Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1907-07-11
Ex.coy. FLEMING ON PENSIONS.

error 4 Florida AID on .: -. z ~
hfs,,y ho,.or.d ard beloved C"r'-i'' 2
ATE veterans IL the STAT. has =" :"!'
lowing t. "a ."ea-d.!g II. u" i"A'
sion "a"
I ,r..,,l.e 10 or" Mi! qH.-'.1a
>, l,,al.y 20 n. Interests g.: -"
Irteran. Devote 10 IN
con .!i.rab,. ia-t Q! n.y i!2.- - i''''
noting tae W.l:ar- .. those "" AYE
found a refuge IN thu Con:-d"ra'"
Home IN this city. IL = o'cal-T
to,t 20 sacr., ~. h".or ": 80
survivors o. the lost raus" .a..'
an, .u.u.l!.d q ConMs.' UPON -"
p.u sion law enacted hy ~. !--s!'!a'
,ur- xhl:a ha- VT ADJOURNED
TIL tr., Con'@dera'" ;e:.>. :. az
OF The STAT %: !u-i:a "a. a'''".
j. vs.. providing = ,,..:.s.yn r.: :.
month AID was limited ~ lho>" ~
10 perform manual .ator T. :,A''.'
Of wounds -er-.v d IL line Q: Co.!
and 10 whom sucn tension was ne'T,'
sart IUr support. mas H'>
,..-.!e!. or new acts i'as--i IRON!
tim. TO time. somewhat .htr'..''.E
tt. amour; and en!arg!ns III" cas-
ruaily .x--Iding 10 all those g.. '."'!
from any caus.-eut there was al
WAYS property or income GuaNNca'
ton. In other words. j, VAS the
wisdom Of all Legislatures. acting on
the pension Law except the las. TO
provide aid oaly TO those who ~
reason Of physical disability and in
disency. stood in need OF IL The !a>'
Legi stature makes no such Nri'a'ioa.
bu, provides. besides those suffering
from oil stability. that ali who a. sixty
years OF age shall b. entitled 20 4
pension. The war ended .or'y.tSo
years ago. 50 that person Who US
eighteen years OF age at that tine =
now sixt. years OF age: il will, ,h..--
fore. readily appear that the sixty.
year provision will take in near,y a j"
the Confederate veterans in the STATE
and In four years will taxi in p!ac'!-
cally all.
The act also provides .or TIE ~
Of a State tax o: four mills. which
under ths present Assessment. viz.
due allowance for the usual inso.v@rt
list. will Weld a sum OF $50" o''H Y'r
annu.a. an amount more than SUI
fc:en, a .ew years ago TO ha.s -un
the whole State Government. IT,
lew. Of courxe bears up~n th- Ioo-
widow and other persons O. small
means as we'll as the wealthy. b VIA.
process OF reasdoing the Legislature
came to the conclusion that il was
proper to TAX the people OF the State
to pay pensiooA to Confederate sol
diers. without n kard to their property
income or ability to earn living. j
difficult to understand. GOD las
blessed me With the means o: earning
a support for myself and san!!y. and
I know of numbers Of Confederate
veterans Who are wealthy and many
others who make good ivings. Why.
I ask tn all reason. should the tax
payers Of the State be required to
pay q four-miN TAI to enable ne. as
veil as others Who do not need II
for support. to put my hand in the
public crib ard draw out SO" year,
on the sole ground that served in
the Confederate army, performing
more than my duty I, ma
be answered that I need not appl:
for . pension. That Is true. but the
which gives me the lssa!
right to the pension. can take no
credit IL I do not avail myself OF II.
many who do not need
II will avail themselves OF the law.
Il do no. disfs |or a pension to the
veteran who Is INDECENT and whose
physical condition is such as to pre-
vent him from earning a living. but
giving the Legislature credit for the
best intentions. In my opinion this
pension law 10 wrong and tends TO
bring Confederate veterans into dis
favor and to lower him from the high
standard which he should occupy
Let rs hope the next Legislature will
correct this evil and eliminate from
the pension rolls a.! those Who do
not need such State aid"
A number Of the members ~ the
during consideration OF