The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-19
MAJ. RYALS WILL NOT ATTEND.
NOT IN FAVOR OF THE STATE
TAKING THE SOLDIERS HOME.


the Present Burdens on the state
Large Enough-sHys the Old SOL
dier With His Child, His Moon
shine still or His Pecan Trees
Would Not Want to Go There.
Maj. G. M. Ryals will not be in Atlanta
to-day to attend the meeting of the genera
committee Of Confederate veterans of the
state appointed several days ago by Gen.
Clement A. Evans. commanding the Geor-
gia division of the United Veterans Asso-
citation, to consider the best means of in
ducing the state to assume the patronage
of the Soldiers Home in Atlanta
Maj. RynFs is an enthusiast in all mat
ters pertaining to the welfare and happi-
ness of the veterans, but he is doubtful
that the proposal to have the state assume
the expense Of the conduct of the home
would, if adopted. insure all of them this
happiness.
No notification of his appointment upon
the general committee has been received
by Maj. Ryals, though his name was down
in the press reports as the Savannah gen.
tleman to serve. Had he received such a
notice, he would probably be in Atlanta to
attend the conference of the committee,
which is to be held to-day at the Kimbali
House.
L believe in caring for the Confederate
veterans, not the survivors," says Mai.
Ryals. In order for him to be deserving
OF credit, man should be able to show
that he served in the war until lis close.
! but the Home af Atlanta ;s vro,,oo.5 A..
be opened for any who were in the army.
The state is overburdened with taxation
now, and l do not think it should be add
ed to by any assessment for the support
of such soldiers as some of those would be
who would claim the benefits of the home.
one thing that should be settled, If the
plan for the state taking charge of the
home is adopted, is the matter of the rep
resentation of each county in II. This
| should be arranged on the basis of taxa
! bic property, and the counties paying most
! toward the support of the old soldiers
] should be those to have the greatest num-
! Der there. There are instances to show
| that such a thing does not work equitabiy
and well, and they should not be added to
| by putting the home under state patron
age and allowing the soldiers TO come in
| indiscriminately from all over the state.
Il don't grudge the veterans anything
| personally. l am always ready to do any
thing l can for one, but too great levy
| may be made on the people. LARGE sums
| are paid out now for the support Of
widows and orphans, and MANNED soldiers
! get something from the state. The amount
! is contingent upon the severity of the
wounds. Let an old solder show up with
an eye out and he gets something; with a
leg gone and he gets more, and so on
down the list Some of them are pretty
! well broken up, too reminding one of the
story that is told of the armless and leg
! less Yankee veteran who had a sign on
! him to show what he was. A Southerner
happened by and dropped $40 gold piece
| in the old vets hat. The latter was sur
prised al such munihcence, and was con-
! siderate enough to call the donors atten-
ton to the placard, linking pos
| sibly he had believed him a
! That's all right" said the
! Southerner, you can have it, You are
the first one L ever saw trimmed up just
| to my notion"
Il want to see these MANNED soldiers car
ed for and l want to see the poor veter-
ans set support from the state. They
ought to have it, but I don't believe 1t is
| right to put them in a horne if they don't
| want to go. Let those who wish go 10
| the home and be supported by the state,
! but let those who want to remain where
! they have ties stay, and let the state pay
| them what it would cost to get them to
the home small sums to set along on. You
! can take any of the old soldiers and they
have something to bind them somewhere
! If one hasn't a child or 81 grandchild, he's
got moonshine still not far off where
he likes to get his jug of whisky; or may
be there is a cabin he built before the
war that he don't want TO leave; or a
couple of pecan trees he planted himself
nd ha FROM xnrI.f, 81, New
to him than any others; or there is a piece
of woods near his house where he can
go and shoot a squirrel; or a baited hole
down at the creek where he can catch a
mess of Dream. Let The old fellows stick
to their fancies and their happiness, and
let them be given money where they are
instead of being sent to a home before
they can get tt
Mai Ryals thinks 1t would be a first
rate idea for the veterans who live at or
near Atlanta to get into the home, be-
cause they could keep in some sort of
touch with their Old associations. With
those who would go up from this part of
the state it would be different, however,
and he thinks the cd soldiers should be
allowed to pass the remainder of their
days where they will be best satisfied. The
major was in the legislature when the bill
to have the state assume control of the
Soldiers Home was presented. He voted
for 1t, and he and Mar. Fleming of Rich
mond county offered one or two amend
ments that were pinned on. The bill did
not pass. however, and it remains to be
seen if the present movement that is
afoot will be any more successful in get
ting the institution under the patronage
of the state.
The Soldiers Home was butt with funds
raised by Henry w. Grady. There is a
large tract of land about it, and the build
ings are good. Maj. Ryals says thew
ought, by all means, to be used for the
purpose for which they were built but
that careful consideration of the old SOL
der question In all its phases should nre-
cede the adoption of any plan to pay out
the states funds for IT,
CAME FOR A PRISONER