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In the City however, there is congregated a large class of people, whose time and attention seems to be taken up by politics. I do not know how these people earn their living, they are not disposed to go into the country to work, and in fact are advised not to, by a class of men who expect to get their votes in the coming elections, in that way much injury is done - there is a crowd of women around my office every day begging for rations, they have large families, and there is no work here for them. I am issuing about 300 rations to this Class of women and a few old men, who are unable to work, it is impossible to get these people to leave town, and in fact few people care to hire a woman with three or four children. The County is too poor to do anything for the paupers, and they must either be fed by the Bureau or starve. There are 16 schools in the City and County accommodating about 1200 scholars - the children are much interested and improving rapidly. Justice is impartially administered by the civil authorities of this County, the principal complaints of the colored-people are, in not getting pay for their labor. There is much improvement in the marriage relations among the freedpeople, there being a number of very intelligent colored ministers who have acted with the Bureau in explaining to them the necessity of reform on that subject. The colored voters in this County
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