The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-02-09

managed in one awy or another to
get on the pension roll.
Everybody, no matter whether a |
Union man or Confederate, is in |
favor of proper and adequate COM
pensation for all war veterans, no /
matter whether in the Mexican War, |
the War Between the States, the |
Spanish War, or the Indian Wars, |
but to-day we have reached the point
where it seems the whole business
may run to seed, through partisan
politics.
There is a serious economic side TO
this question, which may be briefly
stated as follows: That when one
hundred and fifty or sixty million
dollars is annually taken out OF the
National Treasury, which money
comes from taxes collected from the
people in the South as well as in the
North, and is paid in lump to peo-
pie in one section Of the country, that
this creates an annual and eternal
drain on the South, which contributes
its measure of the taxes but receives
none Of the disbursements
4 Measure of Justice to the Southern
Soldier and Also Financial
Equity
If it is to be the continued poliGv
Of Congress to appropriate a nun
dred millions or two hundred mill
lions, Or three hundred millions for
that matter, annually for pensions,
then why should not there be some
attention given to a proper distribu-
ton Of this enormous sum. There
is now pending in Congress a propo-
sition to increase largely the pensions
for Northern soldiers or the hangers
on of the Union Army.
During the recent dis ssion in
Congress on this subject, it develop
ed that the question of the receivers
with a meritorious record, was some
what lost sight of in comparison
with the question of the amount Of
money to be distributed, the chief
idea seeming to be the bodily suffer-
ing and exigencies of the recipients
of the fund
Most of the Southern soldiers were
killed during the War Between the
States There are not a very great
number still living. Every one Of
these Southern soldiers who is still
living is equally entitled to a PEN
-:~
country as the Northern soldier.
Most Of them are more needy than
the Northern soldier, and, besides,
they have struggled in their manned
| and decrepit condition for more than
| forty-five years without any compen-
sation. A pension to these soldiers
would not only be an ordinary mat
ter Of common justice, but to some
extent it would equitably distribute
| the enormous fund now raised and
paid in pensions to the different sec
tons Of the country
If the pending bill and the pro-
posed amendment thereto are made
especially applicable to the Southern
| soldiers, there would still go four
times as much money to the North as
would go to the South in pensions.
Why should the South be further
punished and drained financially.
even if the needs, to say nothing OF
the deserts OF the Southern soldiers,
are to be considered?
The Supreme Court Passed on Our
! Form Of Government
The establishment of the initiative
and referendum in the State of Ore
gon has resulted in raising a grave
constitutional question that is now
pending before the Supreme Court OF
the United States The purpose of
those who favor the initiative and
referendum is, through that method.
| to either abolish or modify the Re
publican form OF government pro-
vided for by our National Constitu-
| ton
The primary object of the support
ers Of this reform is praiseworthy, in
that the theoretical desire is to bring
the Government closely to the peo-
| pie, but in doing this more or less
| radical attack has been made upon
| the organic act known as our consti-
tuition The square question that will