The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-05-15

cenaries, hired to fight for pay were
they. but patriots. constrained to
struggle, and to die IL necessary, for
principles, for what they conceived to
be right and just Unrivalled in the
chronicles Of war Is the record which
they made. Half-clad and half-starv-
ed they fought as only heroes could
fight, winning victory after victory
from the enemy, though outnumbered
two to one in almost every battle,
yielding up the strife at last, but not
till they had swelled the pension rolls
with the names of twice as many pen
sioners as there We're soldiers in the
Confederate army Dear to us are
their empty sleeves, their wooden legs, 4
and their locks of white. We canno@
enrich them with gold, but we can
crown them with honor, and give
them to eat and to wear the few days
they are yet with us, and keep on
honoring and loving them, for we
should love them till our hearts, like
broken drums, have beaten their
music out forever. Let them have,
without stint what Is due them in the
way of pensions from the State for
their valuable and patriotic services.
Crushed by fate, but sustained by
loves sweetest welcome, we see these
dear old soldiers after the conflict was
ended, start upon their journey home
ward, only to find ashes upon ashes,
where once stood their humble homes,
loved one scattered, and many Of them
gone. slaves emancipated, property de-
stroyed, and military force in posses
sion of the lands. But undaunted by
adversely and bardships, we see them
start work and life again, and they
continue to presevere, and strive till
beauty once more takes the place of
ashes and desolation, and the old
South, like the butterfly emerging
from the Chrysalis, bursts asunder
the bonds of humiliation and appar-
ent defeat and leaps into the radiant
and triumphant Dixie of today, as a
result of the efforts OF these old SOL
diers. Then, since the feeling of an
imosity and sectionalsm has at last
died away between the North and
South, it does seem that a magnani-
nous spirit in the bosom of the North
ern people would be willing that these
old heroes should receive some recog-
nition at the hands of the national
government. | was the first to intro
duce bill in Southern State to pen
sion them by states, and hope to be
the nrst to ask recognition for them
from the national government
Now, In conclusion, it may be said
that | advocate new ideas. Well II
seems to me that 1t will take some
new things to get such men as Lorimer
and Stephenson out or the u. s. Senate
1t looks like recall would be appli-
cable in these cases. Our forefathers
mixed up jug Of politics and left it
IN the closet for us, with instructions
lor us to take dose Of 1t occasional
iy' well we have been taking 1t, and
1t was good, but they did not suppose
that there would be these gigantic
trusts and monopolies to deal with.
and that seats In the U. S. Senate
would be bought and sold in the mans
ket, hence 1t may be necessary in SOM
instances to pour everything out Of
the jug, scald it out, and try something
else awhile in order that the people
may still rule the roost. There are
many other questions too numerous
to mention here that will be discussed
at the proper time on the stump.
w. j. TALBERT.