North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1867-05-22
WHY THERE I'D NO MONEY TO PAY
BOUNTIEs AND PENSIONS.
9orney' Press has the following /:

to soldiers and their heirs, until some ap-
preparation for that purpose is made by
Congress, the funds already appropriated
being exhausted. AS Congress will not
in all probability meet again until Decem-
Der, the soldiers and their families must
make up their minds to bear some further
delay"
This is the direct result of the reck-
less expenditures authorized by the Radio,
ais in the Rump Congress. Hundreds of
thousands of dollars were squandered with
in the past year for the mere purpose of
making political capital for the Radical
party, and to satisfy the Unsuitable appe-
tites of its leaders for plunder. About
five thousand dollars were taken from the
Federal Treasury to pay the extra "com-
pensation" to the members of Rump No.
l. Several million dollars were taken to
pay the twenty per cent. additional CON-
pensation authorized to department clerks
About forty;fve thousand dollars were
distributed to the worthless negroes in
Washington City, in addition to the regu-
lar support of the Negro Bureau. Hun
dreds of Thousands of dollars were wasted
in carrying on the New Orleans negro ri
OF investigation and sowing the country
broadcast with a voluminous and costly
report of Testimony" An equally heavy
sum has disappeared In Asbley's
insane political project of impeachment.
Millions have gone into the pockets of po-
litical favorites through a most corrupt
system of private legislation. Five hum
dred thousand dollars were set aside to
commence the execution of the satrap bills,
but, during the first two months, over
twenty-four million dollars were expended
by the War Department, and the end of
the year will bring the bills up to at least
one hundred and forty millions !
These are some of the channels through
which the income of the Government has
gone out leaving nothing with which to
pay the soldiers bounties and pensions.
But the whole trouble does consist in the
enlargement of the channels of expendi-
ture. The channels of income have been
clogged and closed up. The exemption
list was enlarged, by which less revenue
is derived from incomes. Then, the inau-
guration ola despotic and destructive
policy of government for the Southern
States has retarded the material prosperi-
ty of ten great States, and kept out of the
Federal Treasury millions of dollars which
should have gone into it during the past year
and will canse the loss Of hundreds of million
which, under an enlightened policy, should
be realized during the ensuing year. Dis
franchisement is paralyzing the hands Of
hundreds of thousands of Southern men
who are willing and anxious to engage in
planting and other industrial pursuits
Outlawed and made politically powerless
to protect themselves or their. property,
| they can feel no interest in the welfare of
the Government. Under the negro Rad
ical despotisms now in process of forma-
ton they will have no rights which ne
gro will be bound to respect. To add to
these disabilities and misfortunes, "mild
confiscation" Is threatened by one branch
of the Radical leadership and rigorous
and universal confscation'' by another
branch, so there is nothing left for the
rightful owners of the soil and latent
wealth of those States to do but to await
in silence and apathy the last blow which
is TO make them beggars as well as out.
| laws.
This course of the Radical leaders to-
wacds the Southern people has not only
| prevented the flow Of revenue from the
Southern States but has largely cut down
the income from the Northern States. At
this time-two years after the final
close of the war-every Northern factory
and workshop should be busy, emplo, ing
every willing pair of ands to be hired, il
turning out machinery and fabrics for
Southern consumption. But such is not
the state of affairs. The people of the
outlawed States, crushed and threatened
as they are, have no need of farming i'm
plements or machinery; consequently
thousands of Northern work people are
idle and less revenue goes from the North
ern States into the Federal Treasury
Hence, with these drawbacks and the
reckless and infamous squauderings of the
Rump Congress, there is no money to pay
soldiers bounties and pensions, and "the
soldiers and their families must make up
their minds to bear some further delay"
Had the Constitution been taken as a
governing principle by the Radical lead
ers, there would be no necessity for delay.
The Union was restored by the Federal
soldiers when the last rebel army laid
down its arms, and from that time forth
the Southern States were entitled to rep
resentation and share in their own gov
ernmcnt, through men of good character
for truth, honesty and patriotism. The
Constitution grants authority to Congress
to determine the selections and qualifca-
tions of its members" and in that grant
the Government possessed every safeguard
against renewal of secession in high
places. The resort to the unauthorized
and destructive plan of reducing States to
territorial condition, as a punishment
for individual crimes, has resulted as dis
sstrously, as was to be expected from a
Il