The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-05-26


ons-Whi,st the patriotic masses are leaving
their pleasant homes and 6resides, Offering to
sacrifice their lives in defence of the flag OF
their country, sharing the hardships of the
military camp, and holding themselves in
IT anness to march up to the oannon's mouth
of the enemy at q moments notice, the
band of spectators that have for years been
seen hanging around our legislative halls, both
5 ste at national, are arranging tn NJ plaes
to reap good hsrvest of of the govern
nent and the troops in furnishing suppl rs and
ammunition. We are constantly in reoeipt Of
facts, names and agures giving the amount Tint
parties have robbed the government Of By
t.fr "nsrg,I" or per cent operations. The
graatsat complaint in New York comes from
false returns made of tho number Of men In the
new regiments to whom rataons have besn fur
beo and margin" sgreemt nts On powder
purchases, whilst In the Keystone State 1t is
osisn blankets and putrid food With all tn
numprors complaints about the peculatioEs in
his city, our troops are well ted and clothed
II mains for the virtuous Pennsy lvaaians to
ofer tht ir volunteers iood ft OILY for ravens
.rr clothirg that will fall 30 pie CTS after Que
days wear. This we suppose, is all owing to
the customs of the two States.
The system Of per centage on beef and other
articles of food is one of those modes Of making
loi tunes praciised by other parties besides the
army contraetors-known as lobbymen in times
Of peace. Some of our uptown aristo-
cratic families submit to regulsr
tare Of one per cent per pound for
the benefit of their servants, who
have made their agreements with the butcher,
the latter, to get the custom, agreeing TO pay
that amount on every pound the servant pur.
chases of him. When the bill is rendered the
price is charged accordingly. As long as to.
oeef is good there are no complaints. The
practice now in vogue with those furnishing
The supplies for the volunteers is On the same
orncip'e. 1t is one of the pecuiisrltes
Of the present age, and there are thou.
eanas Of adventurers constantly twisting and
urping their wits to suddenly become rich.
After ALL it Is not IS serious q matter as
it might be. The money is all kept ia our
midst, and goes into the hands of those who
spend it rapidly, thus beneftting more persons
than the contractor. The views of a certain
ex-Alderman are not so monstrous as they
might be, who. retiring from the Office rich, dSf
claIed that the public did not look upon the
matter in its true light. They had madf a
great deal Of money-some of them their tens
and twenty thousands-but they received lhe
money and spent it literally, lived WELL treatA6
their friends and kept the funds flying. For al
Alderman to make his hundreds Of thousands
end use it in that way was not, in his opinion,
half as bad as your importer, receiving his
one hundred thousand from his customers,
s~ksBsf. al 70 Europe, and expanding it there
to benefit the citizens of another nation We
says the ex-Alderman, make our money and
spend itNt home, living like gentlemen, and our
own people reap the benefit. So it is with the
army peculators. They manage to make their
thousands, and spend il at home -benefting
all classes,
AS long as there is an army to supply the
evil will exist, and there is no way of avoiding
it. Middle men will step in, in spite of every
effort; but if they will furnish the patriotic
soldier with all the food he wants Of good quail
ity, with seryiceable clothing, good arms and
ammunition, the public will have reason to
thank them, and are willing that they should
make money if those who leave their homes to
defend their country are well provided for.
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