The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-07-23
WAS IT so INTENDED

MAS - 81 tN4cNOcD!
We note a published state
ment, with reference to the dis
tribution of the ';Artifcial Limb
Fund" which shows the number
of benefciaries in each county.
The general assembly made an
appropriation of. $1,000 for the
purpose of giving as we sup
posed, aid to purchase artificial
limbs for those confederate SOL
diers who were not able to buy
these limbs for themselves. In
our opinion the lawmakers in
tended this fund to be applied in
the same manner as the pension
fund-to INDECENT confederate
soldiers; we do not believe it was
ever intended to give this money
to men of means-to men who
have grown fat in lucrative Of
fees, men who have been the
recipients of public pap ever
since the Democratic party was
restored to power. We say we
do not believe the lawmakers
ever intended that class to take
advantage of this benevolent
appropriation. What do we find:
In Clarendon county only one
man on the list of those entitled,
and he is a man of considerable
property and has held lucrative
public positions. He lost an
arm in the war, it is true, but if
the law was enacted to help in
digent persons as we believe it
was, whether the language of
the Act says so or not, only in
digent persons should be the
benefciaries. There is at least
one other man in the county that
lost a leg in the war who is very,
very poor, but his name does:
not appear in the list of those
entitled to a part of the appro-
priation for lost limbs. Why
this discrimination? But when
we make a close examination of
that "Artifcial Limb" list, to
see who will draw this money,
we find. the names of r. H. Jen-
nincs. who is drawing a salary
of 81, 900 a year as State Treas
urer, J. W. Floyd another State
officer and now a candidate for
Congress, J. F. Lyon, holding a
very lucrative position in the
State Treasurer's Office; we can
not help but think the gen.
eral assembly made a grave mis-
take when it did not make the
Act so explicit, that it would
have been utterly impossible for
these patriots, who are constant
ly shaking their empty sleeves
on any and all occasions. urging
that something be done for the
needy confederate soldier, from
taking advantage of the word
ing of the Act to reap benefits
themselves and thus lessening
the amount which should go to
those in need.
South Carolina has not done
as much for her confederate sol
diers as some States, simply be-
cause of her inability. but she
tried with her pension appropri-
ations, to help the needy ones:
and if only the needy were help
ed, to 100000 appropriated
would give each of them consid-
erable aid. But is this fund dis
tributed as the law intends? Is
there discrimination and par
tiality shown? The people know.
The pension law is explicit as to
who shall be entitled to the ben
efts, but we hear complaints
from every quarter, that persons
are on the pension list who
should not be there, and others
are wrongly classed.
The Act providing for artif-
cial limbs, may not forbid mil
lionaire from drawing pay, but
our contention is, that those who
were instrumental in getting this
Act passed, pleaded for this
money to aid confederate SOL
diers to get an arm or a leg so
they could go out an earn a livli-
hood, and we venture to say,
had they limited, that such men
as those holding high office, or
men of afiuence would draw this
money, not a cent would have
been appropriated, or the Act
would have been so worded as
to keep these men out.
Among the men known to US,
whose names appear as having
drawn this money for artificial
limbs, not one of them have
L