New-York tribune., 1876-09-30

intended, no dOrbt, to shut out by the fOu-
teenth Amendment all claims growing out OF
the war. But glance at the amendment
shows that whatever may have been intended,
the amendment does not exclude claims OF
enormous magnitude. 1t provides that "neither
"the United States nor any State shall as
"sume or pay any debt or obligation incurred
"in aid of inSayrectioR or rebellion against the
"United States, or any claim for the loss or
emancipation of any slave" Important
claims are here debaTed, and it is fortunate
that the amendment became part of the Con-
stitution before there was a possibility OF
Democratic control in Congress. But let us
see what claims, already urged, are not thus
debarred.
The amendment does not exclude the pro-
posed refumding of the cotton tax, levied IRON
1868 to 1868, amounting to S6S,O72,OOO.
House bill No. 232, which will come up for
action next Winter, proposes to refund TINS
sum- in 30 years five per cent gold bonds, the
principal and interest of which will amount
before payment to $170,000.0OO. Neither
does the amendment Rxclude the claim f0r the
reiunding of the portion paid upon the direct
tax of S20,000,000, which was levied IN 1851
House bill No. 3,145 proposes to refund the
So, 400, 10 paid by Southern States although
the entire assessment upon the Northern States
was paid. Moreover, the amendment does not
prevent the payment for properly used
or occupied by the Uni cd States during
the war, or taken for use OF the
army and navy. House bills No. 553
and No. 1854 provide for full payment OF
these claims, whether the property taken was
owned by q loyal or a dislOyai person, ana are
so broad in their provisions that payment
could be exacted under them for every mouse
or field occupied, every fence destroyed, every
crop injured, every animal taken for food or
use. Before the Southern Claims Commission,
loyaI men only were admitted to present their
losses, and yet their claims exceeded S6o,-
OOO. .OOO.- 1t is thought that the losses OF
citizens of all classes would amount to forty
times as much, or 81, AO0, 100000. Whethor
the estimate is correct or not, overy one VIII
realize that the public debt wonld at least be
doubled and the taxes to be paid 10y tins ana
other generations doubled also, it the claims
included in these three classes should be pald.
In short, national bankruptcy is very near II
those who insist upon the justice OF these
claims, and demand their payment, can get
control of the Government.
Let it now be frankly admitted that in this
vast mass of claims there are some which might
Justly be paid. The apparent justice OF these
will be used as an argument for the passage
of bills under which thousands OF claims that
ought not to be considered may also De PAID
In part because of the absolute lmpossiDiiity
of discriminating between the few which
might and the many which should not be
paid, and in part because the attempt to pay
ANYTHING ike the entire loss by destruction or
injury of property during the war would re"
suit in bankruptcy, the Government has pro-
vided for the investigation or claims OF loyal
persons only by a commission. But how easily
the dam might b. swept awayl That 1t would
not last long if the Government were con-
trolIed by those who selected for an important
cIerkship the man who named his child after
the assassin of Lincoln we may readily infer.
WHY should such Congress insist that loyal
men only should be paid for their losses
Yet the hope that these and other claims
of like character may be paid is actually
most powerful incentive to support OF the
Democratic ticket throughout the South. Sober
and iudicious men know that payment can
never be expected, but there are great
many people who are not entirely Judlcious,
who thoroughly believe that Democratic VIC
tory will bring payment for their corn and
cattle, their fences, buildings, and railroads.
In every district in the South there are claim
ants vino hope to get money from the Govern
ment, if they can put the Government into
Democratic hands and when we reflect that
Southern members would be very apt to
consider the demands of their constituents
and that members from the South have always
ruled in Democratic councils, we cannot say
with truth that their hope is wholly ground
less: PrOridcd the Democratic party gains the
| power But precisely because, in this and
| other respects, Northern people are not willing
| to intrust the power to party controlled by
the Solid South, the Democratic party will
have to wait