Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-28
Mrs. jefferson Davis.

The proceedings at Birmingham, Ala,
with reference TO a pension for Mrs Jef-
ferson Davis are not clearly given In the
dispatches which we have read, but we
haven't the least idea that the veterans.
(as we have seen It stated turned
"the cold shoulder TO the widow OF their
President because OF late she has found
It convenient TO live in New York.
Mrs. Davis has been living in New York
for several years because she has busl-
ness affairs there to which she must give
her personal attention. Her purpose. as
expressed upon her last visit here, was
TO come to Richmond to reside and we
have never heard OF the abandonment Of
that purpose, but we know that circum-
stances (Which we have no authority TO
make public have prevented her carrying
it out.
The wigwam in which the veterans held
their great reunion at Birmingham Is
named ''rhe Winnie Davis Wigwam," and
the meeting there resolved upon fresh
measures to secure funds for building a
monument to Mr.. Davis in this. city-both
Oh WHICH ldCtS 30 10 SHOW tnc NtltfduS
affection for the Davis family.
1t is true that q committee heretofore
appointed by the veterans TO secure from
southern Legislatures a pension for Mrs
Davis reported that they had had no sue
cess; but the reason for their failure Is
well known. Most of the Legislatures are
not authorized by their State Constitu-
tons to give pensions to non-residents
and in some instances where this ques-
ton probably would not have been
raised-though 1t might have been raised
as a legal barrier-it was believed that
Mrs. Davis did not need the help the
veterans asked.
We repeat, we do not know exactly
what was said and done at the Birming-
ham meeting-the press reports are
meagre-but we undertake to say that
there is no Justification at all for any
such statement as that the veterans or
the southern Legislatures. Of whom the
committee spoke, gave Mrs. Davis "the
cold shoulder"
The matter Of a pension for Mrs. Davis
was discussed among Mrs. Davis's friends
here in Richmond a year or two ago, but
was not pushed in the Legislature, as
there was an impression prevailing among
members that Mrs. Davis's financial cir
cumstances were not such as to make
1t necessary for her to have State aid.
There was much Misrepresentation on the
subject. Few people were aware that
ha had m in
with the publication of her memoirs OF
her husband-her New York publishers
having failed in business at the very time
that she expected to receive from them
large sum of money as her share of the
profits Of the book.
We do not understand that Mrs. Davis
Is anything more than a sojourner In
New York. She has never given up her
residence in Mississippi, and Mississippi
Is her home, though she may and We
hope will, remove to Richmond. She
wishes to live here because the graves
Of her husband and children are here,
and because this city is dear to her by
reason Of the four eventful years which
she and her husband spent here. More
over. we suspect that Mrs. Davis be-
lieves-as the Dispatch believes-that
her presence in Richmond would
hasten the day when the monument to
the memory Of her husband would be
erected.
So away with "the cold.shoulder' sug-
gestion.