Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-26


suffered so mnch upon The battle field and in the
destruction Of their trade should have this new
burden imposed upon them. One Of the depart
ments of the Government has interpOsed 20 pre
vent the men OF that section who have done much
for the Government from receiving their pay
Even the iaborinc man is kept out of tie m0ney
he has fairly earned. All these men. after hav
/ ing their claims postponed for months, have at
last TO accept certificates Of indebtedness-pay
/ IN fact, only in part-while the men from the
l last who have wOrke Ell for the Government have
been paid in full. The Eastern railroads were
/ paid up TO December last for the work that they
/ did for the Government, and at full prices. The
only railroads Disseminated against were those of
I the West. They were allowed only half price,
and SIX months after the service rendered they
paid in certificates which are below par.
\ There has been a discrimination against every
I thing that was Western, and We are now asked
I by the gentleman from Vermont TO have this
measure postponed, upon the speciOus pretext
that all the millions of the country must be
lavished upon this war.
Mr.. Edwards-l would ask the gentleman If
Eastern creditors have not taken these same Ger
uhcates during the same time that they were paid
TO Western railroads.
Mr.. Blair, of Mssouri-No, sir; the gentleman
Is totally mistaken.
Mr.. Edwards understand that 10 be the fact
0lF. OF hl-~Ourf-EaSfeTn creditors were
paid as long "a there was ANYTHING in the treasury
10 pay them with, but Western creditors were
postponed by the interposiron of this commission
to examine into Western claims The commits
sion interposed because there were charges of
great frauds against certain parties: and men
| against whom no such allegations were made by
anybody-the day laborers who erected the forts
teamsters, and people of that class, who had
done work tor the gOvernment--were also re-
quired to 90 before that commission and their
claims were thus postponed for six months.
Meanwhile. the Eastern creditors we're all getting
their money. although there was just as much
allegation of fraud against them against W est
ern men. Why was not commission started for
theml
NIr Edwards--I wish to say to the gentleman
that these velv certificates of Indebtedness were
recommended to this House and first issued for
the purpose of being applied to the payment of
Eastern debts.
Mr. Blair, of Missouri. After the Eastern
creditors had taken all the money that to be
got they were willing to take the certificates, but
they did not share with US as long as the money
lasted
say that the claims commission was inter
posed. and that all claims were compelled To 20
before il, whether there was any allegation of
fraud or not while there were claims paid at the
East against which there was just much ale
CATION OF fraud as against ours There were al
legations OF fraud by committees of this House
against the East just much as against the
West and there was just as much fraud commit
ted at the East at thew est. and Just n much
proved. There difference in that respect:
and yet we alone were subjected TO the interp0Si
ton of a commission, and of an examination
Nobody would have complained if only those
men who were accused of fraud had been sent
before the commission No objection wouldilave
been heard from the West if only those men had
been sent before il: but when the commission was
organized and met all claims against the Gov
eminent originating before a certain date were
sent before tand were all della, Ell for six months,
and then the parties had To take the amounts due
them IN certificates below par, when YOU have
money in your treasury, and paying il out ev-
cry day. WHY, sir, there are absolutely gentle
men from the West who advanced to the Coy
eminent gold, or what equal to gold, and who
are obliged now, after "A lapse of six months, to
10 come here and take certificates of indebted
ness.
| say we of the West have been treated like
step children by the Government, and we shall
always be treated in that way, and postponed
And now the gentleman from Vermont, Mr..
Morrill, holding the high position that he does in
this house, admitting that this is "A measure of
great Importance, that ought TO be favOrably con
sidered. says that il must be postponed under the
circumstances; alleging that the Government l.
in its death throes when it is really Victorious
and victorious, we might claim, il We were dis
posed to do so, as much by the efforts of western
men as of any other people | will not say more
| will not discriminate against the men of the
East, even though the West has been discrimi-
mated against | will not say more; but | do say
that the West has done its duty in this matter
and has given this Government the amplest sup
port ON the field. and everywhere else, and il be
comes the representatives of the people not to
treat us as step children any longer.