The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-26


 typewriter and has said that he was de- t,, mined to see his father through.
 T will not stop he said. until the battle is over. l am confident that we will win"
 fund for the fiscal year beginning Octo- Der l. 1907, and ending September 30, 1908. had been covered into the treasury, be- ing the sum of S760S62 13.
 Tt is therefore evident that by the operation of the law making pensions payable quarterly there was piled up in the treasury on January 1, 1908, three- foUrths of the pension money already col lected for the fiscal year 1906-7. and prae- tically the entire amount of the pension fund collected for the fiscal year com mencing October l, 1907.
 When the special session of the legis- lature convened in November 1907, Sena- tor Teasley of Mon.A4Rery introduced two bills to obviate tnis grave injustice to the needy Confederate soldiers.
 The first bill provided in effect that within 20 days after it's passage the audi tor should ascertain the amount of pen sion funds then on hand subject to dis tribution for the year 1907 and prorate the money to those who had been granted pensions in the state, deducting rom same the quarterly payment made on Oc- tober l, 1907.
 The other bill which he introduced provided for a method by which the money due for pensions for the fiscal year beginning on october 1, l9G7, should be distributed. That is, that it should be paid quarterly on January l5, April 15, July 15 and October 15 of the year 1908. and each year thereafter
 Tn other words. if his two bills had passed, the Confederate soldiers in the fall of 1907 would have been paid the full amount of the pensions collected for the fiscal year ending September 90, 1907. and the full amount by quarterly pay ments commencing in January of ths amounts of the pensions collected for the fiscal year commencing October l. 1907, and ending September 30 1908 These meritorious bills were defeated b ythe solid vote of the Conner followers. Senator Lusk of Marshall county, the Conner leader, made the motion to table | By the defeat of the Teasley bills the entire pension fund for the hscal year commencing October l. 1907. and ending September 30, 1908, were piled up in the , treasury and used for general purposes After the defeat of these bills restoring the pensions for 1907 and providing quar- terly payments for future years at the special session of 1907 the old soidiers and widows of soldiers became indignant tLat the great state of Alabama should de- prive them of the small pittance which mad been given them in return for their patriotic services rendered the south
 This feeling became general through out the state and Confederate camps passed resolutions of condemnation and charged that the money collected to ray pensions was being used for general pur- poses. So great was this feeling against Governor Conner that when he called the legislature together in special session in 1909 he had his rubber-stamp egislature pass bill consolidating soldiers taxes with the general fund, which in effect lesaized his illegal acts in using this money. See Acts 1909, page 3l
 This act was approved on August 16 1909, and the auditors report for the fiscal year commencing October l, 1910, shows a ledger balance of $S77,535 .O5 to the credit of the pension fund, while the entire cash balance in the state treas- ury on that date was only $370, TBS. .34 which proves conclusively that the con- tention of the old soldiers was correct and this money was illegally disbursed for general purposes. This money hav- ing already been paid out, the legisla- ture, during my administration, was pow erless to give relief in direct way but did increase the quarterly allowance ma terially.
 Under the Conner law widows who were pensioners of the fourth class received SIP 50 per quarter. pensioners of the. third class received si6 per quarter, pensioners of the second class received s20 per quar- ter and pensioners of the first class re- ceived $25 per quarter.
 Under the law approved by me widows were placed in the third class and re- ceived $16 per quarter, or an increase of 9 per cent. Pensions of the second class received $20 and pensioners of the first cla f25 Tn other Vordq thara ara rou only three classes while under the Co., mer law there were four. all pensioners being advanced one class an increase of about 20 per cent
 Under the law that existed prior to my administration only the Confederate soldiers or sailors who did not own prop erty to the value of $4OO were entitled to relief.
 Under the act passed in 1911 during my administration all soldiers who did not own real or personal property in excess of 5000 were entitled to pensions. This necessarily largely increased the number of pensioners. but yet the amount paid each individual pensioner is larger than heretofore.
 "The Confederate soldiers were impress ed with the fact that they had not re- ceived the full amount to which they were entitled under the Conner administration, but the methods by which they were deprived or tnelr warrants were carefully concealed and never fully understood.
 'In a speech which Governor Conner de- livered last July in speaking of this charge that he had withheld the old sol diers' pension money he said, When they told me of that awful charge that the old soldiers money was taken I said, and repeat now. that any man that would do such a thing sinned against the Holy Ghost, and that l would suffer for my right arm to be severed at the shoulder rather than lift one finger against the grand old soldiers of the state
 Tn view of this plain recital of the facts established by the record Mir. Co., mer must now, in Justness and fairnes admit that he has sinned against the Holy Ghost.
 "Even the old Confederate soldiers win not demand that he pay the forfeit which he so cheerfully offered-the severance of his right arm-but will be content to al- low him to remain in private life and continue to devote his time to coining money from the toll of boys and girls of tender age in the cotton mills which he controls.
 Highways
 There was expended for highways dur-