The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-09-22
rn,iur southern Claims.

ber 9Th. .ls L-Al. S,8sE
Paying Southern Claims.
Everybody has heard OF the fellow who
made The bet with the hod carrier that
the latter could not carry him up to the
Ton Of certain bniIling on his hod, and
who, when he fonud the hOl carrier wa"
.boul to succeed, kicked and rocked vic.
Ienlly in the hod in. order 10 prevent the
accomplishment ofthe task, even q! tie
ri,k Of his own life. ~ q N
Thisis not an inapt illustration oi the
NATIONAL situation at this time, in respect
to the payment Of Southern claims. Mr.
Schurl who is not "bloody shirt" wav.
er, nor u sensalionaIist in any sense,
made strong point in his Beliaire speech
10 regard to the very great danger that
uenaces the country al this time from
these Southern claims. He cited Sc veral
insidiou4 bills that had already been
introduced into Congress looking
to the warming into life Of the le-
gions Of claims for alleged damages
done by the Union armies in the South.
One Of these bills (he read its full text)
provided that claims for damages should
be payable by the Secretary OF War on
the strength OF the oath Of the claimant,
supported by The attes.atiOn Of some credi,
table next friend, who should profess him
self knowing to the facts set forth in the
claim. Now suppose (sail Mr.. Schurz)
that TiIden, il elected President, should
appoint some Confederate brigadicr as
his Secretary Of War. There IL nothing
violent about such n supposition, Tor
General Grant appointed Ackerman, of
Georgia, an ex.rebel lawyer Of note, US
hs Attorney General, and why shouldn't
TildenchOOsc All ex.rebel for n member oi
hiscabnCt, or several Of them, for that mat
ter, seeing how consricuously they came
into power under a Democratic House
Of Representatives last winter. No doubt
the solid South" would demand and re.
Ceive more than one Cabinet appoint.
ment in Mr.. Tilden's administration.
This being the natural probability ot the
ca,e, We may very we'll take for granted
that rebel general Of some sort will be
Secretary Of War, and that it will be to
thhsOrt oil discretionary. auspices that The
Southern claims will be referred for pay.
uent in case the bill Mr.. Schurx read
shall become law.
This brings us to the application ot the
remark with which We set out, about the
man who made the bet with the hod car
rieF. The Democracy as an organization
is largely composed Of men who never
believed that the debt OF the United
States incurred during the rebellion
soull be paid-yhO never wanted to see
i! paid-who have time after time
since the war advocated II policy that
would, II successful, make its pay
asut impossible. The burden Of every
successive canvass has been TO show u
that the debt never could bc'paid, and(9)
that it was not in reality being paid, and
l5D that the bloated bondholderS had al
ready been paid moro than they were en-
titled to. These points have been pressed
on every hustings throughout the land by
Democratic orators. The point we make
in regard 10 the men who pressed such
Poiai,;On the people is, that in their
secret hearts they desired to see the debt
rePadiated, and very many OF them
Wouldstill rejoice to see It repudiated.
There Ia no more certain way to bring
population in this country than to
ll'cn upon the Government the payment
oil these Southern war claims. The peo'
pie have stood up under great burdens
lnd paid immense sums to the Govern
mens, and every year they have seen
The amount Of the debt becoming less
'aey have also seen the public credit
80 lar improved that 4 per cent gov
eminent bond can now be sold at par il
SO'd' Had it not been for the discredii
'1Fo"n upon the good faith OF the peo'
pc oy'O many prominent Democrats oI
Tue NO'thW might to-day be saving mil
lions oil money every year in the way Of
interest," But despite all the Democrats
a''s done the debt Is being gradually
F''a OF, and the remainder Of IL Is being
t'aaded into bonds bearing a lower rate
" interest. All that is needed is to keeE
'Is Democracy under such restraint thai
'a'y cannot indulge their mischicvouI
PNladices. The Southern claims car
4"e' be fastened on the Government ex
"Pt by the success of the Democratic
pH.y throughout the country. Th'
%a'he!n claims now before Congress are
'ae natural result Of the Democratic sue
ss two years ago. If that party shoult
S''y the elections this fall the number o
.Is,e 10 claims would become as the sand
% "@s sea shore for multitude. Congress
soa'a 30 dGluged with them at the open
soSOtt5s next session, and a lobby would
~ ~ Organized, including regular guild
'S'Ain asens,:.such as this country, mo-