The Semi-weekly leader., 1922-04-12

of business, a clipping from Hatties-
burg American was read by the COM
mander and the camp by motion re-
quested that the same be published
with the minutes of this meeting, as
follows;-
NEARING THE END FOR CoNFED-
ERATE VETERANS.
There is not a man, woman or
child in all the State of Mississippi
who does not desire that the few
remaining days of the Confederate
veterans and their widows shall be
made as comfortable as downy- pill
lows are.
Every true Southerner, many from
the North, believes that the old vet
erans fought in cause that some
have said was lost" but which, as a
mater of fact, will live on forever, for
the principles of states rights are
true, many of them having been de-
cided by the supreme court of the
United States.
1t was only a few years ago that
Mississippi and other states began to
give the old veterans small pit
tance, a so-called pension, to help
them in providing living until they
have disappeared in the sunset Of
| life.
AS has been said before, they
fought two wars, and the last one
they won after being overpowered in
aTms on the batlehelds.
1t was the battle of white supre-
macy-they won, and the victory will
last as long as the world endures.
These are the men to whom pit
tance is now being allowed by their
state governments, which were too
poor to recognize even pressing ne
cessities until the effects of this in
ternecine strife almost entirely on
Southern soil, had passed away to
some extent.
Hence, the following bill, passed
by the legislature and approved by
the governor, will find a hearty en-
dorsement from every real Mississip-
plan, and there is no fund that will
be paid more gladly: ~
Section /. Be it enacted by the
Legislature of the State of Mississip-
pi, That the sum of eight hundred
thousand dollars ($S00, ,0QO) for the
year 1922, and eight hundred thous-
and dollars ($800, ,000) for the year
1928, be and the same is hereby ap-
propriated out Of any money in the
State Treasury not otherwise appro-
priated for payments of pensions pro-
vided by law, by the State of Missis-
sippi, and the auditor is hereby au-
thorized to issue his warrant there
| for to persons entitled to pensions
in the mode and manner provided by
the laws of. the State of Mississippi.
If the pensioner has died, or shall
die at any time before the pension is
received, then the chancery clerk of
the county where the .pensioner re-
sides shall receipt to the county
treasurer for such pensions, and out
OF the same shall first pay the burial
expenses; second, the expenses OF the
last Sickness and If there be any res
idue, pay the some to the widow Of
the deceased pensioner, provided her
marriage to him was not later than
the year 1920, and If not, to the
children of the deceased, If any; and
if not, to the heirs at law of-the said
deceased"
In presenting the clipping, Com
Mander Summers also offered the fol-
lowing comment, which received en-
dorsement of the Camp:-
This article, we think is very APP
propriate. and we Confederates feel
very thankful for the kind express
\ ion of this editor. Now, while we
believe, as he said. that all true Mis-
sissippians viii pay this little amount
freely to the old true Vets as hong
as they live, we feel again that the
law makers should be very careful
that worthy men and women, only,
get this little amount set apart for
them. Now, we know whereof we
speak, when we say that Lincoln
county-and we regard it that Linz
coin county is not an exception to
other counties in this state-has and
has had lot of unworthy men, men
who perhaps went out or were forced
to go out and when they found that 1t
i was real war-and as General Sher-
man said War is helr'-they laid
down their arms and went, as 1t were
ito a hollow log, and remained there
until the war was over, then shook
OF the moss from their backs and
now come up and ask for their PEN
sions; and got their backs up II
they are told they are not entitled
to pension.
Now we think that every good cit
lfzen would revolt at paying this class
OF men one penny. and think the law
should be so strong that the board
OF pensioners would be bound tc
guard the peoples interest. No one
knows how this board is, or would
be run over. except those who have
served on 1t. Give the old soldiers
L the authority and they will still
guard the Interests Of their comrades
There being no further business
the meeting adjourned until the next
regular meeting on the nrst Tuesday
lin May, 1922.
:. A. II. Summers. Commander