The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-03
PENSIONS OF CONFEDERATES
Every Southern State Pays Annui
ties to Wearers Of the Gray.
Georgia spends $500, GOO n Year for
Their approximations Made
by other States.

From the Nashville American.
Il has not been so many years age
since Southern orators and politicians
proudly boosted that the Confederate
veteran received no pensions. and scorned
TO receive money for having served his
country as a matter Of duty and patriot
ism. That sort OF high-sounding talk
has been silenced. Every Southern State
paws pensions 70 Confederate veterans
and It is entirely proper that they should
But what a change in sentiment tho
years have wrought! a change. also in
the financial condition OF many veterans
and in the physical condition OF all OF
them
Tennessee pays S15o.00) a year in pen
sions for Confederate veterans. and 80
eco a year IN widows pensions. In ad-
dition Il maintains a Soldiers Home, for
which the State made an original appro-
priati0n Of $500. Later it gave Sl0.oo'
for fences. cabins. &c. Individual sub
sCripuOns amounting TO over $1,000 have
been made. and the present value OF the
property Is about $1,000 There are IL
inmates Of this home. and they are main
tanned at u cost Of Sl35 per capita, oi
about $4,000 a year.
Tennessee pays the best rate Of pen
sions Of any Southern State. Its lowest
pension 10 men is $50 d year. or s. a
month. and its highest is $500 a year. OF
So "a month Widows Of the first class
/ receive 81 a year and widows OF the sec.
ond class $50 Only a few States pension
widows. and none pay over 50 year. ol
half of the lowest rate in Tennessee.
IN Alabama most pensions for men run
| from Sl5 TO SIS a year. and none over so
/ In Virginia the average pension IS go a
wear. aud in South Carolina the majority
Z Of pensions paid are Stss5 year. In
/ Georgia a. pensioner who lest one finger is
paid $3.50 a wear or a fraction over z
/ cents month. The average pension IN
( Georgia Is $50 q year In louisiana tlt
ma ority OF pensions are $50 year. n
North Carolina the average Is So a year
I in Mississippi it is so, and in Arkansas
/ $40 a year In Texas pensions range from
/ 81 10 SIS year. II VIII thus be seen thai
/ Tennessee pays a higher rate Of pensions
than any other State. Yet Tennessee has
/ a much larger State debt than any Other
/ Southern State. except Virginia
/ While Georgia pays much smaller pen
sions than Tennessee. it leads in tbs
amount Of pension appropria tons $500. 90
/ year Il has 1900 pensioners. Alabama
pays $4,000 a year, and has about 1890
1 on the pension roll, among which the APP
! preparation is equally divided Virgins
/ gives S259,CGo and North Carolina 100000
Kentucky gives no pensions. but main
tains a Soldiers Home. with per capits
l of $40 a year for inmates. Texas give:
/ $3.50 GC0, the same as Tennessee, but Ten
| nessee. gives in addition s.. 600 a year fol
widows and about $4,000 for the Soldiers
Home. Tennessee has 1896 pensioners.
/ Georgia has more pensioners than Ten
/ nessee has veterans. So has Alabama
/ Georgia I'm 1860 had a population OF 1.057,
! 600: Alabama $4,000. and Tennessee. ]. 109
/ 000 To-day GeOrgia's population is some
what in excess of Tennessee's, and Ten
/ nessee's IS larger than Alabama's. Ten
/ nessee, however, furnished more than so
/ 600 troops to the Federal army. A con
siderable number OF veterans, 1t I.
I claimed, have moved into Tennessee be
! cause Of the fact that this State pay,
more liberal pensions than any othe
4 State.