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ZETTEXJ TKO7I THt ?EOPZE
A VETERAN WRITES ABOUT
PENSIONS.
Hon. Thos. E. Watson, Thomson, Ga
My Dear Sir:
I am an old man, nearing my 70th
mile post, an old Confederate soldier,
with four years and two months’ ser
vice to my credit, and a life-long
Democrat, casting my first vote in
1859 for Joseph E. Brown for gov
ernor.
As to my education it is very lim
ited, and common sense, you might
say none. At the same time, I have
trid to keep abreast of the political
issue of the day, and of the men
who were before the footlights on the
public stage.
I have watched your career from
your entrance into public life and
enjoyed the shake-up you gave the
House of Representatives. At the
same time, I could not see how you
could stir up such a stink while your
colleagues were smelling sweet roses,
with everybody else, our newspapers
combined, the goose was hanging
high, and all was serene on the sur
face, so I dubbed you a Smart Alex.
Your writing up the shortcomings of
the Democratic and Republican par
ties after your defeat by Black, I
pronounced the croaking of a sore
head, but when you came out flat
footed for the Populist Ocala plat
form, I pronounced you a fool.
For several years I would not read
anything that originated from the
pen of. Thomas E. Watson. Some
how or somehow else, it might be that
I am getting older and more willing
to study both sides of the question,
I commenced reading your paper,
printed in Atlanta, handed me by one
of Tom Watson’s friends, and that
includes every man that is a man in
this neck of the woods. The first
paper caused me to put on my think
ing-cap, and the second was still
more interesting, and since that time
I would have gotten up at the hour
of midnight to read anything from
the gifted pen of Thomas E. Wat
son.
All honor to you for the glorious
reforms now sweeping over our belov
ed country! May you live long to en
joy your great victory, and love and
admiration of your fellow country
men, and may the ink never go dry
on the point of your pungent and
graceful pen.
Now, Mr. Watson, as I have made
what few other Democrats would, an
honest confession, I want the aid of
your caustic pen in behalf of suffer
ing humanity, or the old pensioners
of Georgia. No doubt you noticed
that the last legislature passed a law
to pay pensioners quarterly. Now,
with only a casual glance, you would
say that would be to the interest of
the pensioners, but I want you to
look lender the surface. I know
of but four ordinaries in the
state —Bibb, Fulton, DeKalb and Gor
don —but what charge each pension
er one dollar for paying* them off,
and fifteen cents express on the mon
ey from Atlanta. As you are aware,
the pensioners are getting old and
feeble; besides being poor; the most
of them unable to own a conveyance
to take them to the ordinary’s office,
which would cause them to make four
WATSON’S WEEKLY JEFFERSONIAN.
trips to the office to sign up their
papers, then four trips to collect the
money, and at the outset would have
to pay the ordinary four dollars, and
sixty cents for express charges. Now,
can you see any benefit to be derived
by the pensioners in making the
change! I believe the change was
made in the interest of the state, and
the ordinaries of the different coun
ties.
The state would gain by putting
the money out at interest, and the
ordinaries would reap the benefit of
three dollars and forty-five cents ex
tra. Now, my idea is that bringing
this prominently before the public,
our law-makers will change the act
at its next session, as I would hate
to think the act was prepared on pur
pose to injure the old pensioners.
While every one is singing of our
great prosperity it is not for the old
pensioners, for it costs double to live
now what it did a few years ago,
and their earning capacity has dwin
dled to nothing. Hoping that you
will give this your earnest consider
ation, I remain, as ever,
Your humble admirer,
W. H. ANDREWS.
Sugar Valley, Gr. *
Savannah, June 20, 1907.
307 Waldburg St., West.
Editor Weekly Jeffersonian, Atlanta,
Georgia.
Dear Sir: In your remarks in the
June 4th issue of your paper on
“Pat Calhoun Criminal.” you are, as
in all of your statements, absolutely
correct. He was the hired agent to
do the dirty work in the rape of the
Central of ‘Georgia Railroad. He
could not have succeeded in the theft
unless there were in collusion with
him parties who were placed in posi
tions to protect the stockholders, but
who were false to them and, I believe,
sold out to knaves. If you have the
data —particulars—won’t you give
them to us!
The names of the entire nest of
robbers we will be glad to know.
I see that our sweet-tongued ora
tor, Mr. John Temple Graves, is still
advocating political miscegenation.
Does he really expect good to come to
us from such an unnatural union!
In my seventy years of life, I have
never read editorials in newspapers
or magazines as educational as are
yours, and your publications are a
distinct boon to us.
Yours truly,
M. R. TUNNO.
Clem, Ga., July 23, 1907.
Hon. Tjios. E. Watson, Thomson, Ga.
My Dear Mr. Watson: I enclose a
clipping from today’s Atlanta Geor
gian and News, fearing it might es
cape your notice, and thinking you
might want to reply to this little slap
at you from Bishop Candler. He re
minds me of the old preacher who
went to church and caught his breth
ren discussing political questions, and
rebuked them as follows:
“Brethren, you must not dabble
in politics; you must stay eut of pol
itics. When the election comes on,
you must this: You must
all just go to the polls and vote the
Democratic ticket, and for the Dem
t .. ..
ocratic nominee, and stay out of pol
itics, and you’ll be all right!”
So it seems that the learned Doctor
forgets that politics is the science of
government; and that it is just as
much “mixing” with politics for one
party to oppose prohibition as it is
for another to favor it.
,The bishop also sets forth a queer
logic when he would have us believe
that an issue—a governmental question
—has been set back or injured by a
people Advocating and voting for it.
Yours for a fight against the old
twin “putes” in 1908.
J. J. HOLLAWAY.
Blythe, Ga.
Hon. T. E. Watson:
There have been some gentlemen
in our community looking for a place
to run a club or a locker, or a place
where they can sell whiskey.
There seems to be the idea gone
out that all a person has to do is to
pay SSOO tax and he can run a
locker.
Now, will you, through the Jeffer
sonian of next week, give the law on
this subject, and also explain it so
that we, your readers, can understand
it! If you will it may stop some
uneasiness on the subject.
Yours respectfully,
R. S. ROWE.
Answer—Our friend, R. S. Rowe,
may well be troubled in his mind.
That locker dodge may give the peo
ple more trouble than all the blind
tigers ever caused us.
Under the recent prohibition act it
would seem to be possible for a num
ber of men, in any county, to go
through the form of organizing a club,
and secure for themselves all the
whiskey they want, by paying the
SSOO tax.
AFTER JOHN SHARP.
The voters of Mississippi want
John Sharp Williams to answer those
questions which Mr. Watson asks in
the Jeffersonian of August 22, 1907.
They are fair questions, and Mr.
Williams owes it to his people to an
swer them.
The following letter shows that the
boys are “after” John Sharp:
Toomsuba, Miss., August 28, 1907.
Hon. John Sharp Williams,’ Yazoo
City, Miss.
Dear Sir: Will you please be kind
enough to refer to editorial page of
Hon. Thos. E. Watson’s weekly pub
lication, “Watson’s Weekly Jeffer
sonian,” date of August 22,1907, and
answer the questions he asks you in
his editorial, commencing on page
eight and ending on page nine!
Also please turn to page fifteen of
same publication and see my letter
at beginning of page (posto ce
misspelled “ Toomsboro, ”) and let us
know what you have to say in regard
to the “Populists” that voted for
you in the late primarv election.
When you answer the above please
let me know if I may use your reply
for publication in Mr. Watson's pub
lications, if Mr. Watson has no ob
pecticn. Also let me know if you have
any objections to its being published
in any other paper or papers that I
may see fit to offer it to.
Will you also please be kind enough
to let me know how you worked and
voted in the last session of congress
in regard to raising of salaries of ’
rural mail carriers, and as to giving
national banks the free use of the
import duties of the United States!
Please give your reasons for working
and voting as you did, whether it was
for or against these measures.
Hoping that you will kindly favor
me with a reply to above questions at
your earliest convenience, I am,
Yours truly.
R. E. THOMPSON.
P. S. —If you have not seen a copy
of Mr. Watson’s publication of date
referred to, let me know and I will
have one sent you. R. E. T.
—— I I •»» • •
Pleasant Hill. Cass Co., Mo., R. R. 4,
August 28, 1907.
Messrs. T. E. Watson and Son, Thom
sen, Ga.
Gentlemen: Our County Fair is
next week, and if you will send me
some samples and club blanks with
terms, I will try to get you some sub
scribers. I sent two small clubs to
the N. Y. Magazine—about ten in num
ber —but hope to be able to add many
names to your list, as I think the
editorials and cartoons are simply
grand.
Tell Bro. Nye that the work steers
will look at the pictures.
After reading your platform in
last week’s issue, wife and I drove
over to a neighbor’s and found sev
eral friends visiting him. In the
course of time I asked them if they
"would like to hear some mighty fine
reading. They answered in the affir
mative, and you would be glad to
have heard what they said, as one of
the number had been an old Alabama
man.
My intention is on next Sabbath
to do the same thing in another di
rection, and repeat it for a number
of weeks to come.
I only mention this to impress upon
your mind the great love I have for
that noble document.
Few men in this county have done
more than I to carry it to success.
I served as secretary of our local for
several years, and will impress the
seal on this letter for the proof. I
have not voted since the old Buffalo
Blubber’s first turn, except 96 for
Windy Bill, for any of the old party
cusses.
On meeting many of my old friends
they greet me as “Old Pop.” An
swer: Glad to be called one, and
while walking along the streets in
town I have heard the remark.
1 There goes a live Pop.” Answer:
Correct. All wool and a yard wide.
I have stood up in town and country
for the faith of the saints of Ocala,
Omaha, Cincinnati and Springfield,
and expect to as long as I live.
Many thanks for a bundle of 16
samples of the Weekly. I put them
to good use. A. GAMMON.
South Georgia Farms and
Decatur County Tobacco
Lands for sale; for descrip
tive price list write to R. L.
Hicks, Real Estate, Bain
bridge Ga.