The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-03-30
INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM

1t is great thing to be an independent
newspaper and have a'score or two able
editors.
The Cincinnati Gazette in one column
says:
All will agree in one lesson Of the PEN
dleton- Belknap affair Of the collection Of
the old rejected railroad claim, viz; that
the Law should put a stop to the business
OF reviying claims which have been e.
nally adjudicated. Here is a claim which
was thoroughly considered by the proper
accounting officers when Stanton was
Secretary Of War, and was rejected. IL
was again and again pressed upon the
Department; was referred to Gen. Meigs,
an officer of the highest character, and
again reported back as unjust, as thor
oughly examined and rejected and as
one which il would be improper to re-
open. Ii was thought dead. The chief
owner Of the railroad thought il Of so
little value. as Mr.. Stevenson testifes
that he said il was not worth FIVE cents
on the dollar.
But it seems that claim on govern
ment is immortal. In course OF time
another manager comes into the railroad
and another Secretary into the War De
partment. With this there happens to
| be a happy conjunction Of social relations.
| Then the new manager, as administrator
Of the estate Of the man who owned the
controlling share Of the road and as
/ President of the road through his con-
/ troll as administrator, takes up this
worthless claim; makes in behalf Of the
/ railroad company which he controls, a
/ bargain with himself its President, to
/ "a a. -. n r.
commission Of one half for the work. lie
goes to the Capital. presents the claim TO
| the new Secretary, who orders il TO be
reopened, reaudited, and paid, in the
/ face Of all former reflections, and Of the
/ opinion Of the Quartermaster-Gener
/ In such practice no claim, no matter
| how baseless, or how much rejected need
/ despair In course Of time happy party
or social conjunction will happen by
which it may be showed through. A pos.
/ tive law should put stop 10 this. Not
/ even before the same Secretary should a
/ claim once we'll considered and rejected
/ be reopened. Its only recourse should
\ be the Court of Claims. Much less should
/ il be reopened before succeeding Secre-
taries As to that matter we think there
can be no difference Of opinion. however
men may differ in other things concern.
ing this postmortem collection.
IL is brought before the public at a
time when the Secretary who paid this
claim is under a cloud, and the public
mind is much excited. and is exceeding
ly credulous. and its credulity Is being
played upon by party by all sorts oi
fabricated stories OF corruption. In such
conditions il is inevitable that il should
look for some special inducements on
Secretary Belknap for an explanation oi
this extraordinary reopening of a claim
which had been so thoroughly condemn
ed. The extraordinary commission
which the administrator and Presiden
took from his own trust for doing tha
which was in the line of his duty, feed
the speculation. IL will not be denies
that, if the manager Of this claim ha'
been a Republican, the committee woul,
have reported il as prima facie case o
corruption. and that the explanation
would not have been accepted as salts
factory by il or the country. Public SUI
, picion, and the hue and cry of accusi
ton, have been stimulated 10 the utmo.
= for n partisan purpose; therefore, it