The Republican journal., 1869-12-30
PAPER CREDIT" FRAUDS.

PAPER CREDIT" FRAUDS.
The New York Tribune has the following
Geographic dispatch from Portland
':The Maine War Debt Assumption Commission
at Augusta have found that more than half mil
lion dollars were paid by towns for paper credits
i'll lieu of actual men to put into the army in the
year 1864. Besides many hundreds of Naval
Credits at one time 800 Marine Corps credits
were sent to Augusta, and without a color of law
or proprety, were sold to town agents for from
S30O.to 5000 apiece, in many instances the town Of
tcers becoming party to the swnde, and pocket
ing portion of the spoilS. 1t is needless to say
that not soldier added to the army by
this method of filling quotas Little would have
been known about this but for the legislation which
gave towns 500 State reimbursement for every
three years man. OF course. Reimbursement
could only be for real men, and hence many towns
have brought suit against the brokers who filled
their quotas.'
We have heard much of these alleged spa
per credit frauds since the winter of 1865
when the business Of filling quotas with ''pa-
per" men was stopped by an amendment to
that a soldier should actually enter the ser
vice in order to authorize the payment OF
bounty by any town. The legislature has
made one or two abortive attempts to inves-
tigate the matter, but to this day the public
are almost entirely in the dark, notwithstand-
ing we have had several explanations from
parties supposed to know something about
it. We never could see by what honest
means a half million of dollars were taken
from towns in this State, and pocketed by
somebody-we know not whom-for credits
on their quotas when not single man was
seen by anybody, and when not a single sol
der was added to the army We rejoice to
learn that the Assumption Committee have
brought out some of the facts and we trust
that the Legislature, soon to assemble, will
make the most of them, and give the public
more light. Lewiston Journal.
We are glad to see this awakening among
the Republican papers. 1t has wholesome
look And it should be continued until the
public get some light on the matter Give
us the truth, let it cut where it will. The
Lewiston Journal well states the matter,
when it says that half a million of dollars
were pocketed, and not man went into the
service for it.
The transaction was A RANK UNMITI-
GATED SWINDLE. THE PEOPLE
OUGHT TO HAVE THE FACTS, AND
THE STATE OUGHT TO HAVE THE
MONEY OF WHICH 1T HAS BEEN ROB
BED.
Edwin NJ Stanton is dead. Ordinarily a
mans faults are buried with him. The grave
is not commonly a place for reproach But
when the evil that man has done is so con-
spicuous that it lives long after him, and so
objectionable that its mention swells the
heart with wrath, and Pushes the check with
shame for humanity-when he has made q
nation to endure the blot of dishonor on its
it is fitting that he should be
spoken of as he is.
He came into possession Of the war de-
partment when the position was even greater
for good or for evil than that of President.
The laws of peace and order where trodden
out. Even the small remnant of them that
might have held their mild sway were brush
ed aside. Surrounded by muskets and bayo-
nets, to terrify and appal, he enacted the ty-
fanny of a coward. Cold, imperous, harsh
md cruel, he sought to inspire but one feel
ng-that of abect fear There is nowhere
he record or recollection Of one kindly act,
u thought or deed that sprung from him.
[mplored to allow the exchange of the boys
n blue who We're dying in Southern prisons,
MS reply was Il brutal jest. Northern forts
were crowded with his victims, dying from
anguish Of mind and dungeon pestilcnce.-
The whole land is sown broadcast with the
graves of his victims.
His Bureau of Military JUSTICE was an
outrage on all forms Of law, equity, justice
md reason. Its proceedings were worse
han tyranny. 1t reversed all the traditions
If law and rules Of evidence. His victims,
hooded and tortured. marched
rom dungeons to certain doom. The courts
martial, for trial Of civilians, were organized
o convict, and never failed, Old men, boys,
met the same fate, when once
accused.
His associates and accomplices say that he
lied of & excessive labors during the war"
Strong men do not die it that way. Intel
ectual activity gives them new vigor. Ed
win NJ Stanton died of mental retrospection
of looking back on the past The ghostly
leads of his victims rose at his banquet-ta-
de, and gibbered at him in his sleep. From
| strong, resolutc man, he pined away to a
nervous invalid. And at last, when nominal
ed and confirmed to a judgeship of the
United States Court, he died before his COM
mission could be written.
Vengeance is mine, | will repay, saith
he Lord.''
The New York Tribune says the Bay of
SANTANA might have been leased for $4,000
Der year as easily rs for the S150,O00 which
vas agreed upon. This is a very pretty sum
wasted. Who is to blame for it Why does
lot the Tribune pursue the subject and give
Is the whole story? Here is a pretty plum
-, nj hale