National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-12-02
AN EI,REGEL SCHENE FOR

Il EA-HEDEL SCHEHE FOR
PLUNDER.
About one year ago the Democratic
Legislature of Missouri authorized the ap-
Pointment of Board of Commissioners to
hear evidence and award judgment for
losses and damages sustain by the people
/. C. the eX-rebels-of that State during the
war. The board having made its report.
the Governor issued certificates tohundreds
and thousands of claimants, announcing
the amounts found to have been due to
them; but these certificates provided that
the sums set forth rs due are not payable
until after the claims have been presented
10 the United States, and the amounts al
lowed have been paid 10 the State So far
rs can be asCcrtaincd the total sum repre-
scented by these ingenious certificates is
81 Geo. Geo, and more claims remain to be
certified The Chicago Tri5une in an ar
ticlc on this subject explains that these
claims arc "fur service in the State militia.
ard losses by seizure and destruction Of
property ly the United States" Why
they were not presented before, or why
they are not now presented directly to the
United States. i exceedingly strange. I'M
less i is true that they arc Of such char
sClcras 10 insure their rejection by a COM
missiOE-thc Southern Claims Commits
sion. for cXampIc-composed of loyal
men. II this assumption is cor
rect. and VIC cannot doubt thunder the
circumstances, VIC are forced to the belief
that the Missouri Democrats have taken
The lead Of their Southern brethren in the
effort 10 saddle upon the Government the
Indebtedness of the Southern COnfcdcracy.
The proposition IS that the State shall
give TO these claims seeming validity, by
certifying to their correctness and present
ing them in the name of the State for pay
mcnt by the United States The st. Louis
i;Gn-DcmoCrtic-is authority for
the statement that there is a plan on foot
10 have thc present Democratic Legislature
iav the certificates at once AID then pre-
sent The bill to the United States. This
would prevent al future investigation into
the character of the claims. and. as the
Chicago TTjjuac justly says, make the
issue simply one Of demand bv the
=. State 10 he refunded for money cX-
pended.
There is no idle dream in this scheme.
I, is the beginning of an effort. the scope
of which We have frequently explained
It is the first step in the direction to which
the tendency Of the Dcmocrat party
points and We will soon find that Arkan-
sas, Louisiana, Georgia, and in short all the
Southern States, as soon as they may be-
cone Democratic will place themselves in
line. in full support of the measure. We
know that the State Of Missouri, outside of
the city of St. Louis, was intensely rebel,
and that the cost Of retaining the State in
the Union was one Of the most Oncrous eX-
g,cnses of the war. The rebellion of the
Stale authorities at the beginning of that
unhappy contest made it necessary that n
large armed force should be sent into the
interior, and the presence Of large armies
was thereafter required until the collapse
Of the COnfedcracy. OF course loyal men
were prosecuted and driven from their
homes whenever the shifting fortunes of
war brought them within the Confederate
lines, and of course, both parties suffered;
but the laws now in force provide for the
remuneration Of all losses based upon legal
and valid claims. The Democrats of Mis-
souri, have made their demand We will
hear from Georgia before long.