The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-11-03
TJLDENS LETTER.

might make II necessary 10 cnapge.
In view of that declaration, how does
the following sound. 1t occurs in his
letter last week, on Southern claims
Should l be elected president, the
provisions of the fourteenth amend
ment will, so far as depends on me, be
maintained, executed, and enforced in
perfect and absolute good faith. Nc
rebel debt will be assumed or paid.
No claim tor loss or emancipation OF
ang slave will be allowed. No claim
for any loss or damage incurred by dis.
loyal persons arising from the late war,
whether covered by the fourteenth
amendment or not, will be recognized
or paid. The cotton tax will not be
refunded. l shall deem it
MI DUTY TO VETO EVERY BILL
providing for the assumption or pay,
ment of any debts, losses, damages,
claims, or for the refunding of any
such tax. The danger to the United
States treasury is not from claims OF
persons residing in the southern states
or having property in those states, who
were, or pretended to be, or who, for
the sake of aiding claims, now pretend
to have been loyal to the government
of the union. Such claims, even Of
loyal persons, where they are from acts
caused by operations of war, have been
disowned by the public law of civilized
nations, condemned by adjudications
of the supreme court of the United
States, and only find any status by
force of specific legislation of congress.
Here we have this man, who, on ac-
cepting the nomination, averred he
could not pledge himself before ali en-
ergency occurred, confronted by the
certainty of defeat-and forced into
an expression of his determination to
control his party. How much faith
can be placed in his averment may be
surmised from the fact that he swore
to income returns which have been
proven false. This in itselfis sufficient
to stullify him as a witness. But he
was a strong resunptionist, and went
so far as to urge upon the New York
Legislature the passage of law requir
ing the payment of taxes in gold, after
Jan. 1st 1879, and that law remains
unrepealed. He found an emergency
when accepting the nomination for
the Presidency and swallowed his re
sumption principles so there was not a
vestige left. Elsewhere will be found
an item wherein it is shown that Mr..
Tilden violated the ''pledge of his sa-
cred honor" when interest or "emer-
gency" offered the opportunity. If
then he neither regards the ''pledge OF
his sacred honor" adheres to his pro-
fessed principles of resumption, or can
be relied upon on oath, of what earth
lX good is such a pledge as the above?
But we desire to ask Mr.. Tilden, or
any of his friends, wherein is there any
security in the above, that thee lass of
claims TO which he alludes which 'only
find any status by force of specific
legislation of Congress, will not be
paid, or will be vetoed. 1t is under
this class of bills, that the great evils
the American people dread are to come
upon US. and against which there is
not scintilia of proof, either in Til
den's letter or anything lie has ever
done orsaid. that will warrant the be-
lief that he will stand up against bis
party and veto bills of the character |
referred. There are now before Con- |
gress two bills in relation to Southern |
claims, under either of which claims |
enough will be trampeo up, if they are |
given "any status by force of specific |
to swamp the United |
States Treasury and incur a debt |
greater than that imposed by the war
One of those, introduced by Mr.. Rid
die, of Tennessee, is entitled "a bill
directing compensation to be allowed
ior the use and occupation of property
by the United States Army during the
ate war;" Its text is as follows:
Be it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representative OF the United
States of America in Congress assem-
1led, that the Secretary Of War be, and
S hereby authorized to allow reason
lble compensation to all citizens of the
United States for the use and occupa-
ion of their property by the United
States Army. or any part thereof, dur
ng the late civil war, in the same
manner and under the same regula-
ions as compensation is now allowed
or quartermaster stores used by said
lrmy. Provided, however, that the
ItfddUit Of the claimant, supported by
he competent testimony of any reput-
lble citizen, shall be sufficient proof to
establish the fact of the use and occu-
patton of such property by said army.
But it is not the intention of the act
% limit the parties to the amount of
proof herein specified, but other and
additional testimony may be taken to
establish the fact of the use and occu-
patton and the rental value of the
occupied.
The other, offered by Mr.. Wiltshire,
If Alabama, contains the following
provision:
Thatall citizens of the United States
having claims against the United
States for stores or supplies taken or
furnished during'the rebellion for the
lrmy of the United States, including
he use and loss of vessels or boats /,
While employed in the military service
# the United States, may institute
uit against the United States for the {
.djustInent and recovery OF such {
laims in. the District Court of the
United States for the district in which {
uch stores or supplies may have been
AIKEN or furnished, or such vessels or !
'oats may have been used or lost
Against neither of these bills would
lr. Tilden's pledge amount to any ,
hing. First, because they would be !
q the interest of the ''Solid South" &
d, They would be passed by the in
uence of Southern members consti- I
uting majority, and able to control 6
be legislation. Voters, trust not such t
hedges. They are meant only to de- /
eive. Ii