New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-11-06
MISSOURI REBEL CLAIMS.
CHARACTER OF THE SCHEME.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF THE CLAIMS
AGENTS At THE LAST SESSION OF CONGRESS.
70 me Edttor Of The Tribune.
SIR; The fac-simile Of a Missouri claim certificate
gwen IN TIE TRIBUNE on Thursday recalls to NINA
some instructive incidents in regard to the history
of these certificates. In the settlement w WIN ,ne
United States Missouri had recovered over Fo'Uo''-
600 for expenditures in equippng ana ha'h'"'"'He
loyal troops and for losses OF loyal cilAcs' anu
few claims amounting TO less than 800, ooo III an
renamed unadjusted, though on me- Duli'B tno
Winter Of 1874. the Democrats having g'in'u i',
oon,-ol ~ the Legislature bill Ito audit ana
diet the wal debt of the State was introduced
With the pretense that its only object was 10 ger
tbeee few unsettled claims ont OF the way lhe
hill nroylded that commission OF three Shoulu
examine the claims, and for such as were louh"
valid should issue certificates OF Indebtedness con-
ditioned upon the recovery of the money from tne
United States. Ii quite mystery to loyaI peo-
pie who were at the capital why such powerful
lobbv composed mainly of eX-COnicderates ana
claim agents. was so busily employed ABOUT 'u'S
spuarcptlv insignificant BILL but inquiry was met
Nth the reulv that about one hundred hoped 70 De
ed commissioners The bill was reported Oy
81, cv Con fedcrate soldier and rushed through the
Uouse easily but IN the Senate the CHAIRMAN
of the Committee on ways ana Mc"Hs'
having been a Union soldier suspected that mere
was something wrong. Delay occurred ana IN
stantlv there was a remarkable excitement I'D 'he
lobby Moved 10 investigate, by the singular inter
est shown in bill apparently so lnn0euouS' soon
learned that by those INSIDE the ring 1t was resIueu
as 1.-THE biggest job Of the session. with millions Oh
money in il - that two Of the most conspicuous lop-
bvists were certain that, if the bill passed, they
would be appointed commissioners, and i1at the
Governor himself would have certain claims to pre-
sent. The bill did pass those very persons were
oppointed as was predicted, and the Governor 'hu
pppcar among the earliest if my memory IS hot IN
fault, as attorney for claimant,
The bin was resisted enough to show its character
The Democratic Chairman of the Committee on
WAYS and Means moved an amendment colhning
the commission TO the claims already OF file; re-
iected-Yeas IL Nays 10. Then he moved tha'
the bill should apply only to such claims as were
collcctable under the existing rules OF the lhlea
States thereby excluding rebel claims; rejected
Yeas. IL; Nays, Il. Next Senator moEel an
amendment 10 guard against fraud in the manutae-
ture of bogus CLAIMS; IcieCtcd-leaS, TO- Nays w.
Tie Senate Chamber was full Of hungry and eX-
cited men: prominent eX-CO.iedcIatcS rushed over
from the House; the final vote Teacicd-leas,
%. NAYS ll-and from that time until morning
tho noise about tue hotels and Oarrooms
told the whole town how Important thc
bill seemed to those who had favored II.
Very soon little notices began TO appear III distant
country papers that persons having Claims against
the United States" might call upon a certain agent
Firms with considerable capital embarked III the
business Of hunting up evidence and securing
claims. Agents were employed. and their expenses
maid for months. in travelling all over the state
Blank forms were printed letters by the thousand
were received by officers who had commanded loyal
troops in that State asking certificates as 10 prop
erty DESTROYED or used. Nor were the schcmerS
contertcd with the purchase of rebel claims Tor
losses actually sustained. IN hundreds o eases as
AGENTS themselves have since Acknowledged, the
necessary aidavts were signed IL blank, by c"ilu-
sion with q notary, and forwarded to the capital %
be filed ont by the ring. OF course. 1t was utterly
impOssible for the commissioners to detect iHOse
frauds without demanding other proof IMAM 'haI
which the law required for the ring had voted down
protective amendments. But the commission ana not
exhaust itself with ovcr-scrupulCus inquiry Ii was
ofrer,y1rd uroyed that some Of the most gianuC
frauds were pcrpctrated with success Before the
business excited much attention, claims amounting
according to Gov. WOodson's message 10 S2,ooo-
49, 81 had been passed. and certificates IN form as
priuted bv YOU were issued and signed by Gov.
Wuolsou and Quartemastcr-GeucIal Grafton. H.
dictmcuts are now pending against CIail"h l'i
alleged participation in fraudulent issues. Presently
the business caused too much excitement, anu with
several thousand claims yet una3juStcd, the COM
mission adjourned over until after the election
Contradictory statements have been made rs to the
amount Of these certificates issued, but the whole
amount of claims fled WAS not far from =, 100000.
We shall hear from the rest If Democratic ITesi-
dent is elected.
1t would be an absurd blunder to suppose that
certain of the sharpest politicians in Missouri
worked for months first in getting the bill passed,
and then in collecting claims, without firm belief
that the certificates would ultimately De paid Men
who employed cAcclcHt legal advice, and who have
unsurpassed facilities for ascertaiuiug Democratic
temper at Washington, spent large sums OF money
IN getting l. csc claims into their hands Several
were al Washington all last Winter, consulting with
Democratic members FROM time to tiEc. The best
proof thas such claims not considered worthless
in Missouri j. that shUcwd men have bought up lie
certificates in large amount, paying III many cases
known 10 me, as much as 90 cents on the dollar for
tLem though the more common rate was from 10
10 60 cents, according to tie circumstances Of tire
holder or the magnitude OF the claim. 1t IS the
fixed belief Of a large portion Of the people Of that
State that the United States opgL to pay and, when
ever it has a Democratic Administration and Con-
grcss trH pay tor ali losses suffered during the war.
It's not necessary to say any thing If the charac-
ter Of the claimants very many claims are Wholly
fictitious and fraudulent. But nearly tie whole OF
those which are based upon actual losses are the
claims of rebels. When the scheme was exposed,
The ST. Louis I,bies the most influential Democratic
paper in the state stolty defended 1t on the ground
that loya people had already recovered for Their
losses while the other sort had not, and that, Of the
claims presented TO and passed by the commission,
most of the sufferers were those accused
of sympathy with the rebels" Tie Times