The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-02-13
HANNA'S PENSION BILL,
Negroes Everywhere Much Excited Over it..
There Is Touch Of Sarcasm In
Editorial Appreciation of
the South.
News and Courier. /

"oAo oii, luCIouuceo ny OeuaIOr
Hanna to pension OK slaves, the older
negroes are living high in hopest that
they will yet be paid for the years
they served in bondage. An Assocat-
ed Press dispatch from Birmingham,
saying that camp of Confederate
Veterans had approved the measure,
has led the colored population to be.
lleve that things are coming up, and
already shrewd negroes are ready to
jump in and get graft by collect.
ing funds to help the lobbyists in
Washington. The leaders of the
race have got sense enough to know
that there isn't chance of any such
bill getting through Congress. They
have made this known to the army
of blacks, but it hts not quieted the
rabble,
There is atinge Of sarcasm in some
editorial utterances. That such =
bill will ever pass is not for a mo.
ment considered seriously. Every
body Is willing to jolly it along, but
when it comes to earnest support the
country will hardly stand for it.
The public has taken the view
that Senator Hanna is making a bid
for the negro vote, and to get solid
with the race he is willing for the
treasury department to ba tapped to
the limit. That is just what the ne
groes would like to see. They will
stand up to man for the Ohio states.
man if he will push the measure, but
it is doubtful if it will ever be heard
of again.
For years the pension system in
the South has been notorious. In
South Carolina hundreds and hun
dreds Of negroes who never saw a
gun except on rabbit hunt are
"hVing easy" simply because they
claim to have fought in the Federal
army. The pension conditions got
30 bad that delegation of agents
was sent to this State to clear it up,
and the jails now hold their share of
black mon who played for good stakes
and lost. Not few ministers we're
canght, and it always developed that
the ION with the education WAS the
first to be trapped as pension sharks.
After working for several years the
pension department has been able to
rest on it's oars, and in Charleston,
Beaufort and Georgetown counties
the work is not rs hard as it was at
the beginning. The pension sharks
have been driven to cover.
The records of the District Court
tell the story of the complicated sys-
tenn. To make general law pro.
viding for fees for. every negro who
was a slave would require the entire
pension departments service in Char
lesion County alone
1t has been said that Senator Han
ma could not advocate the bill with
out laughing. He evidently was
trying to dodge the responsibility
when he introduced the measure "by
request" He did not want to stand
for it.
1.-The whole thing is game of
politics." said the wise man last
night. "Thls Hanna boom ia mere
ly intended to keep the public eye
on Mark and Roosevelt. Other Re
publicans will be scared out and at
the proper time your Uncle Marcus
will duck, leaving the nomination
for Roosevelt. These two politicians
arc playing together. The negroes
had begun to think that the time WAS
ripe for their recognition by the Ad
ministration. They regarded the
appointment Of DR. Crum as the open
ing wedge. The Indignation, how
ever, was 80 great that Crum had to
be scratched, and, to keep on solid
terms, Senator Hanna, funny man
that he is, sent in bill to pension
the negroes. Don't you suppose that
talk of that kind will keep the black
voters in line? When the time comes
Hanna will step aside, Roosevelt will
seek the nomination without serious
opposition and tho colorod brothers
will support him. They will still
dream Of peDsions. Well THEY'VE