Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-08-31
DEMOCRATIC RESTORATION
Enormous Southern Claims.
Aw aiting Payment from Treasury
speech by senator shern an.


at Marietta, Ohio. He has been in
tho Senate ever since 1861 and
knows whereof he speakes. lie
says
Let as see what will be the re-
suit if their power in the House
| ia extended TO tho Senate and the
Presidential office. When the war
closed innumerahle claims against
the United States were mado from
the lately rebel States, and Congress,
in the most liberal spirit, made pro-
vision for the payment of all that by
| the well.settled rules of civilized war
could be properly made against tho
United States. The officers of the
Departments, the Supreme Court,
the Court of Claims, and the South
ern Claims Commission were author
lied to adjust and pay d fforent
classes of claims, aud Congress pass
ed many acts for equitable relief so
that it may with safety be said that
moro than $100,000,000 was paid
after the war was over to citiz ,ns OF
the South for losses caused by the
rebellion Bat this extreme liberal
| ity only gave z,st to tho presenta-
ton of claims against the United
States, that if allowed would doabls
the National debt. These claims
now endang.r our whole financial
system have here in my hanl a
list of $40 Claims now pending in the
| House OF Repre- tatives, am ounllng
to 81, 582, 1863, every one Of which 10
for injuries caused by our army in
rebel S,ae5 during The war. Here
is another bill introduced IN the Sem
ate by Mr. Mormon, of South Caro-
lima to revive the claims which ex
listed in the South prior 70 April IL,
1861, ia favor of persons "who pro
noted, encouraged, or in any man
ner sustained the late rebellion.
These include Postmasters, Custom
House off ;e-s, and other agents Of
the Government, who at thu begin
ming of the war paid over to the
Confederate States, the balance due
from them to the United States.
AT the close Of the war, when
every industry, employment, ira de,
or production of til, bval State7
was heavily tax d to moot the oaor-
nous cost of the war. Con 5r*s'
placed upon cotton q tax Of throo
cents pound. This produ ed form
1863 to 1868 the sum of $68,072 088,
and was then REPEALED. 1t was sub
stantially the only war tax paid By
the S3u.h, when tho aggrfga taxes
collected 10 the l5yal states was
100000 900 fer one year. This
cotton tax was charged by the pro-
duc3r to the consumer when the cot
ton was Sold and was scarcely felt
by tho planter who rails ID the cot
ton. And yet every year since there's
a persistent demand for the refund
ing of this cotton tax, not to the men
who paid it, but to the States 10
which it was paid ana as sure as
fate this tax will be refunded by tho
first Congress after the Democratic
party is restored TO power.
As our troops penetrated into the
South cotton, was seized on be haltof
the United States as the property of
the enemy, and much of it as the
property of the Confederate States,
and the proceeds were covered into
the Treasury. Over sci 100000 were
thus covered into the Treasury, and
of this fund the sum Of 1913, 257
has been awarded and paid by the
Court of Claims to all claimants who
had either legal or equitable title to
the cotton and the balance of this
fund is now eagerly demanded by
open rebels, but who now as leading
Democrats. may hope to reclaim
what they lost by the war | have
in my hand fifteen different bills now
pending in The Democratic House of
Representatives., to refund this COT
ton tax, and the proceeds of captur-
ed and abandoned property, and to
make easy this wholesale raid on the
Treasury Of the United States.
And fellow citizens, | have here
bills pending in that Democratic
House more wide reaching still. Here
is bill introduced by Mr.. Wiltshire of
Arkansas, now pending before the
Committee on War Claims in the
House of Representatives. The bill
provides:
That all citizens of the United States hay-
ing claims against the United States for
stores or supplies taken Or furnished during
the rebellion for the use of the army OF the
United States, including the use and loss of
vessels or boats while IN the military service
of the United States, may institute salt
against the United States for the adjustment
| and recovery of such claims in the District
Court of the United States for the district in
which such stores or supplies have been ia ken
or furnished, or such vessel or boat may have
been used or lost.
Reflect moment. All citizens of
the Uaited States, rebel as well as
loyal citizens, having claims for
stores or supplies taken or furnished
for tbs use of the army, including
the use and loss of boats, may sue
the United States and recover the
value thereof The loyrl people
must pay all the war taxes, submit
TO the loss inflicted by reoel raiders,
and then pay for all the forage
taken by our troops when
within the rebel lines, all the rails
burned, al the corn, swee. potatoes
and turkeys consumed.
Who that reflects on the supply of
an army in an enemy's country dur
ing four years. war will not shrink
from such o cIaim-a claim that
could only be paid by an acknowI-
; edgement that the war on our part
4 was unjust
But felIow-cIi'z n, to complete
our liability, I have hers another
bill iu.-odacei by Mr.. Riddle, of
Tennessee, and now pending before
the Judiciary Committee of the
House, as it contains but a single