The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-01-21

ID - shall h rated at II Il shSi
Irte-N. r,nsion. The 10 ri might verl
vtIl have ruled Under this section. th7.
# = man were able 10 perform any rnanua
labor he could not be placed on the roi
as a oensioner: but the board felt tina
il should be generous in its ntor0rctatio
Of this provision and 50 ruled a above
The only man who failed 10 pass tn
State Pension Beard. therefore. vas Ihs
ran whose disability IVES rated AZ los
thau 81
| am satisfied that mistakes We're
made; hut | defy any man or set e mco
to TAX, the thousands OF Applications nov
or iilc il the AUDITORS office. ana make
out 4 list Of pensioners. upon which only
tho deserving shall be found. and from
V hich the unworthy hall be stricken
4 veteran Of the Civil Var myself.
having gone our With tic boys in April
1861. AMI stayed With them until the last
gun was fl a At tppomattoN. having kept
step with them OF many a weary march
tcnchod rlhosrs w;ih them On tho battle
+, Ecli. al. / Nth them in the trenches
around Pc tCrshurE. no man in North Car
Gina can stand befor" me and say that |
y ould Willingly affiict one Of them. or
thai l would not do everything III my
lower to relieve them in their dire need.
For three months I n.cstled with the
thousands of applications which came
into my office. dcvotins every moment.
both by day and by night. which | could
POSSIBLY spare from my other duties. tn
ing to 10 right BY these brave oil men.
| and what has been done was the very best
tGat could be done with the lights before
US.
ii regard to the ruling by the state
Beard Of Pensions, r~elati-c 10 the return
OF the warrants az those who have died
before the issuance OF said warrants. I
Hi@n 10 say that the contention OF the
board is that all tension warrants are is
sued in advance, and are for the sup
port Of the pensions for the current wear.
4 pension warrant issued December Is.
1901. is TO go towards the support Of
the pcnsioner to December Is. 1902, and i
not intended to pay back debts or claims
that any men may have upon the pen
siCner before the issuance of the war
rents The law of 1895. passed by the
Fusion Legislature, has been a dead let
ter so far as | have been Gblc to asccT-
tain. No warrant have ever been issued
under its provision. for the simple Iea-
son stated above that the pension war
rants are paid in advance. and conse-
oUently nothing is due. Take the $120 men,
as We call them. Any soldier who lost
both eyes, both legs, or both arms III
the service of the C~onfederacy. or of the
State during the war. is entitled to st20
a year. and this pension dates from the
ISSUANCE Of the warrant from year to
year. SAY the warrant is issued the 4th
day Of July, 1901. This entities that
Iensioncr to receive so per month unit.
July 4th. 1892, and if this man should die
Iefore that date. The balance due him on
that warrant is returned 90 the State
Treasurer. Now if this IS true in regard
to a man TO whom a warrant has already
lcen issued. 1t seems TO me that ii would
be doubly true with reference 10 a man
who dies before any warrant whatever
has becn issued.
Trying TO 10 everything we cou}d for
the old soldier and his widow, and just
here ! wish to say thaf the Pension
Board aid not turn down = single, solitary
widow recommended by the county
boards. believing that the woman who
stayed II home anG fought that greatest
OF battles-the battle for bread ana meat
while her husband was in The army.
and who has been fighting that battle
ever SINCE ncr husband died, and who is
rot now worth $500, is as much entitled
to a pension as any man who fought
through the entire war. 81. the CoDfrd-
crate soldier who thinks differently is not
worthy the name OF q Confederate sold
ior. Notwithstanding the liberal provis-
ion made for All widows, whom the State
Pension Board asks for the return Of
issued TO soldiers whO have died.
there is 4 great cry raised about op-
pressing the widow AID the orphan. This
j. I Few pension law, and all old pom
sioners had to Apply for Denomination
and classification, jest as if thny bad
never had a pension before. IN fact. tie
new law took every man off the
! cpsion lists, and made them stand aiGe
ty side With the now applicants. and when
their applications came up before the
State Pension Board. they all had 10 be
ted out Of The same spoon. consequcntl-
some Of the old pensioners Were left off
and new onos put on. but this vas always
done according 10 the degree Of diSabilitv
IN tho applications. VIC have informal
ton that men worth So. 00O arc on The
tension list. IS This true? Then who
is % blame? Certainly not the state Pen
sion Board, for every application states
that the applicant is not worth 500.
The pension lists were sent to every
county 1T least ono month before the
warrants were issued. and many new
names were added or account Of urgent
And pressing demands. and on account Of
this several more names were added than
there W2s money TO Lay them. the State
Eoard expecting the return Of warrant
o. those who had died during the year.
end in lieu thereof TO issue warrants to
living and deserving soldiers.
Some counties have refused to return
the warrants. claiming then. for the pay
ment Of debts, and for the heirs Of the
deceased. consequently tho Pension Board
has consented fcl the matter 10 20 to
the supreme Court for final adjustment. !
Should tho supreme Court decide adverse
" 10 The action Of the board. these war
rants VEIL so to the heirs. and if the |
court decide for the board. these war !
rants viii be issued 10 the soldiers Who |
it@re BEEN n"ld up pending this decision.
! an sure that the agitation Of this |
a,@stion will result in righting many
%ronGG IL tn" pension list Tor next year. |
and # the good men in every county viii |
only give this matter the attention iii do
serves am SIl.e that 0ftn~ .r=- 81. -.Il !