, 1876-09-16
THE CONFEDERATE CLAIMs,

Tho Louisville Courier journal is anxious
to remove ths impression very generally en-
tcrtained that Democratic SUCCESS will DO
celebrated by Congressional allowance Of
Confederate claims for which bills were in
troduced at the last session Of tho House, and
which will amount to enough to double the
present national debt. Tho nrgument used
to allay public apprehension may be found
In the following paragraph:
Congressional appropriations come out Of taxes
levied upon tho wholo people; tho South no less
than The North would be bnrdcncd by doubling tho
national dcbt: and beyond ths nothing Is left to be
snid, bccauso It IL not tho habIt Of the many to I'M
roycrigh themselves for the benefit Of tho few.
Tint OF which the popular intelligence complains
is excessive Governmental expenditure. That
which the busIncss lntcscat of tho country 1ooka Is
relief from excessive taxation. The prevailing
CAUSE Of lcp!csson ia we'll undorstooln the South,
whesc, accompanied By an nnwtso Federal admin
istsatson to the state OF Affairs In general II has
operatcd most hardly, Tho Southern people no
moro than tho Northern pcople can ntaud greater
load than now oppycascs them.
This rop!y can scarcely be called ingenious.
In tho allowance of claims for losses in
cured by the Rebels during the War, for
the destruction Of their property and for
tho ,,so aud occupation Of their lands, and in
the rcfunding of tho cotton tax Of 8,0o0.-
600 (tho only War tax ever paid by the
Bouth), tho benefit would nccrne entirely and
exclusively to tbs people Of the South, and
tho greater portion Of the burden would be
borne by tho people Of tho North. Tho in
tercgt Of tho South, therefore, instead Of
being opposed to the scheme, il all in favor
Of 1t. II tho tarntion Of the Southern
people wcre increased to somo ox-
tont, though it would be small as
compared with the increase ,of taxation
which the North would pay, yet it would not
DO merely offsot by the allowance Of pay-for
War lossea, hut would furnish tho Southern
benofciarios with an enormous surplus after
giving ti,om the mems to bear their proper
ton Of the increased ta1os. It must also bo
remembered that the tax, falling largely on
labor, would DO paid mostly by tho negroes
Of the South, who do pretty much all tho
work that is done, whilo tho betefits would
bc enjoyed by the Confederate whites, who
would thus DO reimbursed for the losses in-
citlent to n rebellion which they precipitated.
Tho editor Of tho Co,t14er-J Journal Is too in
telligent not to understand all this, but
no may well foar the effect Of
having It generally understood throughout
the country. As to that part Of his arg1.
mont which claima that the people Of the
South comprehend that their depression ia
the result of excessive taxation, md will not
de1nnud any inorcaso oven for their OWE
benefit, It IL cr1,ol but only jnst to remind
him that ho himself, on bohalf Of tho South
ern people, WAS the persistent advocate Of d
/ scheme to add several hundred millions to
the national obligations for the purpose Of
subsidizing TON Soorr's Pacific Railroad. Il
ia also fair to assume TINT he confidently CT.
pccta, in case tile Democrats secure control
Of Congress, to mako more hcadway with the
next Congress than ho did at the last session
in favor Of lila pct subsidy. This does mol
look very much as though tho South op
poses increased taxation oven for It's owr
! benefit.