The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-12-26
JUSTICE TO THE VETERANS
INDECENT COnfederates Get Less Than
One'iweIfth of GeOrgla's Bounty.
THOSE IN AND OUT OF THE HOME
comparison in Figures, Exhibiting st46
Year for One Class and Only
Si4 for the Other Class.
HOSE IN AND OUT or THE HOME
(Henry HAYNES,

'ne act passed by the Twentv-sixth
es'ature and approved March II. 1899,
Anown as the Confederate pension law.
provides In section / that the amount paid
10 any one pensioner shall never exceed
- per month. This provision indicates the
intention Of the legislature ia providing
"eip Tor those who served In the Southern
"IinF' and 1t was obviously the intention
" inc members that they should be as.
sisted by the state to this extent.
Inc practical workings of the law and
we distribution Of the amount appropriated
ny the Iwenty-sixth and Twenty seventh
legislatures falls far short of the intention
Of the act giving force TO the constitutional
amendment The list Of those who have
proved up their right TO pension under
the law is so much larger than we expected
mat the amount now paid is so trifing that
the honor Of the State demands that the
amount be increased or the law repealed
As IT now stands, instead of being com
pllnehtaIy TO the state, 1t reflects seri-
ously on It's generosity and the appreciation
III Whlch those are held, who barred their
breasts to bullets In defense of consti-
tuuonal right This fair assumption, how
ever Is not true
Tho fact that whenever occasion offers
20 Snow their sympathy for the inmates OF
'uc confederate home the press, people and
camps OF Confederate veterans champion
the cause Of these worthy old sold ers
proves mat their services and sacrifices
are are gear to The younger generation of
But how about the 100 soldiers and
WIDOWS Of soldiers now on the state pen
SION roll, larger per cent of whom are
phNslcal.y Us unable to work as the In
mates Of the home, and who deserve, and
are entitled TO receive from the people.
the same consideration?
compare their treatment and their np.
probation substantially expressed, with
those In the home, and the manifest nm
equality is enough to induce the Twenty
eighth legislature to deal more generously
with those who have never asked to be
qnartcred in that institution.
~
AS stated, the trainers Of the Confederate
pension law intended to provide for tho
prospective pensioners something like IS
per month
The Inequality Of the two laws, one pro
yding for admission into the home the
other providing for the payment Of a quar-
tcry pension, becomes apparent when It
is stated that the veterans are placed on
the same footing Both are required TO
make proof of service, have to prove by
at least two credible, witnesses their in
ability to support themselves by labor Of
any character. and Ia their application
they have TO swear they ARE INDECENT, In
actual want, destitute OF property and
means of subsistence" ON this proof If
veteran applies for admission Into the
home he is received ana every item in the
expense of Lying paid by the State.
maiu a h1wc
The Legislature for the first wear. from
"a /
priatad 100000 for pensions, and for tho
last two quarters this distributed among
those whose applications were approved,
gave to each exactly 81 40 per month, and
up to this date, according to the statement
Of Captain t., A. Bolmcs. chief clerk I'm the
pension department IN the comptrolcr's Of
tcc, the largest amount paid TO any pen
SioUgr has been $S15 per quarter, fraction
over S2.Tl per mouth.
Suppose the sum Of s2.71 per month per
capita was allowed for the maintenance Of
10 that institution Instead Of meeting the
expenses for thirty days, IL would have
paid the bills for three
But TO reduce the inequality to mathc-
NAUTICAL conclusion. The last legislature
appropriated $4,000 for the support Of COZ
inmates of the home, which Captain Kings
last report shows was insufficient by
81 coo, while the same legislature appro-
rriated Nlec,OOO to pay pensions to 100 en-
the outside. In round numbers, the vet
Grams I'm the home last year received each
STAG from the State Whilo those outside
mo home rccoIvcd S1A
'''o '-''''S
Nothing in this letter must be taken as
reelection on fhe management Of the
-, ,.,tt,,,,, -, t-i.,.4,,.- d..
lonlr' VI 'il''o'snl ON tue legislature '"'
the generous appropriation for Its support.
This institution is well managed and do.
sor,.,s oil n r,oai,,os p,t 80 -.
"a" ,'u' Tue poiuI Is
emphasized mat tue pensioners on the roll
arc Just as deserving as those in the home.
and tbo v,ida d,scr,,,i,o+iop rodo ,s =
o"u ~" IN ''iit 'o" 'naue q"
violation OF every quantity entering into
the holy doctrine and principle Of Justice.
When the attention of representatives in
the Tweuty-eighth legislature, many Of
whom have visited Austin during the past
month. has been called to this subject they
say the appropriation Tor the payment Of
pensions is made from the general revenue
Of the State, and 100000 Is all that can
be allowed.
This may he true but It Is also true that
there may be another way of meeting the
me state Of Georgia may give to Texans