The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-04-05
AMEND THE PENSION LAW

man. like a good legislature, is TO
amend acts passed by itself or us
predecessors, when it is discovered
that a law is not dealing alike fairly
with all citizens of the state. Such
a. condition of unfair dealing is mani
testify true of a part of the law en-
braced in chapter 1886, page u OF the
acts of 1909, known as the last pen
sion act. The writer is sorry to have
to speak of a defect or an unfairness
in any of Florida's pension laws. They
were all intended to be just and gen
erous toward all pension applicants,
and even to assist them in all rea-
sonable ways to fill the blanks neces-
sary in the case. Still, the time linn
itation of that act must be amended,
if our state is to continue in the front
rank among other states as a pension
provided for old, infirm, faithful and
loyal Confederate soldiers and their
equally faithful and loyal surviving
widows.
AS the law now stands no soldier
or his widow who immigrated into
the state since 1895 can ever obtain
la pension.
The 1907 act, chapter 5000, page 70,
was more generous than this. The
time limit in that act was residence
in the state of ten years prior to the
filing of an application. Of course,
these time limits do not affect native
born citizens, or early immigrants.
They are, however, absolute bars to
all who immigrated into the state
since 1896 And yet no state has been
and still is opening wider or more
welcoming doors to the immigrant
than Florida AS long as the act of
1907 was operative, long as was the
time limit, there was hope to the ELI
gible that, if life should be prolong-
ed ten years, a pension might be got
ten to buy food and clothing for the
few enfeebled remaining years. The
act of 1909 cut this hope entirely off,
and casts a shadow of despair in
front of every tottering step.
For what state did these soldiers
fight and suffer in the ranks Of the
several Confederate armies, and their
home? For every state alike within
glorious widows labor and suffer at
the borders of the Confederacy. The
writer knows that the time limitation
of residence, namely, since 1895, did
not get into the act of 1909, by mar
rowness of views, as the question in
the last sentence would suggest.
There must have been some error or
oversight in the writing or printing
of the bill
The days of voluntary immigration
of the old people are past They
now go only where they are taken by
those upon whom they are dependent.
The number excluded from the gen
erous benefaction of the state, name
ly, residents since 1895, is now small,
but still there are few most worthy
widows yet left. For these few noble
examples of Confederate womanhood,
the writer pleads
Is it necessary that the length of
residence be as great as ten years as
in the act of 1907? Would not five
years be long enough? Or, still bet
ter, three years? There is at least
one state whose time limit has never
been more than three years. There
may be others. A suspicion that the
limit was too short has never been
agitated in that state.
The true and loyal service to the
Confederacy by the soldier is the core
of the question. The service that
made him eligible during his life
makes his widow eligible on his
death.
The act cannot be amended now I'M
til the spring of 1913 Let the amend
ment be the first act passed by the
next legislature, approved and officil-
ly published throughout the state. 1t
will be too late for some, but never
| theless, still smaller few of these
rapidly vanishing widows will die
happier to know that they were re.
membered by the legislature.
The Confederate soldiers of the
state will be enabled to vote more
intelligently at the approaching pri-
mary, if they can hear from legisla-
tive candidates before that day. This
question is too serious to be neglect
ed.-Wm. Hood, in aBrtow Courier
Informant
| Miss Minnie Lee Carlisle, who has