The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-28
THE DELAY ADMITTED TO Be UNNECES-
SARY,

OhnIt
| The troops of the Second regiment
have to thank this paper that, after a
long and inexcusable delay, they Were
! finally paid off last Saturday.
For weeks everybody who knew the
sore need of the volunteers had been
trying to get the ear of the authorities
and get them to pay off the soldiers. The
good women in Raleigh, in these hot
June days, bent over their machines la
bering to supply soldiers with a change
Of underwear Troops had been ordered
into camp upon short notice and nOti-
fed that clothes would be furnished.
Some of them actually suffered for clean
clothes. others could not march for want
o. shoes, and many were ashamed for
their friends to see them because they
had not change of clothing. One lib
eral and patriotic gentleman, seeing the
sore straits to which the men were re-
duced, started to advance the money
when he was stopped by official regula-
tions.
All this was known by every State
officer and ought to have been known
to every member of Congress. An Off
Ger of the Second regiment made a spe-
cial trip to Washington in the vain en-
deavor to secure clothes, supplies and
equipment. He came back in double
quick time, accomplishing nothing and
telling nobody about his reception. 1t
is said, however that he was either told
or given to understand that his place
was with his troops and not at Wash
ington.
Things dragged along, the incOnven-
fence growing into suffering, and the
State and Federal authorities were as
deaf to appeals as if they had been
made of stone. The time rolled around
when the negro volunteers wanted
money. Jim Young requested the pay
master to send man down to pay them
of, having doubtless obtained letter
or an endorsement from Senator Pritch-
ard. The negro troops were paid ut once.
When Jim Young wired this good
news to this paper, we congratulated
him and expressed the regret that there
was no white Republican politician
having the ear of the administration,
who had enough interest to do for white
troops what Jim Young had secured for
ne troops of his own race. We take it
that it was this paragraph that stimu-
lated Senator Pritchard to take the ac-
ton that resulted in the visit of the pay
master last Saturday.
Senator Pritchard virtually admits
that the delay in paying the white troops
was unnecessary, for he says that when
the attention of the Paymaster General
was called to the matter she imme-
dlately ordered paymaster to proceed
to Raleigh to pay them" For which, let
the soldiers thank this paper and Send-
tor Pritchard. If Senator Pritchard
could get the paymaster to send ''imme-
diately' when criticism was called to
his attention, it is Il shame that the vol
unteers were compelled to suffer all those
weeks without their pay. If the Gov
ernor of the State, whose duty it was
to know the condition of the soldiers
had been less busy sending lawyers TO
Washington to secure military appoint
ments for incompetent negro politicians,
he might have enlisted Senator Pritch-
ards help weeks ago and secured the
payment of the white troops at the right
time.
The truth is that politics has controlled
the North Carolina military affairs, and
the Republican politicians have been so
busy in Washington taking care of fell
lows who threatened trouble, that the
suffering of the white troops was disre-
garded.
AS to the color question: Jim Young
told people in Raleigh that he went TO
Washington and in an hour and half
secured full equipment for his battalion,
including uniforms, guns and thirty
days rations, and promise, which has
been fulfilled, that his troops would be
Immediately paid off. The white folks
could get nothing or any attention until
this favoritism was exposed.
The Atlanta Constitution says that the
banks in Georgia will sell revenue
stamps to go on checks. They are al