National Republican., 1884-04-17
A VIGOROUS KICK.
strong Letter From n Gentleman Who
Feels That lie Has Bcen Much Abused.

strong Letter From Gentleman Who
Feels That lie Has Been Much Abused.
The government is now engaged in ferret
ing out and collecting many old balances
that have arisen in the accounts of officers,
not few of which balances have arisen by
tho arbitrary disallowance of legitimate OK
ponses which do not come with tho cut-and-
dried red-tape methods of the accounting
officers. Tho following letter from "victim"
may be regarded ss q sample case whore the
government 6xacts its pound of flesh undor
tho arbitrary rulings Of comptrollers
and the stern letter of tho law :
/ have the honor to enclose q receipt from
John i. Beveredge. assistant treasurer Of the
United state at Chicago, ILL.,, for f35, tho samo
stating on its face that 1t is an offer in COM
promise"
This offer is made, not because the
offender" as the certificate states, considers
that he owes the United States government
that amount of money, not because he con-
sidcrs 1t a just and righteous account, but
because IL is expodient, and because, for the
individual to enter into controversy with the
king who knows no law" would be apt to
result in the samo manner that obtained in
the volunteer army--tho private individual
was tho sufferer whether right or wrong aud
event
To defend this case successfully would cost
moro than the original claim, and on the
advice OF an honest attorney put mp the
amount of money claimed rs an overpay-
mont and 21 cents more, in order that Uncle
Sam can see there is nothing small about me.
This ovorpayment, as claimed, | never
received, and while probably signed tho pay
rolls exhibited one was in blank and left in
the hands of q claim agent--and two years or
more after he received tho money no for
wardod tho papers (except my commission,
which L never received) constituting my
claim to me, giving me the husks and taking
the corn himself
The act Of congress amending my muster
to date Aug. IA, 1864, and to include Oct. ID,
| 1864, necessarily gave me the right to the
pay included between those dates, no matter
what had occurred previously. But the pay.
master in making up tho account neglected
to pay me for the responsibility of COM
pany" that amount almost equaling the
claim and again in paying mileage on an
order issued in 1866 from headquarters
military division of Mississippi, from Cairo to
Little Rock, Ark, and collected in 1877. The
pay was made up in an air line, while had to
proceed via the mouth of White river tc
Duvall's Bluffs, and thence to Little Rock
the difference coming to me is more than
the sum claimed. But, moreover, that
should be held responsible for the blundert
of q paymaster who resorted to forgery &c
cover up his deficit. do not believe in; that
while acted the honest and straightforward
officer on duty, almost within hail Of this
paymaster, yet he neglected to notify me Of
his mistake (if he made one), falsihed my
pay role; and now, after the lapse Of nearly &
score of years, suit is entered against the
volunteer soldier for the acts of an Officer
who was responsible on his bond for all tn,
Unitsd States money he handled.
IL the paymaster dead, that suit is no
commenced against him; or, in the lapse O.
time, has he become too poor to pay it; o.
must the private who entered the army II
May, 1861, and served five years be the suf
ferer2
That should have been continually or
duty as q captain from February, 1864, :,
August, 1864, under orders from Genera
Steele, commanding the department of Ar
kansas, without even one cent of pay, Il
nothing; that was my misfortune, not my
fault. But it was owing to the neglect of tn,
proper officers, and somebody should be helt
responsible.
And now. with largo family to support
having dug what little possess out Of th
ground, am forced to deprive them of tn,
absolute necesssries Of life in order that
may help fill to repletion the Golfers OF Uncl
Sans treasury, that our congress Is now doin
their utmost to squander uselessly, and tina
the paid officials may reap q fow dollars /
fees from the hard struggles of the late volun
teer soldiers who literally "saved the nl
tion." But the "ingratitude of republics /
proverbial."
The fiimsey plea that this suit must b
prosecuted to square the books is on leve
with the rest it. WereI among the deat
who have rendered up all earthly accounts
it would then be squared without "recours
tolaw;" or were poorer man in property
not having anything that could be collecte
: by duo process of law" it would then b
balanced, and Uncle Sans books would b
found correct.
, OF all the unjust matters / know or owe
heard of this surpasses them, and to crow
all, even if l had received the $34.79 /
greenbacks worth less than so cents on til
dollar, am forced to pay back in coin wort
Z double that amount.
Nor is this all. Those persons who coul
and did steal thousands and hundreds c
thousands of dollars from the United State
revenue department can compromise til
judgments obtained against them for les
/ than the costs of prosecution. But the poo
soldier must Of necessity pay to the utter
most farthing claim he never received
| Therefore, if in your wisdom and the powe
invested in you, You see fit to acknowledg
the receipt of this money in full payment o
original sum claimed and costs of suit" |
any, in case 2663, northern district Of low,
you will order 1t dismissed, and forward
me q receipt in full of all demands"
I