The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-11-09
THEREPUBLICAN PARTY AND
SOUTHERN CLAIMS.
The U. 8. Treasury Plundered and
the People Defrauded.

fNufNhNVh AALDhNt III hio numH""'~
letter on Rebel Debt" also declares a
certain class of claims are. suspected and
will be watched by him. s
The party in power has been plunder-
ing the Treasury of millions-paying al
lowed Southern Claims. The following
is the history. ...
In March, 1871 a Republican Congress
injected into the Army Appropriation
bill five sections authorizing the Presi'
dent to appoint three men as commits.
soners to receive, examine, consider and
report to Congress such claims rs may be
presented to them for stores or supplies
taken in insurrectionary S ates by the
army for its use during the rebellion. In
considering these claims, these three
commissioners were to take evidence
and be satisfied of (l) the loyalty of the
claimant before and at the time of TAX
ing; ~ the time and place of taking,
and (3) the value of the things taken.
Two of these commissioners were made
a quorum; the powers of the commits.
sion ceased absolutely in two years and
all claims within the act, not presented
within the two years, were forever barred
unless Congress interyened. The COM
mission was required to report at the
opening of each session of Congress. But
in 1873, the commission was by Congress
continued in force till March, 1877, al
though no claim could be presented. after
March, 1873.
1t will be seen that tremendous pow
er is in the hands of this Republican
commission. II can make or unmake
loyalty at will. The ipSe dirh of two men
on this commission has practically, here.
tofore, disposed of that question, and till
the advent of the last Democratic house.
Up to 1873 there had been 22,299 claims
presented, and, In November, 1874, 364O
claims, for 81, ,565, ,49l 92, had been allow
ed, and 4,02l claims, for Sl2.9Ol 800 o6,
disallowed. The last Congress approprl-
ated, in August, nearly the same large
additional sum, Mr.. Blaine says, for
claims reported. The commission can
adiudicate and report till next March,
when appropriations for the final awards
will come under Governor Tilden's in
speCtion. .
That the Treasury is being.plundered
through this Southern Claims Commis-
sion, and even through the Court of
Claims, President. Grant. testifes in his
last annual message:
II will suggest, or mention, ,another subject
bearing upon the problem OF how to enable the
Secretary of the Treasury to accumulate balan-
ces" 1t is to devise some better method of verl.
flying claims against the Government than al
present ertsts through the Court of Claims espe-
CtdAy those claims growing Out Of The Idte lUdr.
Nothing is more certain than very large per-
centage of the amounts passed and paid are either
lphoAy fraudulent or are far in excess of the real
losses sustained, The large amount of losses
proven-On good testimony, according to existing
laws by afidavits or fictitious or interruptions
persons-tO have been sustained on small farms
and plantations, are not only far beyond the pos
sible yield of those places for any one year, but,
as every one knows who has had experience in
tlling the soil and who has visited the scenes Of
these spoliatIous, are In many instances more
than the individual claimantsiiwere ever worth,
including their personal and real estate"
What Grant is morally powerless to
deal with, Tilden takes by the throat and
strangles. 1t was needed to do this be-
cause, by decision of the national Re-
publican leaders, there was to be con-
certed howl, first, that the South demand
ed payment of the rebel claims, and,
secondly, that Governor Tilden did not
dare to resist the demand. Both allega-
tions were false, but Taft, Blaine and
Stoughton elaborately asserted their
truth. The South begs for nothing 80
much as to be relieved from further un.
just taxation, and the north unites in the
prayer. Both sections are in accord there
on, and Tilden will execute their man
date as he has similar one in New York,
and thereby will come Mr.. Belmont's al
deviation to the bond-payerS.
Reduction of taxation is the watchword |
of the hour