.
and not able to earn a support by thtlr
| own labor" Pensions are also TO be al
lowed to the INDECENT widows of such sol
| diers and sailors. 1t will he seen the
constitution provides that "all who are
not able to earn support by their own
labor shall be entitled to the pensions.
Prior to this time, in order to be entitled
| to the pension, the soldier must have becn
''incapactated for manual labor by rea-
son of wound received in said service.
The Legislature of 1892, the next one
succeeding the convention, saw how wide
| the doors had been left open and that a
much larger appropriation would be
| called for in order TO give the large num-
bcr of applicants whom it was seen would
| apply even pi,tance. 1t accordingly III
creased the appropriation from 100000
to S64,20O, thinking this would at least
give each as much as $40. The calcnla-
tion was really made on the basis that
each pensioner would get $50, taking the
number of pensioners the year before rs
the basis. The increased number, how
ever, shows how badly the Legislature
was mistaken.
| In lSS9-90 the appropriation for each
year was S21 900. In 1889 there were
| 1000 pensioners, who received sd each;
in 1890 the number had increased tc
1,1I6, and as the fund is distributed pro
rata, they got but $l7SJ apiece.
For 1892 the appropriation was in.
creased for each year to $4,000, with the
following result: In 1891 the list had
swelled to 1,2S4, giving each S2336 In
1892 1,295 pensioners received S23. 1G
each.
The appropriation for each of the year.
1So3-4 was S64,2oO. In 1893 the list
showed up grand total of 1.995 pension.
crS. who got S3225 each. and in 1891
3,oo4 who received only S201J apiece.
The legislature just adjourned fully ap
prcciated the situation and took another
whack at the law, with view of adding
new restrictions to keep the unworthy
from the rolls. Unless it has better sue
cess than its predecessors all its work will
have been in vain, 1t increased the fund
$1,000. This WAS done as a concession tC
those favoring the soldiers home