The Banner-Democrat., 1898-06-18

Sad memories come over us about
this time. The tocsin of impending
war carries us back thirty-seven years,
when Georgia and the south every
where was in state of feverish excite
ment-when the roll of the drum and
the thrilling notes of the fife were
heard in cities and towns and
recruiting camps and men, women and
children all seemed to be wild with
patriotic enthusiasm. Only the aged
men and women were serious and sol
emn and silently smothered their ap-
prehensions. After the state had Sc
ceded it was hardly safe for man to
talk for the Union. Here and there
could be heard bold, defiant voice
like that of Pettigrew, the great law
yer, who, when asked by a countryman
the road that would lead him to the
lunatic asylum, exclaimed: "Any road,
sir; every road, sir; all the roads, sir.
The whole state is one vast lunatic
asylum"
The war fever is as contagious as
the smallpox, and Is an epidemic for
which there is no cure but blood.
April is historic month. In April
the first guns of the war we're fred
and Fort Sumter fell and surrendered.
In April President Lincoln called for
rs, 900 men to suppress the rebellion.
In April Virginia seeded from the
Union, and General Robert E. Lee
seeded from his allegiance to the
United States army and rendered his
sword to his state and the Confeder-
Acy. In April President Davis tele-
graphed Governor Brown for three
companies to march Immediately to
Norfolk, and in twenty-four hours o
battalion was on the cars and arrived
there before the Virginia troops did.
And, last of all, in April Lee and
Johnston both surrendered their
armies and the war was over. There
is q world of history, sad, thrilling and
glorious history between the begin
ming and the end. Who that was in
it can forget II? 1t grows brighter and
grander as the years roll on. No won
der the surviving veterans wish to
meet once more. For thirty years
their glorious deeds have been tossed
about as treason and rebellion and
crime, but these old soldiers have
never surrendered their convictions
nor felt ashamed of their sacrifice.
And so let them gather in Atlanta in
July and have one more embrace and
confederate again in memories of bat
ties lost and battles won and hardships
innumerable, and at the last sad but
sweet return to home and kindred
home desolated and kindred thinned
by death.
Every train brings news now-news
Of impending war-but we are not ex-
cited like we were then. We remem-
ber when there was no telegraph wire
to Rome and the daily signal came
with the daily train from Kingston. If
Wiley Harbin, the old engineer, gave
three long, loud, cheering whistles on
his approach to town everybody walked
up for good news and exchanged greet
ings. 'sLee has whipped 'em again, "
was the watchword, and the people
hurried to the depot to meet the train
and get all the good of 1t. Two whis-
ties from the engine was Indifferent
news and one was bad and sad, but
did not come often, for old Bob Lee
and Stonewall whipped them as often
as they got at them and would have
been whipping them yet if our boy
children had grown up, little faster.
We almost robbed the cradle and the
grave for soldiers, and even then got
only one for three foes. Ishall always
think they ought to have toted fair
with us and fought us two to one in
stead of three-don't you? I Wouldn't
have q pension that took three to one
to win-would you? When was a
schoolboy had fight with another
boy and two of my friends dubbed in
and sorter helped me, and / never
felt so ashamed Of anything in my life.
But old Georgia mas never discounted
her gratitude to her soldiers or their
widows. She is long ways ahead of
her sister states. Last year she paid
more to them than all the other south
cIu StHteb ComOialou paN " tuOnS -
Virginia paid to hers $40, 900, Ala
bama $4,000, North Carolina $113,-
900, South Carolina 500, 900, Florida
$65, ,0OG, Tennessee $6S, 900, Mississippi
S75, 900, Arkansas $40, 200, Kentucky
nothing and Texas $38, 600, while
Georgia paid over 5000, 900.
Now while we can boast of this, yet
I am free to say and dare to say, for
am not candidate for anything limit
ed or unlimited, that our pension laws
are not just and need reforming-Geor-
gia has overdone the thing. Pensions
should be awarded to the needy, and
the needy only. The grand ;uries Of
the counties should distribute the PEN
sion fund and make selection OF the
poor soldiers and the poor widows and
be required to add % per cent to the
sIdsrng R the ssners fas asprs:son sne
state is paying too much. It should
be reduced at least one-half,
and let the counties make up part
of the deficiency. Where is the JUS
tice or the propriety of paying q man
500 year who is worth $40, 900 or
$40, 900 while many poor invalid SOL
diers who fought just as hard and en-
dnred just as much, but did not lose
an arpo ~ n la~ cok po&b,ro IT scn