The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1872-01-02
ARM GOLD MI ME-
III ts GSCated in JegFersOnVi!Ie--
seoST the Government Sales are
Made 60 5sGa Ont.

Correspondence Of the \. Y. Sum
JEFFERsoSvILLE, lND Dee 5.-Uaye
YOU ever noticed the sales here and in
st Louis of condemned army supplies :?
Millions Of dollars worth Of stockings,
bOots, blankets, and other things, are
thus from time to Zine disposed OF. How
many millions here, how msny millions
lin St. Louis, and how maay millions at
other places, nobody knows II anV
troublesome reporter wishes to find out
the facts and figures, he will soon ne
told that army officers are under orders,
and that the public has no right to know
ANYTHING about the transactions of the
army department The inquirer must
so to the heal Of the army. We see
announcements of immense sales, and
that is all that the publc knows about
it,
That your readers may understand
the business, let me state that army
blankets are wrctched dog hair things
that are unfit for anything but recepta-
ces for leas, and that while our Govern
ment charges tha poor soldier seven dol
lars pair for them, there can be bought
at any good dry goods store blankets
every way superior for four dollars per
pair. I do not suppose that the Govern
ment sppculstes in the articles that it
furnishes to its soldiers; and il it does
not, then it pays seven dollars pair for
the wretchsd blankets that it supplies to
the poorly paid soldiers Of the regular
army. The same is true Of the stock
ings, boots, and everything that the sol
der is compelled to buy from the Gov
ernment IN every csse twice ss much
is charged for en- inferior article as would
buy good substantial one from ordi1s-
~ dealers.
This is pretty bad, bat it is not the
worst thing in connection with army
supplies. II YOU visit the army store.
houses, You will see long rows Of big
boxes, which in hundreds are filed with
stockings, boots, and blsnkets.snd other
things that are supplied to soldiers nThe
boxes sre nailed up and piled in rows.
From tine to time the goods in row of
theee boxes are condemned There is
no condemnation of individual articles,
but Of the mass Then the goods thus
condemned sre sold for s,nost nothing.
Blankets that arc the same in quality as
those for which the Government has
hosn charging the poor soldiers seven
dollars = pair for are sold for twenty
eight or thirty cents pair. Ths per-
sous who buy them DO not snpsck or
offer them at private sale. Not at all. :
They keep them boxed up,and turn them
in to fll another contrsct with the Gov
ernment, which then buys back the same
blankets at six or seven dollars pair
1t is the same with other articles. The
same goods NAV be thus sold as con-
demRed and bought back by the Gov
lernmert under contract hsIf dozen
times. Every time they are sold for n
trile and bought back at exorbitant
rates.
All this being done under military or
ders, nobody outside the srmy depart.
ment has any business to make any in
ouiries sbout it. No one is ever brought
into trouble for having accepted under
costrscts goods only fit for condemns
ton. No one is ever blamed for neg
lect in permitting goods to become dam
aged. do not think thSt it is alleged
in any case.
The fact is, the condemned supplies
are just as good rs when they hsve been
once, twice, OR half dozen times previ-
ously accepted under contracts. No
mark i. ever put on the srticlestto show
that they have been condemned, and il
is said that immense profit, may be
made by buying them Of the Govern
ment and thcn dling contracts with them
again.