Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-01-17
!. u !. !. !. Il !. !. j. i. !. !. j. !.
!. AN INDICTMENT. =.
!. f !. !. j. J. !. !. .f j. 80 !. !. !.
South Carolina Stands indicted on
Five Counts.

shall bring these charges against
the officials OF the State--thc lcgis-
lati'e, the executive and the Judi
ciary--for the way they have treated
! the soldiers Of the Civil War. And in
| doing SO | must go back to the war
to lay the foundation Of my com
plant.
Alleged hrSt-SOuth Carolina
| raised more sand ana cain in start
| ing the war than any other State:
that is an historic fact, known to all
America. In January, 1861, the
war-dogs from the mountains to the
sea howlcd for war, saying that it.
would be over in three months; that
we could whip the whole business
with cornstalks; and some went so
far as to say they would "drnk all
the blood spilled in the war;" etc.
But that class never did get there!
And when il came TO fire, sweat and
blood, South Carolina did not do her
duty to her soldiers on the field This
| is also Il fact Of history, and | can
plant. Il use the words South Car
olina adviscdly.) My complaint is
to the powers that be, and to them
| only. Now. these war-dogs that
stood OF and Sirkcd the others on
never did hear the music Of the bui-
let showers OF IL battlefield, much
less drink the blood, and whip the
| whole Federal army with curustalks.
My second complaint or indictment
i that South Carolina has si1nally
failed to come up TO the other South
rrn States on the "pcnsion" bill.
These men who went to The front
and returned with wooden legs and
empty sleeves, and bullet scars on
their bodies, are heroes OF nobility.
letters OF patriotism and courage.
men who for months and years biv-
ouackcd on the ground, sleeping on
fence rails marching and tghtin" i'm
heat and cold. often pressing the ice
and snow with bare and bleeding
feet. And now, after they have been
bufctcd by the storms and conflicts
OF life, they deeply feel the need Of IA
hrlping hand. Is this state 50 poor
| that she cannot do for her Old vetc-
rams what other States are doing?
No: it's not that. 1t is another
"PhnrA0h who kaew not Joseph"
another generation that never knew
anything OF the pain and suffering
| : l,,t ,,,
My third complaint is against the
property qualification embraced in
ihc ''pansion" bill OF this State
lake the gr1und { and | think il ten.
ablc) .hat where Il man went into the
war; leaving everything tia. was
sacred and dear behind him. doing
his duty on the battlefield, and got
back nome and went 20 work and ac-
complishcd a fortune maybe, by hon
est toll, with bullet and sabcr sears
on his body say he has the same
| right to a pension" as the fellow
! Il at has never made anything. In
my opinion the property qualfica-
| tion is absolutely wrong.
My fourth complaint IS against the
way the "Old Soldiers Home" is con-
Quoted. have visited the home Of
! ten. and it is always the same, as
see it. And have said. and now
say, .lat had rather die in sheep
pasture exposed to the fowls Of the
air and the beasts OF the forest than
at that "homc." And yet for 1915
there was an appropriation OF $19,-
3ji.73 to run that institution. There |
is something dead up the creek-the !
fountain is not pure. | say, in the |
naEc Of all that is holy, abolish the
'homc," give the old soldiers good |
pension and let them live among
their relatives and friends.
My firth complaint is against he |
way the Pension Board cuts down |
the pensions OF the widows Of dead |
cation. and will put only two wit |
ncsscs on the stand---n could put up |
two hundrcdl namely, j. w. Eid. |
son and G. w. Lott. deceased. Of |
Johnston, S. G.. These men went |
INTO the army on the 18TH day Of
April, 1861. to fight to the finish. |
NO better soldiers ever lived or died |
They were members OF the Seventh |
South Carolina Regiment. G. w |
Lott left his left leg on the rocky |
sides Of Gcttysburg; J. w. Edison |
.cft his right leg on the bank Of the |
Ch;ckamauga; they both suffered |
for Nnarc r.it hnnI any holm fr0nn th.a |