Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-05-15
Grand Speculation.

or men are complaining without just
cause. The complaints have become SO
general that what at first we're mere ins
situations against men who are
jobbing have now assumed the shape
of bold charges, which must be met, or a
fearful responsibility will rest somewhere.
The correspondent of the Pittsburg Dis.
patel, writing from Camp Scott, opens a
broadside on the commissarist there, by
declaring that the provisions furnished
are not I'll 10 cat. The Same paper contains
the following significant advertisement:
~ BLANKETS WANTED.-owingt to
~ tho miserable quality OF the half blankets
furnished at Harrisburg, the "Washington In
fantry," No. !, Company A, 18th Regiment, are
suffering from cold at nights, in their quarters.
Any good blankets left at the dispatch Office,
will be forwarded at once for their relief. my6.
1t is openly asserted that the price paid
for each is tor full, thick blanket, and
not for half horse blankets through which
the snn could shine! We copy the follow
ing from the Ero,ing Journal of Monday
'Js there 40 money We regret to hear
that those who are now employed at the
Girard House called on the cashier, OH
Saturday, for tEeir wages, and received
only snail portion Of them. How is
this? What is the cause? Has the appro-
priation of FIVE hundred thousand dollars
made by the Legislature, been exhausted
in proper manner?"
"lf so, then we call on the members at
this extra session to make Immediately a
proper appropriation-oue sufficient to
meet all emergencies, so that the great
and patriotic State of Penns, lvania may
not be diygraCed by having her sons and
daughters of toll, who have families de-
pendent Ola them, turned away, with but
a pittauce of their hard earnings. II is
the duty of our State 10 see to it, net on
ly that our brave volunteers are properly
clothed and fed, but also that the men
and women who are laboring by night and
day, for meagre pay, are paid promptly"
"ls there no money!" That is very
significant question, and it appears there
is not, otherwise tie hotel keepers would
be paid for furnishing subsistence to the
troops, and the operatives at the Girard
House paid their wages in full. 1t there
fore looks very much as if exorbltant pri.
ces had Eeen paid, or some jobbing done
TO disburse the State appropriation in
three weeks. Let US have fair. impartial
investigation, without respect 10 persons :;
for this is a question in which the people
at large are interested. The following,
from an Ohio paper, shows that jobbing is
not confined to this State:
Making il Tay.-"The gentlemen wko
have the contracts for subsistng the vol
unteers OF .he State, will doubtless, soon
make a sum sufficient TO retire on. The
rations in the regular United States Amy
are commuted at thirty cents per day for
each soldier. The contractors in our State
recei' e .dfy and .tcty cents per dag for each
man, while the rations furnished our vol
unteers are of much inferior quality to
those furnished the regular army
The miserable food which has been
dealt out to our volunteers at Columbus,
it is said. does not cost the contractors
fttren cents dag. The number now at Col.
umtus is about 5000. The profits, there.
fore, per day, must be about $1,000. This
is patri0tism with a vengeance
1t appears that the General Gov ern>
ment, too, is being plundered by un con-
scionablc spectators. We find the follow.
ing floating among the items in our ex-
change papers:
A large .Speculation.- 1--WE see it stated in
several papers that George Law and Others
have obtained contract from the Gov
ernment for supplying the newly raised
army with twenty thousand beeves at
eight cents per pound live weight--equal
to fourteen cents per pound when slaught-
cred. BY the operation the contractors
expect to realize 4 nett profit of 5000, 900
This is one of the ways She Government
is plundered, and the Treasury depleted
A few individuals are making princely
fortunes at the expense Of tie tax. payers
Of the country"
This is too Lad. 1t is an abuse which
calls for correction, immediate and I'm.
The people of rennsylye>
mia, with a unanimity unparalleled in the
annals Of patriotism, are imposing upon
themselves onerous taxation, and are will
ling that the Legislature shall exhaust all
the resources of the State TO assert the
supremacy of the'Goyernment, but they
wiil'not stnnd,unprincipled men enrich
ing themselves at time like this at their
expense.
We are alta loss how to stigmatize men
who, at this particular juncture, would
take advantage ofpatrotism 10 plunder.
They might with great propriety be class
ed among those who, on the day of gen
elal resurrection, would despoil cotlins of
.heir silver plates.
ARMY CLOTHING -rhecomplsints in re-
gard to the clothing furnished the SOL
diers is becoming general, and in some in.
stances are very pointed. The camp
Scott correspondent of the Lancaster En-
press makes the following statement:
"While on the subject OF supplies, let
me call your attention, and hope through
you The attention Of the proper authori-
ties, to the character of clothing which
has been furnished the soldiers. The
pantalocns are made of unsponged army
gray cassinet. These who put them on
two inches too long two weeks ago, now
tind them that many inches t, o short,
and those who remembered the neat fits
worn in civilian days, and attempted the
of such customs in the army,
daily the rapid march the
lower tuck is making on the knee joint.