The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1866-01-11

IdpluIS ds IOsSioiS, Win ItO va
itself, and Of coming Immediately
and severely down to a peace cs-
tablishment, before such officers
and expenditures shall become
chronic through mere continuance.
| notified all these agencies to pre-.
pare for an early close Of their
duties, and some of them / specially
required to do so by the frs: OF
January. But it now chances that
the Sanitary Commission, whose
officers have been doing among
other kindnesses TO the soldiers, an
excellent service, in cratuitously
collecting the claims, has dotorm-
ined to closeout all their business.
This misfortune (for such il is) has
thrown an increased business OF
this sort upon our State agents ;
and in several OF them their duties
of this kind are greatly increased
instead Of being diminished, as We
anticipated. The soldicrs-just at
home, in debt, and, many Of them
unpaid and desperate in their feel
ings, as in their fnances-arc
thrown into their traps and under
the devices Of a set Of sharpers
and swindlers, the likes and equals
of whom were perhaps never seen
upon the earth before; God grant
they never may again. | mean
the claim agents Of the chef cities
of rendezvous. | know very well
how unjust and imprudent, as a
general truth, is all broad dcnun-
citation Of whole classes. And /
know, and take pleasure in stating,
that there are many very hOnora-
Bile exceptions to this character
among this profession of brokers',
These exceptions are all the more
honorable that they are honest and
sympathetic with the soldier, in
spite Of and against the opportuni-
ties and temptations which they
have to eXtort from the necessities
and despair Of these noble patriots.
And besides this, they arc in re-
volt against the interests and bad
esprit du corps Of their own class.
Beyond a doubt, an honest and ten
der-hearted claim-agent must he a
more honest and tendcr-heartcd
man than one in another business.
Nor need we be surprised or dis
.couraged at these developments of
evil habits and characters by this
huge war. We have the best au-
thority, that where the carcass is
there the vultures will gather; and
where or when before were there
ever so many or 50 great carcasscs
of lucre to bring out the already
bad or to tempt into badness the
good around them, as arc now and
here.
Meantime, unless Congress or
the States do something for ourun-
fortunate volunteers, their fatcs IN
der the influence and control Of
these private claim agents, are
plain enough. Congress, whose
sole business it is, seems to be oc-
cupied with what it may consider
more important and grandcr
schemes of usefulness to the world,
if not to their country. This makes
it necessary for Ohio, even under
the unjust weight of her other
loads Of taxes, borne for the gen
eral or national welfare, to see that
some plan is devised and put
promptly into execution to remedy
these evils.
1t is not to be denied, however,
that it by no means follows
that our soldiers have not been
and may not be largely deirauIed
and robbed by other than private
agents; on the contrary, there is
much evidenceto warrant the fear
and shame, thatin many cases most
ingenious and covert systems Of
robbery have been practiced by
public officers Of the general, and
perhaps State governments. II,
therefore, any legislative action
shall follow this recommendation.
great care and wisdom ought to be
used to prevent our own agents
from committing these frauds,
they are called into power to pre-.
vent.
The report Of the Quartermaster
General embraces a succirct ac,
count of the operations OF the mil.
itary agencies during the past year
We SHOULD THINK SO.-The Gin
r. 4 q