The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-09-15
A NOVEL PLAN.
Proposal IS Made to Have Counties Support
Oru Veterans.

Proposal IS Made to Have Counties Support
o4n Veterans.
To the Editor OF The News ant Cou-
rier:: Allow me 70 again .-espass upon
your space in the interest OF ,tssse whom
you have kindly and generously served
upon every occasion, viz, the Confeder-
ste Veteran. We wan, 70 agisate right
aow change IN the pension system 10
vogue; that ous Solocs may sleep upoa
and cogita,e over the radical change
desired and be prepared 70 act rcompt-
II a. the cext session OF the Legisla-
Sure, for the departure OF these old SOL
diers is 2, hand. The pension system
DOW consists of q township board of pen
sion commissioners, ! county board and
a State board. This method is neceSsar-
ily cumbersome and SLOW, the State
board only meeting once 8 year. II q
soldier was admitted 70 the pension roll
MS case could not oe paS.e3 upon fos .
year, and he debarred during this period
from any help at all. The delay in GET
ting The checks from Columbia is very
aggravating 20 the pocr old fellows who
ride many miles 20 the Court House
after allowing ample time for them 70
arrlTe. and upon asking IL l tremulous
voice If they had arrived are told indif-
erectly they had not. How grierous
this disappointment was 20 one OF them
90 one knew bu, himself, for his tobac-
CO was out. his coffee w2S ou: and his
toes were out: but he had seen darker
davs ;han this and bore It with grim
defiance. There will be introduced ~
the approaching session bill abolish
ing the State pension board. and auth
orizing the county commissioners TO in
crease the county tax as many mills as
are necessary 20 comfortably and prop
erly provide for the pensioners OF their
respective counties. This solves the
problem completely and entirely as TO
the tender and wacchful care OF these
old soldiers, for there will spring up i'm
mediately 3 generous rivalry between
the counties as 70 which can DO the moss
for their old heroes The Daughters OF
the Confederacy will take on new lie
and be kept busy driving TO their cot
tages anI taking them jellies and sweet
smiles, and all viii fee! il each county
q sense Of responsibility for their well
being. Those sweet daughters will see.
while taking them the jellies, with
laughter and song, that all broken PAN
es in windows are renewed, the broken
back Of the chimney patched with new
brick and strip OF carpet by his bed
Tor his poor old feet 70 rest upon while
dressing on cod mornings. This is gen
uine charity, gratefully received. and
ranks higher than the strewic. OF their
graves in the spring with flowers, which
IS mere sentiment, for the occupants
were often neglected 10 life.
The State. in Su-render:ng the old
soldiers 70 their native counties, ir no
sense aban6ons them, but tenderlv
places them in the arms OF their rela-
tiyes, friends and neighborS, feeling
that their well being is now assured and
that the home people will awake gladly
TO their sense OF duty which was so for
gotten under the State guardianship.
This change will be most grateful 10
the pensioners, for they so much prefer
70 be cared for by relatives and friends,
and l can assure the Legislature that
the people Of every county are eager 70
receive their heroes.
D. w. SRAILSFoRD.