The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-08-09
GOVERNMENT CHARITIES Is TIT
SOUTH.

Onlcial Report OF Gen. Fisk.
The following report has been forward
edto Washington;
i, b, "WAR DEPARTMENT., BUREAU
REFUGEES, FREEDNrEN AND ADAM
pONEp LANDS, DISTRICT KENTUC-
KY, TRSNESsEE AND NORTHERN
NAsmvInLR, Tenn, July3l, 1885.
"Goneral: have the honor, through
YOU. to call the attention Of the govern
.nsnt to what appears tome to be u
,greAt aud. Inereasingeyil, and TO ear
ncstly recommend that prompt md en-
erp6tIc action be taken. Irefer to the
large issues all through the southern
states ofrations to the masses In certain
districts, without proper evidence Of
destitutlon and worthiness. i have
made careful inquiry into this worry ini-
pOrthnt subject, aud have personally
Investigated u largo number of cases. |
nm quite sure that the government Is
being immensely Swindled by many OF
the recipients OF its bounty, and ut the
same time Is, TO an alarming extent,
fostering institutions for the promotion
ofidleness, vagrancy, pauperism and
crime. IL.
q radical reform IN tho method Of
tIistrfhutfOug Should speedily be inaug-
ufnted, The cost to the government of
the subsistence issued Is no small item.
The evil resulting nom the injndicio
XII IA. 49, - No s,eutn 1uNunf ba 90,
timated. All persons who have had
much experience In the distribution Of
charities, especially In large cities, tinir
iormly testify that the most clamorous
for relief are generally the least cnti-
tied to 1t. Patient, faithful investiga-
tiJn should always, If possible, precede
the ministratIon Of relief. My person.
al investigation Of hundreds, 0fsRppli-
cations for relief within my district hns
resulted IN Justly Withdrawing the gov
eminent support from very large ma
iorlty thereof. .A-large number have
been to county, municipal and town
authorities. Another and larger class
still, were in nowise entitled to or wor-
thy Of relief, The nation ought, not to
be running the poor houses! of the
Southern States. What there Is down
there or cotton, bacon and corn, should
bemade 10 support the inhabitants of
ali classes and colors. Subsistence
ought not to be issued to applicants,
exceDt llpOn the best of evidence that
the applicant is actually destitute and
worthy, aud that no town, city,
county or State has the ability
to afford relief. It should be
made a difficult, rather than an easy
thing to obtain subsistence from the
government. Nearly every family in
some SECTIONS of Georgia and Alabama,
regardless Of Its ability, is drawing Ia-
tons from the government, and claims
It rs u right; and also too many think
1t no wrong TO resort 70 any mean
trick 10 more than duplicate the
quantity they would be entitled to II
found worthy. l will give you an in
stance of many that has come to my
knowledge. Three of the first families
Of Tennessee, following the fortunes Of
tho COnfederacy, bad taken up their
residence in Alabama, far from the
scenes ofStrife, waiting thgRttainmcnt
oftheir rights in the territories They
all Ind money-one of them was form
iefly q banker, and carried with, him
large deposits OF coin. When the end
came, and we commenced Feeding
instead Of fighting our misguided
brethren, the three worthy heads Of
this Joint family learned Of the ration
movement, and Immediately posted of
Ia, the nearest military post for their
shnFe, and each one drew for the whole
number in the three families. Thus
for five days seventeen persons received
two hundred and iltty-tlvB ratieHs, in
stead of eightyItive. have reported
this case 10 the proper authorities for
Investigation, and trust that the rascals
will be punished.
"The number actually destitute and
worthy will be large, and they must be
cared tor-but each town, city, county,
and State, should, Hs fur as possible,
provide for Its own poor. We have the
widows and orphans Of our brave men,
whose lives have gone out for liberty
and Union, TO provide for. Iltirm and
deCrepit colored citizens lean upon the
government for their daily bread.
These are of one household, and we
must not be made liable to the charge
Of lnfdelity by not providing for them.
But the great mass of the whites wRe
arC now receiving their daily subsist-
Ance from the Government will make
no effort TO become self-suppOrting
ylhtle u too-generous country deals out
~ hem Ia stores without money or
Rtlco.NI trust may be pardOned for
no eagtes tness with which press this
llnpQrtAI hject upon the attention Of
the gov fnmelt, Justice to the honest,
loynl lFptyeF Of the country demands
NnN !. "A