Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-07-20
Questions for Gov, Vance,

the -four, meal bacon sugar, molasses, Coffee RICE
candles and the like purchased by the State for the
use Of the soldiers and the hospitals were sold at
government prices to certain officers who performed
their duties in the shade; and these officers were
also allowed SO much money for room rent in their
own houses, and for forage and frewood. This
system had grown to be great evil under Govern
ors Ellis and Clark, and you received the votes Of
thousands of citizens mainly upon the ground that
you would at once sbolsh it. Soon after your in.
auguration we had interview with you on the SUBJ
ject, at your request, in presence of Gen. Fowle,
but recently appointed Adjutant General We told
you what the people expected of you on the sub
jeet, and we urged you in the most earnest terms
to abate this nuisance You agreed to do SO, and
in our presence you told Gen. Fowle it must be
done. 1t was done. But in the course of week
Or two, finding that one of your favorte staff Off
GERS had been taken by surprise by the order, and
had not laid in his due share of the articles above
mentioned at government prices, you appealed to
Gen. Fowle to lift the order temporarily so as to
enable this officer to make his purchases. Gen.
Fowle maintained his ground for some time, and if
he lifted the order at ALL as requested it was done
in such way as to have it distinctly understood
among his associates or subordinates that it was
your act and not his This, Governor, laid the
foundation of the unpleasant controversy between
the favorite staff officer referred to and Gen. Fowle
which at length terminated in the resignation Of
latter. While Gen. Fowle remained in Office the
system was not revived; but under his successor,
by your order or with your consent it has not only
been revived, but has been increased to enormous
dimensions Your shade officers, from Lieutenants
to the Adjutant General, including your Aids, are
drawing at very reduced prices not only the neces-
saries but the luxuries of life, addition to their
salaries which have been considerably raised under
Your administration. Your shade Aids who de-
vote much of their time to electioneerng for you,
are allowed money from the treasury for forage TO:
horses, and for frewood, and one Of them for room
rent in his own house-forage for horses used
for pleasure purposes and they are also allowed to
purchase these supplies for the members of their
families, while the soldiers and the people generally
allowed no such privileges. One of these shade
Aids has also had the privilege Of procuring his
English ana Yankee lu1uries through the State
Steamers With yHnr consent and many fA'"i';es -
this City, with your consent, have enjoyed simi'
lar privilege. They have their ice, their English
cheese, their sardines, their coffee, their crushed
sugar, their fine wines and brandies, and their ele
CANT clothing, obtained in this way through you,
while the soldiers and their families, and the peo-
pie generally must content themselves with dry
bread, little meat now and then, rye Coffee he'.
ring for rarity, and no coffee, no sugar, no sar-
dimes, snd no Injuries Of any kind. Luxuries in
deed When has one ip 8 thousand Of the honest,
h.rdworking people who voted for you two years
ago, enjoyed any luxury?
Governor, about two months ago, c this very
Christian City of Raleigh, an amable, worthy wo-
man, the wife of one of the laoorers on public
work, shut herself up in her house with her six
children, to die of starvationl For two or three
days lady who resides within stones throw of
her. heard low walls in that humble cottage, but
had no idea that starvation was doing its work.
| The suffering woman had expended her last cent
for meal, and being too sensitive to go upon the
streets and beg she shut herself up with her chill
dren, looking to that God for relief who fed Elijah
by his ravens, and gave water to the perishng child
of Hagar. The lady referred to visited the house,
and found that its inmates had not tasted bread for
three days. She Immediately supplied their wants
and the TACT coming to the ears Of Col. Russ, who
resides in the neighborhood, he rose from his din,
nertable, sent this starving family liberal supply,
and tasted no more food until he knew they were
relieved Governor, one of your shade Ai.s-a
man of fortune, and who has largely increased ahis
fortune during the war-resides within three ,hur-
dred yards of the cottage of this woman, aud was
no doubt that day enjoying his government icc his
crushed sugar, his Java Coffee his sardnes, and his
fine wines and brandes. The children of the peo-
pie starve while your pampered officials feast and
grow. fat in their very midst For the first time,
to influence the ELECTIONS, you are offering to sell
State meat to the starving poor. You will have no
meat to sell after the election.
One of your bought up organs, the Consreati0e,
says there is Ian for this system. Shat paper also
says that if your successor should abolish this sys
tenn, he will deserve to be impeached for so doing
Do you not know Governor that there is no law for
thisabuse' If there is law sustaining it, why did
you abolish it soon after you came into Office p
This system was first defended by your minions on
the ground that It was justified by the Army Reg.
ulations; but as soon as the Congress changed
these Regulations by law, and directed that battle
Scared Colonies, Captains, and Leutenants should
draw their rations like the privates they changed
tkeir ground, apd they now say, falsely that there
is. lao for it Governor why do you not abolish
this system sgainf 1t you were right formerly in
.stolishing it, are you not wrong now in upholding
it! Is it not sufficient to 1.-THE the people, and tax
the people, and then purchase these supplies at
government prices, without allowing your tavorites
| TO- consume these supplies which are purchased for
the soldiers families, and for the sick, and wounded
in the hospitalsa DO yeu not see IN permitting
these abuses, that you establishing pruilsged
order in this State. Do your shade Aids really