The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-27
FRANK INJUSTICE"
THE WAY CHATHAM IS TREATED
In THE MATTER OF PENSIONS.
THE COMMISSIONER ROASTED
GRAND JURY APPEALS TO REPRE-
sENTATIyES FOR INVEsT'IGA-
TION.

eral fresentments OF Superior
Court Grand Jury-Chatham Is the
Second Largest County in the state
in the Matter of Population, and
Gets Less of the Pension Fund
Than the Least POpulous-Grand
Jury Wants This Explained.
The grand jury of the Superior Court
returned it's general presentments and
was dismissed for the term, with the
thanks of the court, yesterday afternoon.
The most interesting feature of the pre-
| sentiments is the grand jury's caustic ar
raignment of State Pension Commissioner
j. w. Lindsey.
Seven months ago, when the report
Of the Pension Commissioner for 1900 was
published. the Morning News printed an
article on this subject, showing the ap-
parent discrimination against Confederate
veterans from this county and in favor
of those from other counties of the state.
The article printed in the Morning
News was compiled from the report of
the Pension Commissioner himself and,
unexplained, certainly did not indicate
that Chatham county was receiving the
proportion of the pension fund to which
it was entitled. 1t showed, among other
things, that this county, the second larg-
est in the state, in point of wealth and
| population, was among the smallest bene-
hciaries Of the pension fund and called
public attention to the many claims for
pensions, made by veterans resident in
Savannah, which had been returned dis
approved by the commissioner.
The last grand jury, in the press of
| other business, did not get around to- an
investigation of the pension question.
Some of its members, however, referred
the matter TO the attention of the grand
jury which was discharged yesterday,
and by that body a very thorough inves-
| tiSation was instituted. Its committee on
| the subject was composed of Messrs. Wal
ter S. King, J. H. II. Osborne, Charles A,
| Cox and w. r. Metzger. The report of
this committee is used in full and made
d. part of the grand jurys presentments
On the subject of discrimination, it says:
The Committees Report.
we find that a number of applications
| for pensions from Chatham county have
! been returned by the Commissioner of
| Pensions for reasons which appear to us
| to be unfair, unjust and frivolous We
have selected three of these applications.
| to which your attention is specially
| asked
George Gray-Application disapproved,
on the ground that duty in S gnal Corps
is not military service. The applicant was
detailed for this service, Simply did what
he was ordered to do and, after growing
! old and, from disease, totally incapaci-
tated to earn a livelihood, his Just claim
/ for pension is denied.
Francis Ulemet-Appl. cation disap-
/ proved on account of his being
/ able to do Light work. This in
| the face of the stat ment made
/ by his physician that the man is
unable to work and that he has been sup
| ported by his wife, whose failing health
renders her unfit to work, and they are
| deserving of all sympathy. Accompany
| ing this application is the attested certifi-
/ cate from the captain of his company
stating that the applicant was a gallant
and faithful soldier who received his
| wound while fighting the enemy
Francis Cole-Who affirms that he was
| twice wounded during the war and is now
a sufferer from his wounds; that he has
a small farm which is uncultivated and
unproductive. He is old, inflm and total
! ly incapacitated to do any work His
!
timony of his neighbors, as we'll as by
those who served with him in the army.
! application disapproved on the ground
that he has support in his property.
If there are any just reasons for the
| refusal to grant these pensions the COM
mittee failed to see them
An Injustice to Chatham
ut is well-known fact that Chatham
county furnished more than her full gu TIA
of troops during the war; it is eq lally
! true that, with population of Il 239 tn
| amount of pensions paid to the residents
| of this county is less than that pail TO
Lumpkin county, which has a populati n
of 7,4S3. Lumpkin county, with one-tenth
| of the population of Chatham, receives
/ A,7A annually, while Chatham county re-
! ceives $4lS5. In many counties, in which
the population is far less than that of
| Chatham, the amounts received for pen
sions are far greater-in fact, our county,
| with next to the largest population in the
state, receives less from the pension funI
! than the least populous county
1 we would ask why this discrimination?
| Surely, pensioners from other counties
! cannot show better records than those
from Chatham. Why is it, then, that so
| many applications are returned from At
lanta disapproved? Why is it that Chat
! ham county is not getting anything like
I
| Perhaps the Commissioner of Pensions
may be able to explain away this dis
/ elimination. He has so far failed to do
| so in his reports.
From the present outlook IL appears
! to your committee that rank Injustice
as well as discrimination, is in opera ion
against the applicants for pensions from
this county.
1--WE respectfully request that fhjs
grand jury in its presentments call at
tention to this matter so forciblv as TO
compel the representatives from Chatham
to take vigorous measures for the pre-
vention of this unjust discrimination
against the Confederate veterans of this
county,
This is the report Of the comm tee.
which the grand jury as a whole entirely
Endorses. THE grand jury respectfully
requests your honor" say the present.
ments, Ito direct the clerk of the court
TO transmit a copy of this report to each
of our representatives in the Legislature
and we request that they make a thor
ough investigation into the subject and
take such steps to correct the Injustice
complained Of as their duty requires and
good judgment directs"
The OLD Cry for Repairs.
The grand jury makes another appeal
to the County Commissioners to do some
thing for the repair of the Court House
II calls attention, for the fourth time by
cuppoSGfpa Grand 4ttrfae 10 tL., hi