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PAGE TEN 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.