The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1900-08-24

There were various campaign rumors
and charges being circulated against me
in Williamson County. At Franklin |
spoke and refute1 them. That portion
Of my speech was published aud has
been circulated. Since then Maj. Whit
thorne pub ishes his card. To This
card reply:
First: He criticises me very severely
and makes vicious attack upon me be-
cause did not vote against House Bill
No. 809 He says:
"Mr. Padgett was charged bym with
sitting silent and not voting against the
bill reducing the pensions OF Confederate
soldiers who had lost both arms or both
legs or both eyes in the service of their
country, from twenty-five to fifteen dol
lars a month :. 1t was fright
full sin of omission when Mr.. Padgett
failed to vote against this bill. :.
The son or the friend of an old soldier
who would vote for Mr.. Padgett should
crawl to the polls, trust to another to
write his ballot, never see it himself, and
have it placed in the ballot box by the
hands of another. Surely he would feel
better if he were recorded "PREsENT AND
NOT VOTING"
1t will be seen that in his opinion my
sin consisted in not Uottng against said
bill
did not vote against the bill for the
following reasons:
1st. The bill was recommended by,
and had the endorsement and active
support of the Board of Confederate
Pension Examiners.
End. The bill was prepared by three
of as noble and brave Confederate
soldiers as ever wore the grey. 1t was
prepared and introduced at the request
and under the supervision of the Board
of Confederate Pension Examiners, who
a-e the official head of the Confedera e
Pension System in the State.
3rd. This bill was warmly supported
by the Confederate organizations of the
State, and especially by Frank Cheat
ham Bivouac, the largest Bivouac in the
State.
4th. Many old Confederate soldiers
were personally urging its passage.
| publish below the letter of Mr.. John
P. Hickman, which in detail, gives the
history of the bill and its passage. To-wit
"NAsHvILLE, Tenn, Aug. IA, 1900
"Hon. l.. p. Pddgett, Columbia:
"Dear Sir AT your earnest solicita
tion, and wi hout desiring in any way tc
be involved in the Congressional canvass
now pending in your district, give yor
a succinct history of the pension laws Of
Tennessee speclally of House Bill 6Oo
Acts of 80.
"Tbe first pension law passed, wa!
Chap. PAP, Acts of '83. This simply
gave to each soldier, who had lost botf
eyes, ten dollars per month. This Ac
was amended by Chapter "a, Acts O
'87, which increased the monthly pay
ments of our blind t. $50 per month
and added soldiers who had lost botl
legs or both arms.
"Under the filst Act there were min
pensioners under the second thirty
seven. From this it will be seen that
on the assembling of the Legislature O
80. our blind had each drawn from tn
. State S4, $50, and our soldiers who hat
, lost both legs or both arms, had eacl
drawn S3, ,6UO.
"The general pension law Of the Sta
was passed by the Legislature of 9l
: being Chap. GA, Acts of 81. This Ac
= subdivided our pensioners into thre
classes-hrst second and third.
The first class, soldiers who had los
both eyes, both legs or both arms, ~
p per month.
I ..Second class, those who had lost on
arm and one leg, $40 per month.
Third class, those who had lost on
arm or one leg, or disability equiVolen
thereto from active service, $o.3313 pc
' month. o
: This Act appropriated 100000 al
nually for pensions. In eacn class tn
pens oner must be indfgent'
1.Tbe Board of Pension Examiner
and the Confederate Soldiers of tn
] Sta te worked hard to have this appr'
: priation increased, at the sessions
+ 93, 80 and '97. but failed II haVin
. always large number of penslonaoo
y applications pending, but the approprli
t tion was exhausted.
"W hen the Board of Pension Exam
= iners. composed of Maj. Geo. b. Gullt
Iieut. Frank A. Moses, Lieut.. Geo.
Ha0er. Atty. Gen. G.. w. Pickle an
Hon Jas. A. Harris-all being Goa
= foIer,fte Soldiers, except Mr.. Harrl
met in November '9S, 1t had at lea
five hundred pensionaple cases pendlI
before il. a number of whom " ere vi
tnally starving, or living upon charlt
@ with no appropriation with which
II help them. . 4,
y "Under these circumstances, Il
!, BOARD ordered its Secretary to appe
before the Legislature of 'S9, ana as
for a committee to investigate all app
. cations pending - knowing 1t Won
;. thereby see the crying necessity Tor
II increased appropriation.
"The Board also suggested that tl
, first class pensioners should be reduce
(, from SO to Sl5 per month.
This suggestion was made Tor u
"a following reasons;
!, at would give the Board s2,l6O, al
- with which it could add twenty Of
, pensioners to the roll, who had nothin
= and were living from hand to mouti
. "It also considered the amounts tn
) had already been drawn by the mr.
class pensioners, and that nearly eve
! one of them was now possessed OF mo
. ALSO that els per month was high
!, Il rate than is paid by any OF our sis'
. !. Southern States. for any kind OF d
- abilities, and that no one need starve