Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1920-02-04
Wednesday, February q.
Our Columbia Letter.

ceedingly gratifying to the Confed-
crate veterans if they could really
know how deeply interested the mem
bers of the general assembly are in
them. When the present pension act
was passed at the last session of the
legislature, providing more generous
ly for the veterans, this act having
been passed practically as it was
drafted and presented by the veter-
ans Of the State themselves, it was
not contemplated that the new act
would work a hardship upon any vet
eran. However, as result of set of
rules and regulations formulated by
the pension commissioner, great
hardship and in some cases a positive
injustice has been done some of the
old veterans and widows Of veterans,
in that they nave been required to
prove again their claims, notwith-
standing the fact that they have been
recognized by the local pension
boards for the past fifteen years as
being entitled to receive pension.
Owing to this over exacting and ar
bitrary policy adopted by the pension
commissioner, there is growing sem
timent here in favor of abolishing
the new pension administration in
toto, as recommended by the comp
troller general in his annual report,
and restoring the old system of dis
tributing the pension funds. In fact,
there is some legislation pending max
ing that provision. 1t is altogether
unwarranted and a positive injustice
to old veterans and widows of vet
Grams, in their infrmity, to require
them to prove again their claims. In
many instances the veterans who
signed or attested the original claim
10 or Is years ago are dead. If the
original application was regularly
executed and accepted without ques-
.tion by the local pension board, men,
bers of which, being veterans them
selves, had some personal knowledge
of the correctness of the claim, why
should not the pension commissioner
be willing to recognize the claim
now? 1t would be better for dozen
unworthy men to receive a pension
than for one needy, infrm, worthy
veteran to have his name stricken
from the pension roll by some ex-
acting and arbitrary rule.
Notwithstanding the fact that it is
the paramount issue, one that is
every eye and ear over the !,
State to be turned toward Columbia,
good roads legislation has yet taken
no definite form. The counties, at
least many of them, Edgefeld includ-
ed, are waiting to see what will be
done as a Statewide undertaking be-
fore definitely deciding upon what
course to pursue with reference to
their local road situation. If salts
factory plan for the construction of
the trunk lines of public roads of
the State, those leading from county
seat to county-seat, can be agreed
upon, then a number of the counties
will enact local and supplementary
legislation for building the lateral
roads, those over which the majority
of farmers travel in hauling.
1t is probable that our delegation
will increase the communication or
road tax just as many ether counties
have done. AS majority of Edge
field county's population is colored,
and about the only tax with the ex-
ception of the poll, that hundreds of
colored men pay is the road tax, then
with the tax and property incr easing
and the cost of road work increasing,
why should not these men pay a larg-
er road or Communication tax? How
can the supervisor do any consider
able amount of work on the roads of
the county with the present comnlu-
tation tax, when the sum paid by one
man will not hire days work. If we
are to have an increased property
tax, for road building, then why in
all justice, not have some increase in
the road or communication tax?
1t augurs well for the State and
for the future welfare of our people
that the legislature is making gener-
our provosion for education through
longer terms, better pay for teach