The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-01
TAKING CARE or Old SOLDIERS.
"A Suggestion That Each County
Establish n Special Home for Con
fed crntn Vctcrnns

"A Suggestion That Each County
Establish n Special Home for Con
fedcratc Veterans.
The Columbia correspondent OF tho
Ncws and Courier gives the following
information, which embodies a new
idea for providing shelter and raimcnt
| for aged and INDECENT veterans
From time to time suggestions are
madc Tor d Confederate homo, and on
several occasions bills have been
offered in the General Assembly look
ing to the establishment of such an in
stitutiOn in Columbia for tho State at
large.
Two years ago the general appro-
prlatl0n for Confederate soldiers was
| raised TO 100000, and by doing this,
perhaps, the idea OF starting OF
general Confederate home, of which
the expenses were to be betrayed by
the State, was abandoned. The i'm
preston Is that the State will not
undertake to cxpcnd moro than $780,
600 for the Confederate soldiers who
are INDECENT, as whether this be SUI
ticient or not it Is all the members
think the State can stand at this time
1t Is left to the old soldiers themselves
how they wish this money expended,
and the opinion among them is that
they would rather have tho money
have any considerable portion Of it
spent for the support OF a Confederate
home. This fcclng is augmented by
the idea that many of those who really
need help would not enter q Confcd-
crate home, from that keen feeling
of pride which now makes many Of
the old soldiers hesitate to accept as
sistance.
! Capt. II. S. Desportes has now come
| forward with an idea that each county
undertake the work on IL small scale,
and on this line has addressed the
following letter to q member Of tho
board OF county commissioners of this
county:
COLUMBIA, S. G., March II.
Mr.. Lewis II. Wilds, Columbia, S. G.
My Dear Sir | wouldrlike to enlist
your interest In q matter which | have
no doubt already has your sympathy,
and this may be the opportuno time,
as ] observe you are, in your official
capacity, prospecting for a change for
the Improvement Of the condition OF
those Of our follow citizens who fall to
the necessity OF asking public aid to
sustain life during the last remaining
years of their existence. You might
not be permitted, technically and
legally speaking, to provide for a class
OF persons, but these things could be
arranged and no one would have the
heart to object. refer to some special
and separate provision for old and
helpless Ex-Confederate soldiers. The
time is near at hand, IL not hero al
ready, when some few manned and
impccuni0us heroes Of many fields will
ask for shelter and bread. 1t has Oc.
Cured to mo that in making the
change for tho said improvement OF
the condition OF tho poor of the county
you might provide for the erection of a
long narrow building, with fireplace
in each room, and q long piazza IL
front, and set it apart for these old sol
diers who served their State and c0un-
manhood, and who for the next few
years will suffer for tho bare ncccs-
sities upon which to subsist.
You will say, no doubt, that this is
q poor return for valor, but 1T is tho
only thing that 1t scoms can be done,
If this can be. 1t would be 81 home for
the ex-soldicrs OF the county at the ex-
pcnse Of the county in the absence ol
q general home for the soldiers of the
State at the expense Of the State
Should ISichland County lead off IL
this high and patriotic matter it mign
be that other counties in the Stat
, would follow, and the obligation Of tn
. commonwealth would be discharged |
y detail
; If you conclude not to remove th
. eleemosynary buildings now occupic,
:, maybe you could erect building
y described above on the same lot for tn
20 purpose. Yours very truly,
II. S. DESPORTES.
es --''zs ? . o. "'11'----
I'd Washington city contains in