New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-03-28
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experience that war Is sedsOn Oh prosperity
to scoundrels II is TO some extent inevitably
30. but in our case mmcasurably and incred
bly, so. We have rascals Of all degrees aad
kinds, incapable impostors, doing no work aud
drawing full pay, god-gamblcrs, to whom PSI
triotism and loyalty are bat empty names, and
in whose eyes there is nothing but speculation
-swindlers and robbers all. Every one OF
them is practically traitor, but not one OF
them ia more meanly dishonest than the broker
/ in soldiers claims, who buys ut m excessive
discount or collects at an exorbltant charge
the debts due by the Government to It's de-
tenders
| No doubt the Government ought tO pay its
soldiers promptly and fully in cash; but then
it cannot always, or, at any rate, has not
hitherto. The delay of the Government and
the necessities of the soldier make the opp0r-
tunity of the broker. Wife and children at
home must be fed and il the Government does
no, pay, the soldier goes to the broker Tor
what money he can get The difficulty and Tie
inlauity ia that he is forced to sell his honest
\ Claims LOT Wages sulr w VIC ohvAty P"'"i 80 -"
enormous discount, which goes into the pocket
Of the purchaser, who has done nothing to earn
IT, The buying or collecting of these claims
has grown into q business which at present lie
conducted with the most systematic dishonesty
Here is case to illustrate.
A paymasters clerk recently made this propo
sition 10 n capitalist Of tins city: Lend me
twenty thousand dollars. | can make fifteen
per cent d month on that amount in this way.
\ In our Office we pay two hundred thousand
dollars month to soldiers. The funds are
not always on hand a- the pay falls due. When
they are not, can generally purchase the
soldiers Claims at Gfteen per cent discount
La order 20 do II, ! must resign my clerksh'p,
but have n brother IN the office, aud through
him can always learn when and how to ln.
vest. There is no risk of capital, the profits
are sure, and | will share them with you"
! W. have this account from the person TO
! whom the offer was made. lie Indignantly
declined il as u swindle of tho bascst kinda
propO, ton 10 cheat the Government aud de
fraud the soldier. Others, however, were less
sctupulous, aud tho clerk speedily effected sn
arrangement with firm considered rcspecta-
bic, and their joint operations are probably NJ
thi. moment in full tide Of success. Ii may
be ndded that claim brokers generally, though
NOS always part.es 10 80 scandalous transaction
As this, consider j, entirely decent and right T."
Luv .old,ers claims at a discount OF from ten
TO twenty per cent. Ii the system has grown
I'D Under the uniform delay OF Tie Goyern.
ment in providing the means to pay its debts
promptly, thon that bad habit should share
the shame which rests upon the bad men who
take advantage Of it.
Now, for this there ought to be n remedy.
The evil is national; the redress must be-
equally extensive. At least one Statr-Massa-
chuset,s-has devised plan for the regular
payment OF her own troops, by advances to the
General Government and u wel.regulated sys-
TEN of assignments for tho benefit OF the
soldiers families. But since il is too much To
expect that all the States will assume the same
charge, tho duty rests upon the National au-
thortics, and we believe that it is not im-
possible for them TO discharge it. Several
methods might be suggested, but there is at
least one that has already been tried with
entire success. 1t is simply that tho Govern
ment should take tho claim-brokerage business
into its own hands, by establishing an agency
at which the soldier should always be able TO
get his claim cashed for reasonable percentage.
There can DO no difficulty in establishing
such an agency. We are assured that there
arc houses Of the best standing in this city
who would undertake to pay out OF their own
capital all soldicrs' and saiors claims pre-
sentcd to them, charging commission OF not
more than one-hnlf of one per cent aud giving
| bonds to the Government for the faithful aud
honest performance Of their agreement. They
would ask from tho Government only the
character Of Government agents. and some sys-
tem Of reimbursement, reasonable and cOnyc.
nient. the well-known house Of Cox in Lon.
don is an agent in this way for tho English
Government, and for this moderate commission
collects aud RENTS to all parts Of tho world
fol the army md navy.
If the Government will adopt some such
plan. it will do more than benefit its soldiers;
it will immensely improve the morale of its
armies by insuring what will be equivalent
to prompt and regular payments. The want
of them is more than any or perhaps all other
causes source of discomfort and disalection.
Unpaid or i'll paid armies do not fight well.
Secure them their just demands and the Ma
tional cause will be materially and permanently