Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-12-22
RUTLAND HERALD.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1854,


we n0tlcc oy oaA cAsAoSs' "" $50
occasional opportunity Of knowing
xom private conversation, that there Is
.ome dissatisfaction and some misap-
prehension with regard to the aid which
Is granted by the state to the families of
soldiers.
An act approved Nov. Ia, 1862, con-
strues the acts OF April and November
1881 providing for the families OF SOL
diers, as follows: FIRST, the families of
commissioned officers shall not be en-
titled to the benefit Of said acts Second,
the family of no person shall be entitled
10 the benefit Of these acts until all that
Ia due such person from the state shall
have been expended, and such further
provisions shall have been made by said
person for the support of his family as
should reasonably be required of him.
Third, the family of no person shall be
entitled to the benefit of these acts after
such person has deceased, or been dis
charged or has in any way left the SER
vice provided, that in cases Of extreme
necessity, assistance may be continued
for period Of three months after such
decease or discharge.
Mr.. John Howe, Jr., OF Brandon, is the
general agent to superintend the dis
bursement of the state aid. We believe
he receives no compensation for his SER
vices. The agents In each town If they
receive any pay at all, have to look to
their own town authorities for it. A
ucircuiar to state agents" issued by
Mr. Howe, explains that the reasona-
BILE support referred TO means that the
soldier is to send money to his family,
by allotment or otherwise to such an
amount as under the circumstances he
ought to be able to. II he is not paid,
or the allotments are delayed, of course
he cannot be expected to send home
money But if he so conducts as to
make il obvious that he does not intend
to provide for his family reasonable
support, then he should be notified that
unless he performs this plain duty, all
state assistance will be withheld At
ter waiting reasonable time for him to
respond, if he fails to do so, assistance
must cease. # Ht.g
1t will be seen that the power OF the
town agents is very restricted one.
They can by no means exercise Nm un-
limited discretion in Distressing aid.
There might be gre...s many cases OF
pressing necessity which they must dis.
regard, so rsar as state aid alone is
soncerned. But where the regular pay
Ofscidiers has not been made for months,
Or their allotments have for any cause
been withheld, it is lawful for the agents
TO afford necessary aid to the families
It Ia very certain that at the present
starvation prices, and in the dead OF
winter, seven dollars q month will not
support family. 1t would not keep
them In firewood. Cases of real suffer.
ing ought by no means to be disregarded
If an improvident or hes.1Tttiiess soldie,
If there are such, sasch, should neglect his
family, their case would seem to be ha,,
enough, without being told that on that
very account they must be turned empty
away. 1t is something like fining a
drunkard for abusing his family, the
only effect of which would be to distress
the family still more, by depriving 1t to
that extent of the means of living
There can however be no real necessity
for any soldiers family suffering. Sup
posing the agents who have these cases
IN charge to be humane and conscien-
sious men, they can in conjunction with
the town authorities provide for the re.
lief of actual suffering. We all remem.
her with what emphasis it was declared
that the families of those who went tc
the war should be provided for; ane
that they should be considered not a.
paupers, but as entitled to comfortable
support in consideration Of services ren
dered.