Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-03-27
Let Each County Take Care 'o' It's Own.


In our observations last week about
the pension burden we did not intend
to- give the exact figures as to tbs num-
befs Under the inquiry Of Governor
Orr or the numbers nov on the lists of
1.-The several counties. We underestf-
mated the average to the county under
the Orr inquiry and also the numbers in
some Of the counties. WeEppt Spartan
burg down as having 900, wien the exact
number for 1900 is 825. The proportion
however was about correct and sufficient
to illustrate the point we designed Ito
make. " ~ .ftA 4a 4
Governor Orr made\kis Inquiry under
a resolution of septsmber 2lst, 1865,
which directed each of the tax collectors
of the State to furnish a list of all who
"were permanently disabled tin the
State or Confederate seryice."
Under this resolution it was found
that Spartanburg had fifteen who had
lost legs, twenty-two who had lost arms
and twelve who were otherwise disabled,
making a total Of .forty-nine. 1t has
been thirty-six years nearly since the
surrender at Appomattox and iti is not
unreasonable to suppose that at least
twenty-five of these men of Spartanburg
have gone to their last rest and are
beyond the reach of sympathy or aid.
But great multitude has arisen in
Spartanburg and tho list Of pensioners
has grown to extraordinary proportions.
Instead of tho forty-nine disabled men
1 In 1Se6, which was year of famine and
destitution, we find on tho roll of 1900
six hundred and twenty five names. It
don't stand to reason that all this
immense multitude should rightfully he
receiving bounties from the State. If
is true that unworthy persons arc on
this long list, it follows that they are
consuming money that should go to the
needy and deserving and the object Of
tho pension law is defeated.
Under Governor Orr's inquiry it was
found that in Anderson county nino men
had lost legs, nine had lost arms and
ono was otherwise disabled, making q
total Of nineteen. This was in 1866
when our people were impoverished and
crops failure. The Legislature
adopted resolution providing for tho
purchase of 100000 worth of corn to
supply the absolute necessities of the
people. In such distressing times only
nineteen mon in Anderson county were
reported as possibly needing some
assistance from the State. Certainly not
more than ton of the nineteen are now
surviving, but the pension, list for 1900
runs up to 481 names and these received
S0,O20.30 last year.
Who believes that there are 491 per-
sons in Anderson county justly omitted
to pensions even under tho most elastic
construction of tho law as it now standsp
1t is interesting to compare the pen
sion lists in the several countios. Ander-
son, Colleton, Greonvillo, Pickens, Spar
tanburg and York lead in numbers.
Even the small county of Pickcns has
2SS pensioners who receive $3,603. 90.
Chester, which is a larger county than
Pickens, has only SO pensioners who
receive $l,100.70 or about one-third of
what Pickons gets.
Charleston has only 107 pensioners !;
Beaufort, 81 Bamberg. 53 George
town, Sd and Dorchester 0S:
Coming home we find that thore are
32 pensioners whose post Office is Abbe-
vile. That is one moro than Beaufort
county has. There arc 90 pensioners
whose post Office is Due West. So thero
arc moro pensioners at these two post
offices than thore are in Beaufort or
Bamberg or Georgetown counties.
Now we do not belovo there arc 32
persons around Abbeville or % around
Due West who ought TO bc on tho pom
sion rolls on account of disabilities
arising from service in tho war or OK
trcme poverty and helplessncss. Let
any fair-mindcd man examine the list
wo published recently and he will SEQ
the names of s)mo who arc ablc-b bodied
enough to mako a support for them
selves or who have sons and daughters
financially able to care for them
The tim has come for change in the
pension law. AS long as it is thought
that the money comes from fund that
tho State has lying idle tho grab gamo
will be played. We repeat that tho
solution is to let each county take caro-
of it's own. Bamberg, which has only
53 pensioners ought not to be forced to
contribute to tho support of the CPS on
Spartanburg's list nor should Chester be
required to holp pay the long array
from Pickcns Of mon and women who
"stand at the door and say they will
all take sugar in theirs" ."-Abbovllo