Ellsworth American., 1871-02-09
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY Oh, 1871
The Paper Credit Scandal.

the tFNuie udH. the hall apologitecal
or sorry attempts of other journals TO say
som thing smart or sharp. without mean-
ing any thing. while others for fear of being
thought indifferent TO the future success of
the Party have pitched into the sin and the
sinners without much thought. only TO
clear their skirts of what they supposed
public duty.
The Star discusses the question indie
pendently. sensibly. and evidently with as
Keen sense Of the unpatrictic action Of
the paper credit men as any journal that
has discussed the matter. We sat down
to write our views but they are SO much
better expressed by the-.Star that we ap-
pend its article.
TIE PAPER CREDIT SCANDAL.
The State of Maine has paid between five
and six thousand dollars. first an last. 10
find out about the ALLEGED enlistment
fraud-. and the result is so nearly what
Was expected that nobody has really been
surprised. Various lists Of paper men were
allowed to be credited 10 Maine through
carel''SS or wicked regulation of the Prov
ost Marshal General. and different parties.
seeing al opportunity TO make money out
% II. proceededto do so. \ great number
of towns. through the deliberate aciion of
Their municipal officers. becam, parties To
tins irregular but very convenient proceed
ing IN clear themsel,e e. from the draft. a.
the evidence before the late commits sion
plainly shows. This i the whole case very
briefly stated. 1t Na> a season of easy vir-
tue aud a dehauched public sentiment. All
men were in the habit of stretching "A
point. first to save themselves and next
10 make something ont of the anomalou.
condition of things, and what would be
called almost. if no; quite a crime in peace
tul times. passed for a smart and even laud-
able undertaking then. Selectmen who
never told a lie in all their live-. now came
eI>iiy io the point Of certifying" the re.-
dencc> of meh they never heard of befor.
.Nnd 80 with ho-i of others who were how
rrIns about the verge OF a distressing and
olt-nfiW.- very doubtful contest
80 inlch l. nece>s try 10 he remembered
when this whole bu>iaes> i to be fairly and
inie!ligcutly considered. and the DISPOSE
tion of the remaining questions now before
Legislature and the people ought 10
Aiage soncwha, upon thi, general feature
OF the case. II is proposed TO print all the
te,'imo ~ taken. documents and all. we
suppose. and npol thi- has arisen a discus
sion that has taken a pretty wide scope
All the newspapers in the state have had a
shy at somebody who has ben supposed
% be mixed up with the business and
strange ~ Il may seem nothing vet i al
leged To be satisfactory or allowed TO set
tie. nota taIth>tandiug this exhaustive. pro-
longed and expensive inquiry. There are
those who still cry ont wildly for ven
,,noi.b,,,.,,f ,h., -, T. i,.,,,,tt =
measured. while one iournal i r,,f.a,,lI,
har,n.,. M, hInnh +. I5L,J,. - ;n,h,,.. -,
sltars ''''
w. ,x,. s,,b-,,;, s,-,.,,,.. ~, :. 49,. -.
,h.,, !. ma. ,.,,,i =
s,,e tbi. .,h;,..t .,,, t,r,h h,.
,ircn a,i,,, It,,. ,rr,.ar ms. ~ ,al.i',.r,,,,.
r., 80 nf ~. Ia, ..x,,,,i,,,,i.,,' y:
-. ,'...a..d .,-i.t' 80
- -. N. .l;,..t.. - " ~
- ,,,'1,.I ti.' ~, De
-, - 80, ~ ~ ,. li'is III,
.r.,,;-.,'.', - ,'.o,ar,II;. >oa' - VI
,Is e1tI OF nlguIyasn ,isr,,1,-,,1,.,. "a rsn,,.
in, tayarI. uunearament a. v-,s nne. .x-
ptrtrI in some Quarters. ha. d.oenera.ed
sitn ak iu., a loo.. and GENERAL .c,ud.l
w.,i.ti f11r. awar the ton,. anI ch,r,cr,.r
tha, OH sht 10 beioa. TO an Off .iaI ION.
More thau this: il i plain that thase fraiid.
did no. come OF any general habit or com
ditioo of our Sac rran.artinus rb.v
were not in the line. luY 1f.Dx 2 and
brlnlred 10 no system for winch the -r.t.
WIS rr.ponsib.e e or evel n,.ces.arily corni-
zaat OF. rne wh Die case was entirety ,.x-
cen.inn1l 4. were a tbouSa al rbinr. .l-,.
that calu4 of the war and It's ,tran,,e com
DIic.sto T.. Ifthr.,s irr.. st,lar Transactions
hal he. rh.. q tgroytb hf onr own noIi,,.
or mad aiT.c.e ed ch. roserune AZ of The sia,,.
Ia. in,,.i ,t,,-,-i, +, a1y- t.,v ,. h,.h,nob;',1
any Old system. the inquiry could not b,.
mashed H., Jar. and IN. f.,firn nv hetor,.
iti> ro.u.n;.,iDl Should h. nlac.-d ! .,.,.,.,.
hoI..b,I Bat no su.1 innnr. \ ,c,. ,..,I,
b. ,-tl.l,.l 10 II. a.f.,-, fha c1,rac,,.-
,f ,fn,c,un,,itr rhro,I IN an, n.-nnJ,,.,l
matns .td i .i.unly a ,d o1iv IN In,-,i,,
a,Iu,,.l>alt ,,,..lDo a n,ir,.lv n.r.nn-
M Ic,s. ,c..r. Tine : a q ha.to do ,xirb th,.
rri me- Of il. servants. i'm, II ha. noilin.,
- a, ri a th.. sin. of iudivi,I,t.IS iI.r,.
i dt.fiu.tion .n broad ma. IL sho,ld a.
he n.4ri,,sed. If there w,.r,. wrn,,.,. T.,
nt,.fj IN yri,yanc,., To cnrr-cf ar an
,I,ingr,, h.. ,,..ninnli.n,.J i, ,hs ,,.,,1..
m. Cogrram..it. the au,., ia a wo,,Id M. H..
otn.I fo controversy: bur the ca.,. w.,.
unf thi. uh,.,. whe rb,. Il lii. ~.
n1bIi.b n whicl. i.,l....d c,nnri.,.J Al.
i,,...,vs.to n r., ,u,ii.h ,iv,i huudr'.J
,,l s.. ar m,r.. nfre.tin,n.,v vi n ,or :, -
hi NJ ii ii for,.,. 10 = hns.,.l al ch,.f .,nJ
yhi.h ,.Iar-,l by ti,. ,.o,pu,;. i'm, ~ ~.
sum mol up in tht. verdict. and which YER
di.- must and A. the ,ly one possible 10
ii al se.n.fo n. unc,,ll.-,l for .i,i ,ui.,.hi,.,-
ON. ~. snnw uuir,. we'll thar sncI, !, ,,,,-
simon a IN MOI ia. endorsed by a majority ot
,h.. nepole wh Are noN na>.iu,r lY,n,, rb,.
case. and We expect that thi, Legislature
Will authorize tiIe printing and the circula-
tint of a4imnell>e BOOK 10 be put into rhe
ha,il, of hungry gossip. several month.
hrlcr. aId that scores aud hundred, of
meI. wJm-l a ID children viii fiud employ
fu..t and ze>t TN reading wha, soui, men
kneN about recruiting. but it does not alter
oar oplIi1n ABOUT the fitness of such a pro-
c.edlls. lti- nor Information OF a charac-
ter thai calls for fur her action of the State
aud there i. nothing hint.d at which can
possibly do anybod, good II il were spread
abroad ever 80 far. As well may the state
pursue individuals for any other supposed
or proved siniuiness. There is no differ
ence.
Hs-r mo-. a.l for an inv fsva.t ,,,-ls ~,