The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1914-07-16
Our Old Soldiers
Need More Attention

more attention. Nearly allhave
passed three score and ten and
will be on borrowed days the re-
mainder Of life, a goodly num-
Der are n,ucn older and all are
becoming very feeble, having
been forced to labor very hard
through life to make support.
The hardest days face them at
the the last. while MANY can do
no work to make a living. They
have spent their best DAYS to
honor their country and them
selves, yet age takes away
strength. They cannot hope to
be here long.
The pension roll keeps about
the same;- as some die others be-
come disabled, and to make ends
meet they haye to ask for help.
There will be a few that will
never have to call for help, but
from the way. the roll keeps
up is proof that nearly all will
come to it in a few years. There
are men who lost a limb and
came out of the war penniless
that are paying taxes to pension
others. If they can bear that,
cannot all the people bear the
burden Of a tax to pay reason
able pension?
The old soldiers have been
true. They went when their
country called for them and
gave four years of the prime of
life. Then when all was over
and we had carpetbag ruin for
ten years they rose up and with
garments colored with an en-
blem of blood in substance said
to the world that If it takes it all
we will redeem our country.
After all these trying ordeals
they have never murmured nor
complained to ask for help until
this late hour of life when they
all are in need of help as never
before.
Think how ungrateful it is.
after a man has put his life up
on the altar of his country for
four long years and lost a limb,
to come home penniless, but
went to work as best he could.
lived hard and gained a little, to
try to have something should he
live to he old; because he has
borne all these hardships and
gained something he is cut out.
I would greatly rejoice to know
that such were paid at least sl5O
year, no matter what they
own.
Three and one-half mills state
tax for pensions is not burden
some and will give all who lost
a limb at least $3.50 a year as long
as he lives. with a difference as
at present for those with bodily
injuries, and the remainder to
be divided between the remain
ing soldiers and widows. Make
this a life pension to each, and
as they die it reduces the levy
each year. I feel sure that the
majority of the people would
vote for a levy for that purpose.
South Carolina furnished
about $4,000 troops. Of that
number and their widows there
only about $4,000, 10 per cent.
dropping off each year. Only a
few more years and all will be
over. The pension now is about
$50 to s25. That is light.
Tennessee furnished about as
many soldiers to the north as to
the south. The north pays its
side S24O and the state pays the
southern soldier s24O. If a state
divided like that can pay such
pensions, why is it that state
united like ours, with more
wealth, pay our old soldiers at
least one-fourth that amount!
Kentucky was divided. too, and
they pay S120. Why cannot
South Carolina do half that well!
Bear in mind that it will not
impoverish the state. Not one
dollar goes out of the state.
Unless something is done it
will be to the advantage of the
old veterans to seek other climes
where they can get help. Il
I suppose there is a law giving
the county authority to help the
most needy. Well, that is very
good, but it is niggardly. We
did not have a county war; it
was the state that called for SOL
diers, and that is proof that a
pension was needed, with the
cry, Don't let them go to the
poorhousen'
One old veteran says the state
appropriated $4,000 last year to
build a skin-the-ca pole at Win
throp college. That was about
$500 for each student. while the
pensions given to old soldiers and
widows was from SIG to s25.
That appropriation, if divided
among all old soldiers and wild
ows living, would have given
each one about 81 and would
have been a help to sustain life;
and for exercise and good health
the teachers could take their
clac COCO to m arch in the omen air