The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-07-30

seems, can't keep up with the pro-
fession and are always found lag
ging in the rear. And in the class
find Another Veteran and "Vo-
ter in communications in your last
issue, in opposition to support, by
the state, for the Beauvior home, or
any other home, for the INDECENT old
confederate soldier of this state.
They don't even know they are us
ing old and threadbare arguments,
the same that have been used by the
opponents of the poor and helpless old
soldier state, and which have been
threshed over and beaten down in
every instance They seem not to
know, or have forgotten, that nearly
every southern state has met and over
came these stale arguments and built
a soldiers home, and even Missouri,
Which was never out of the union, has
done the same for her confederate
soldiers. Suppose the last legislature
did reject proposition to purchase
Beauvoir as home for the old SOL
dier, is that any reason whatever that
the state of Mississippi should forever
do them wrong and injustice And
| am free to confess that there is room
for a division of sentiment as to the
propriety of the old soldiers, at their
reunion, taking mp and indorsing a
proposition to vote for or against any
candidates for the legislature. And
as to taxing the members of various
camps of old soldiers to support the
home, | would have opposed, and did
oppose, that at the time, for that
brings it down to the direct PROPOSE
tion that the old confederate soldiers
must, under all circumstances, sup
port themselves and all their sold and
INDECENT comrades And this is the
very issue itself, that the state of
Mississippi shall support and care
for all those old soldiers who, hav-
ing served her faithfully ''and we'll,
are now at the foot of the hill on
the west side of life without means Of
support, without relatives and friends
and without shingle between them
and heaven to shelter their sick and
weary bodies from the storm and sun
shine. There may be divergent views
as to the last two suggestions of can,
other Veteran - but, unless a man is
directly opposed to the old soldier
himself, can not see how we can
take any other view than that the
state is bound in honor and Justice to
provide home and support for those
old soldiers who have no home, nor
friends who will care for them, and
are absolutely in want and are beg
ging from door to door or are in the
various county poor houses. But
"Another Veteran and Voter both
use the old worn out stock argument
that we must increase the pensions
and let the old soldiers remain at
home among their relatives and
friends. With all my heart gentle
men, [ join you in that proposition as
to those who have homes and friends,
but what will you do with those poor
unfortunates who have neither, nor
any means of support, but who are
sick and diseased and need attention
1t will not meet the issue to say they
are few in number and if given a suffi-
cient pension they can secure homes. -
another Veteran and "Voter,' I
know you both gentlemen, and now I
put you to the supreme test and ask
you, will you take one of these poor
sick ola soldiers, who must be nursed
and cared for, into your homes for
twenty dollars month? IF SO I will
undertake to furnish one each and
the work with you to have such pen
sions paid them as will give you
that sum for their care. It is known
to everyone that such cases as these
will only be found in any private
home where love and affection are
the ruling cause. Money in such
cases is no compensation. Ask your
neighbors, gentlemen, how many of
them are willing to take one of them
to his home and care for him, and
then give out your information to the
public. They simply cannot be cared
for that way. But still it is -absolu-
tely necessary that they shall be cared
for, now what will you do with them
| You say we can increase their
pensions without increase in taxa
tion,' and if that be so we can care
for them more cheaply at home
] which will not cost the state a cent,
but is rendered free of charge, is in
the most salubrious climate, with am
pie grounds and beautiful shade trees
of live oak, and, as I am informed,
| with oyster beds of its own. That
there may be only few of them is no
argument against their support. If