Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-10-18

House at this time could have been
persuaded into embodying in propo-
sit on intended to become o law q
scope of possibilities SO disastrous and
ruinous to the country.
The first section Of the bill amounts
to this, that all citizens having any
such claims, including the loss of yes
sells and cargoes, the emancipation of
slaves, injury to property, commercial
inconvenience, and every species Of
damage resulting directly or
indirectly from invasion by
a victorious army, whether
for actual maintenance or for incident
al application of personal effects, may
institute suit against the government
IN the district court of the United
States for the district where the losses
were incurred, and courts are required
to hear cases, whatever may be the
sum involved.
Another section makes it the duty of
the United States District Attorney to
represent the government in each dis
trlct, and when he is absent, or the
functions Of his office are suspended,
the United States marshal is to serve q
valid writ Or process, by pasting copy
on the door of the United states court
house, and this shall be held sufficient
to authorize trial in all cases.
1t goes on further to state that fees
are to he paid to attorneys, mar
amount recorded, or to be recorded
by the plaintiff" And then an i'm
portant item comes in clearly express
ed:.
Gin all cases of final Judgment the
sum awarded shall be paid out of any
general appropriation made by the
government, upon the presentation of
the judgment to the Secretary of the
Treasury, with interest at five per cent.
from date of rendition of judgement"
To clear away every obstacle in this
contemplated wholesale raid upon the
Treasury, it is proposed that " the laws
passed to protect the Treasury in
1871 and 1872, and 1878, together with
the Commission of Claims are repealed,
and all books, records, or papers filed
be deposited with the Department of
Justice, and, to be delivered over to the
District courts where cases are brought
for claims"
This is comprehensive enough for
the most skeptical. 1t is, in fact,
the most sweeping of sill South
ern attempts yet inaugurated for
depicting the Treasury of the United
States. It is measure to reward
Southern rebels for their fruitless en-
beavers to destroy the Republic.
Through its cunningly worded provis-
ions the Southern traitors are to be
fully and amply reimbursed for all
damages incident to the war; and
every advantage is given the claimant,
and the bid is put forth mainly in the
interest of Southern autocrats, whose
property was lost in the vain effort to
establish a slave oligarchy upon the
ruins of the Union.
These "suits are to be heard in the
districts where the losses are incurred"
This is q master stroke of policy. It
means the trial shall be in the South;
the witnesses from the Immediate neigh
borhood; the judges doubtless slig CHIT
ly biased through ambition to cultivate
popularity among their constituents
and the whole proceedings under the
direct influence of similar grievances
to be redressed.
Should Samuel ]. Tilden, through
any means of political trickery, in
which he is consummate master, sue
coed in his election to the Presidency,
it would probably involve the Congress
sional districts, carrying them for the
Democracy, and the state Legislatures
going with the same would secure the
Senate, when the machinery of the
Government would be wholly in their
hands. Under such state of public
affairs Mr.. Willshire's bill would speed
lily become a law, the courts would be
largely, if not absolutely, under control
of the Administration, and the rush
upon the treasury would begin.
The amount it would take to satisfy
this demand can scarcely be realized.
Careful and able men, whose positions
have given them the knowledge upon
which to base tolerably correct esti-
mate, think the sum would not fall
short of one thousand mailliom dollars.
Every clause in this bill is intended
to make the collection of these claims
an easy matter, while not one safe
guard is thrown around the treasury.
mo UucSUlOu is dSkou IoldIlV0 10 Cu0
claimants loyal status during the re-
belion. The Union and Confederate
ate soldiers are forced upon an
equal footing, Notwithstanding the
former gave all-home, friends,
property, yea, life itself, to
save the country, while the latter sus-
tanned their losses in the mad effort to
destroy it. Under this bill of the astutc
Mr.. Wiltshire the contrast is amply suf-
fcient in that while there is no adj
equate redress for Union soldiers in
their great sacrifices the rebels are to
be paid even to the utmost farthing.
The claims from Southern sources
already before the Commissioners
amount to something over one hundred
million dollars. These claims for dar1-
ages, in most part fraudulent, Rave
been refused under Republican rule;
but let this bill become law, and the
one hundred millions will not only
quickly be paid, but swelled in proper
tons to thousand millions nearly, if
not quite, half the present national