The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-22
SIDNEY HERBERT'S LETTER.
THE SUGGESTION RELATIVE To
THE RANKING PRIVILEGE OPP
POSED.


THE RANKING PRIVILEGE OPP
POSED.
The Proposed Pension for Mrs Nc
kinIey and Mrs. HnrrisOn-Some
of the Evils of the Pension System
shown Up-A Few of the Last
Georgia Survivors Who Grad
mated at West Point Before the
civil War-SOme Interesting Facts
About the L. ID. C.-Where the
President and His Family Are 10
spend Christmns-The Proposed
Memorial Bridge Across the Po-
fOmac-other Matters of General
Interest.
Pine Crest Villa, Maitland, Fla, Dec
21.-The New York Times very prop
erly opposes granting the ranking
privilege" 10 Mrs. Mckinley. 1t is true
that she like Mrs Grant and Mrs. Car
field. is the widow of a soldier and
President, but her present and future
pecuniary resources do not justify this
action by Congress. I know nothing
about Mrs. Garfelds use of the frank
ing privilege" but I can say for Mrs.
Grant. with whom I frequently corre-
spond, that all her letters to me bear
the usual postage stamp. After his
retirement. and just before his death,
l had letters from Brew. Lieut.. Gen.
Winfield Scott, U. S. A, under his
"franking privilege" a favor which his
salary did not justify Congress in
granting him. Nor should it be given
10 any Presidents widow who is rich
or has a pension of $1,000 a year. AL
ready the free mail matter in this
country e7tSrrnous,- and it is a bur
den upon or postal system thai de-
mands reform.
In the same editorial the Times OPP
rbses granting the usual $1,000 a year
pension to the second wife of EXPIRES
ident Benjamin Harrison, he haying
married her after retiring from office.
and she not being, in the strict sense
of the term, "a Presidents widow
But the Times, l think, errs in stating
that a soldiers widow by recent
marriage can secure a pension. Ii
understand the latest pension leglsia-
ton it has cut off from pensions all
soldiers widows whose marriages, like
Mrs Harrison's, were of recent date.
The practice of young women marry
ing feeble old soldiers in order TO
get their pensions when they became
widows in the near future, had grown
to be such a gross evil that only this
cut off" legislation could reach it. In
Mrs. Harrison's case, however, I think
Congress will give her some, kind or a
pension. She is not as rich or as well
situated as Mrs. Grant or Mrs. Nc
Kinley, and very little better than Mrs.
Garfield, while. unlike either, she has
a young child to rear and educate.
There are many evils connected with
any system of pensions, civil or mill
tary. Why should Canada pay a
school teachers pension Of 5000 a year
TO one of it's old teachers who is able
TO come to the United States and be
principal of a high school for years be-
fore his death? Our government, in
some cases, pays a retired army Off
Ger a pension, retired pay, and sal
airy as postmaster or foreign minister,
or in some other position. 1 might
name here a retired army officer, rich
in his own estate, who has drawn 81 ,20C
a year pension, $5.625 a year as retir-
ed officer and $4,000 a year as a MEM
Der Of Congress Hundreds of cases,
not quite as bad as this, could be nam
ed. have seen a United States court
Judge, with life position, and a mems
Der of Congress, each walk UP and
draw their Confederate pensions in
Georgia while hundreds of poor SOL
diers, greater sufferers from wounds,
were denied mere pittance. ] am glad,
therefore, that Col. j. H. Estill's ''in-
digent pension" plank in his guberna-
torial platform is being generally in
dorsed by the Confederate veterans in
A la1o L II nd fAfl hon.
states. 1t is the only just and impair
Tial system of pensioning such old SOL
diers as are really in need of help
ing hand I remember wen how in
the Constitutional Convention, when
prescriptions, pensions, etc, were be-
ing proposed. that Cen Toombs, Gen.
Isawton, Col. Robertson, Hon. George
F. Pierce Jr., and other gallant Con-
federates, scorned the idea of reward
ing mans patriotic valor in any such
way. And so only artificial limbs
were voted to all who had lost legs
and arms in the war. But now old
age and feeble health and misfortunes
have made "indigent pensions" a ne
cessity, and they should be cheerfully
bestowed.
Although the honor of originating
the u. y. c. has been settled finally
in favor of Mrs. NJ. C. Goodlett of Ten
nessee, the contest was so close be-
tween her and Mrs. l.. H. Ralnes of
Savannah-almost a tie-that Mrs.
Raines was honored, in the earliest
convention. with the high office of first
vice president, with Mrs. Goodlett as
the president committee of seven,
three friends of Mrs. Goodlett and
three friends of Mrs. Raines, with one
member appointed by Mrs. President
Weed, acted upon the claims of the
contestants at the Wilmington con-
vention and gave a final verdict as
above. Unpleasant as such contests
are, in many cases. they should not
impair the usefulness of the organiza-
tion nor lessen the zeal of its mem
bership. Worldly honors are not only
fieeting, but often misplaced, and they
are wisest who labor always and
everywhere in any good cause, with a
consciousness of Duty we'll performed
in the hope Of that nobler and never>
ending and always just reward, when
lifes labors are finished, that comes
from the Supreme Ruler of the Uni
verse.
Private d. L. Walden of the Tenth
Georgia Regiment writes about "Col.
Alfred Cummings of his regiment. IL
should be Cumming" but such UNI
usual names get changed-like Hape
is made Hope, and Scomp becomes
Scamp. and williams Rutherford turns