Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-10-03

fourteenth amendment all claims growing
out OF the war. But q glance at the
amendment shows that whatever may have
been intended, the amendment does not
exclude claims of enormous magnitude.
I. provides that neither the United States
nor any State shall assume or pay any debt
''or obligation incurred in aid Of insurrec-
''tion or rebellion against the United States
''or any claim for the loss or emancipation
"of any slave" Important claims are here
debarred. and 1t Is fortunate that the
amendment became q part OF the constitu-
ton before there was a possibility OF DEM
ocratic control in Congress. But let US
see what claims, already urged, are not
thus debarred
The amendment does not exclude the
proposed refunding of the cotton tax, lev
led from 1868 to 1868. amounting to $685.
O72. 600. House bill No. 1872, which will
come up for action next winter, proposes
to refund this sum. In 80 years five per
cent. gold bonds. the principal and interest
of which will amount before payment to
$40, 900. Neither does the amendment
exclude the claim for the refunding Of the
portion paid upon the direct tax Of $20.-
600 900, which was levied in 1861. House
bill No. 3.145 proposes to refund the g.
492, 10 paid by Southern States. although
the entire assessment upon the Northern
States WAS paid Moreover. the amend
ment does not prevent the payment for
property used or occupied by the United
States during tho wsr. or taken for use OF
the army and navy. House bills No. $50
and No. 2, 1864 provide for full payment Of
these claims, whether the property taken
was owned by loyal or disloyal person,
and are so broad in their provisions that
payment could be exacted under them for
every house or field occupied. every fence
destroyed, every crop injured. every ami
NAL taken for food or use. Before the
Southern Claims Commission. loyal men
only were admitted to present their losses.
and yet their claims exceeded $50, 900 900.
It Is thought that the losses of citizens of
all classes would amount to forty times as
much. or 81. 400. 100000. Whether the
estimate is correct or not, every
one will realize that the public debt
would at least be doubled. and the
taxes to be paid by this and other gen.
CREATIONS doubled also, If the claims incud-
ed in these three classes should be paid.
In short. national bankruptcy is very near.
il those who insist upon the justice Of
these claims, and demand their payment.
can get control of the government.
Let it now be frankly admitted that In
this vast mass of claims there are some
which might justly BIZ paid. The appar-
ent justice of these viii be used as an ar
gument for passage of bills under which
thousands of claims that ought not to be
considered may be lso paid. In part be-
cause Of tho absolute impossibility of
discriminating between the few which
might and the many which should not be
paid. and in part because the attempt to
pay anything like the entire loss by des-
truction or injury Of property during the
war would result in bankruptcy, the gov
ernment has provided for the investigation
of claims Of loyal persons only by COM
mission. But how easily the dam might
be swept away! That it would not last
long II the government were controlled
by those who selected for an important
clerkship the man who named his child af-
ter the assassin of Lincoln we may readi-
Iy inter. Why should such Congress in.
sist that loyal men only should be paid for
their losses ?"