The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-09-15
FLORIDA REMSrOn FACTS.

y
civil war, and ten years after the peO
pie Of Florida had 'come TO their own
and banished from the State it's Repub
lican carpet-bag misrulers, the LegisIa
ture bethought itself to make some pro
vision out of the public purse for the
MANNED or otherwise disabled COnfede.
rate veterans, and enacted the first pen
sion law in 1886. During that year only
81 pension claims were established, and
these were settled by the disbursement
Of 81, Tf7,50. During the two succeeding
years pension payments did not exceed
$40, 700 year. but in 1888 the amount
suddenly increased to $32, 647.76, and
thenceforward, for fourteen years, the
annual payments were nearly uniform
in amount, averaging little more than
$44, 800 per year, and ranging from 500,
1882. 83 in 1890 to $50, 331 81 in 1898; the
number of pensioners gradually increas-
ing until, at the end of the above period
Of IA years, in 1901, the number was 79O.
Just at this time an extraordinary and
entirely astonishing change occurred.
In 1902 the number Of pensions sud-
denly increased to 1858, an increase of
nearly 113 per cent over 1901, and the
payments increased to $123, 5l7.16 an
increase Of nearly 1879 per cent, over
1901, and more than III per cent. over
the average annual payments for the
preceding fourteen years.
Since 1901 the number of pensioners
has continued to increase rapidly. In
1903 there were 1881 and in 1904, 2, TOP,
while the number for the current year
is estimated at over 1900. The pay
ments for 1903 were $l78, 939. ID, and for
1904, 1916, 100. 10 the total for the three
years being 1919, 1904 or an average
Of $2O6, 1872. l6 per year.
The aggregate Of payments for the
twenty years during which pensions
have been paid was 81 ,261, 1926, an
average of 1853, OO9 IA per annum.
OF course, the enormous increase in
the pension list and funds the result of
letting down the bars by successive
Legislatures. AS long ago as 1895,
Governor Mitchell, referring to the
effect Of the act of 1893, expressed the
belief that many fraudulent claims ex-
listed, explained that the Governor and
other administrative officers were una
BILE, for lack of time to devote to it, to
adequately perform the duty of exam
lining claims, and recommended the APP
pointment of apension commissioner to
perform that service. In 1899 Governor
Bloxham referred to the act of 1897,
charging the benefits of the pension
laws, mot only to those who enlisted
and are permanently injured from
wounds or disease contracted during the
service, but since :" and remarked that
the pension conditions constituted lone
of the most serious problems that con-
front the Legislature. A"
The political considerations which
have encouraged and maintained the
monstrous expenditures of public money
in the payment of Federal pensions do
not, or should not, apply in the matter
of State pensions and it would seem
that any necessary corrections in the
laws or their administration might be
easily accomplished by we'll regulated
and sensible legislation.
-N~~~N~-~-~-~-~-~-----
The Jasper Banner Of Liberty protests
against the hurried action of the Hamll-
ton county commissioners in condemning
Ex-Clerk l. J. Mccall upon the unveri-
fed report Of private accountant en-
plOyed by them, showing q shortage.
There is an official State Auditor, whose
business it is to check up the accounts
of public officers, aud he should have
been employedin this case, which bears
the earmarks of factIonal politics, the
bane of the Florida Democracy.
"~~~~~~~-~~-o~~-~-~~
j. o. Fleece, a prominent citizen of
Wildwood, has taken charge of the af-
fairs of the News, Wildwood's new pa
per, and BARLEY CorIey has been en-
ployed to look after the mechanical de-
The lakto. ,.