The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-01-24
vox PoPULI.
A WORD MORE
ABOUT PENSIONS

Editor Pensacola Journal.
Seeing that my Views about pension
ing Confederate veterans, although
seemingly stated clearly have been
misunderstood, beg leave to add a
few statements.
!. My attention has been called to
the fact, or, If 1t be not a fact, to the
appearance of a fact, that some vet
Ell ans who are now drawing pensions
seem a little afraid to enlarge the
scope Of the law, lest by doing so the
sum they receive might be scaled. I
am aware that all veterans are not
honest, any more than al. of any other
class of men are honest, but / think
they are as a rule as honest as any
other class.
2. I assumed that the state Of Flor
lea has ample legal protection against
fraudulent transactions whether by
veterans or others, whether in the
matter Of pensions or in other mat
tiers. II any man knows Of single in
stance where veteran secured a PEN
sion fraudulently, whether he did so by
pretending to be a citizen of the state
when as a matter of f& ct he was 4
citizen Of Alabama, or by any other
scheme, it is the duty Of the man hav-
ing such knowledge to have the perpe-
traitor OF the fraud brought to justice
as soon as practicable.
3. The law as it now stands, or as
amended by making a lengthy citizen
ship necessary to draw a pension, has
barred out of the state veterans, and
will continue to bar them out, seeing
that they have to surrender their pen
sions in other states and get none here
il they come here. There is not a state
r6rth of Mason and Dixon's line that
has law which compels Confederate
veterans to stay out or to make sacri-
fees to get in. They are not a class
against whom Florida can afford to
legislate or bar out Of the state.
4. They are made liable to taxation
Immediately upon their arrival in the
STATE and there is no just reason why
meritorious veterans should be ex-
Guided from the benefits of taxation.
Common justice demands that they be
treated as other men are treated. In
the name Of common sense and of
right, I ask, why should a man who
never smelled powder in battle, IL he
lived in Florida and was in the re
serve" have a pension, when another
man who fought in scores Of battles
for four years, was MANNED for life,
| and did all that courage and skill could
dc for his country, should be denied a
pension?
In the name Of the Confederate SOL
diers, living and dead. ask that our
legislature wipe out this stigma, and
give us law that deals justly with
the veterans and shall ne an honor to
| the state. The opportunity will soon
be gone, and the historian will write
the chapter of Florida's history on this
point with a shamed face.
5. know Of no other rule than to
deal with all men with common
honesty, and certainly 1t is not COM
/ mon honesty to tax Confederate vet
Grams to the end of their lives to raise
! a large fund from the benefits of which
they are forever debarred. The injus-
ttce OF 1t Is an offense in the nostrils
CT all good men, and the fact thai
these wronged men patiently say moth
ing about it only makes it the more
imperative on the legislature to remedy
the wrong they are suffering.
| 6. 1t is earnestly hoped that veter-
ans themselves will not lend them
selves to any plan OF legislation that
| perpetuates the principle of moral
wrong and injustice. It is not the
amount Of money. or money at all, thai
am opposing: 1t is the wrong done by
the state to her citizens. Veterans
should ask no charity in the matter;
what they should call long and loud for
Is the erasing from the statutes Of the
state a law that dishonors the old sol
d'ers.
c. w. HUMPHREYS.
Milton Fla Ian % 1919