The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-09-07
Only Thousand Million Wanted.

ment OF claims of citizens of the United States for
st9res anu supplies taken furnished during the re-
beliSn tor the of the army Of the United States,
and for other purposes"
line foregoing is the bill introduced into
House OF Representatives by Mr.. Wiltshire Of
Arkansas. Its careful examination will show
that 1t contains proposition which wolld,
In case it becomes law, prove disastrous
and almost ruinous TO the country.
The first section of the bill amounts to this,
that all citizens having any such claims, in
Guiding the loss of vessels and cargoes, the
emancipation of slaves, injury to property,
commercial Inconvenience, land every species
of damage resulting directly or indirectly from
| invasion by victorious army, whether for
actual maintenance or for incidental applica-
tion of personal effects, main substitute suit
against the Government in the District Court
the losses were incurred and courts are re-
qured 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 district, and when
ne is absent, or the functions of his office are
suspended, the United States marshal is to
serve valid writ or process, by pasting a
copy ou the door of the United States court
house, and this shall be held sufficient 10
authorize trial in all cases.
1t goes on further to state that "fees are
to be paid to attorneys, marshals, and clerks,
according to the amount recorded, or to be
recorded by the plaintiff" And then an i'm
portant item comes in clearly expressed:
in all cases of final judgment the sum
awarded shall be paid out of any general ap-
preparation made by the Government upon
presentation OF the Judgment to the Secretary
from date of rendition of judgment"
To clear away every obstacle in this con-
templated wholesale raid upon the Treasury,
it is proposed that "the laws passed to pro-
tect the Treasury in 1871, 1872, and 1873,
together with the Commission of Claims, are
repealed, and all books, records, or papers
filed with the Commission of Claims are TO be
deposited with the Department of Justice,
and to be delivered over to the District courts
where cases aresbrought for claims"
This is comprehensive enough for the
most skepticaL 1t is, in fact, the most
sweeping of all Southern attempts yet inau-
gurated for depicting the Treasury of the
United States. 1t is measure to reward
Southern rebels for their fruitiess endeavors
to destroy the Republic. Through its cum
ningly worded provisions the Southern trait
ors are to be fully and amply reimbursed for
all damages incident to the war; and every
advantage is given the claimant, and the bill
is put forth mainly in the interests of South
ern autocrats, whose property was lost in the
vain effort to establish slave olgarchy upon
the ruins of the Union.
These suits are "to be heard in the dis
tricts where the losses are incurred" This
is master stroke Of policy. 1t means the
trial shall be in the South; the witnesses
from the immediate neighborhood; the
judges doubtless slightly BIASED through am
bition to cultivate popularity:among their
constituents, and the whole proceedings
under the direct influence of similar griey-
ances to be redressed.
Should Samuel j. Tilden, through any
means of political trickery, in which he is
consummate master, succeed in his election
tc the Presidency, it would probably involve
the Congressional 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.. Wilshire's bill
would speedily become 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 estimate, think the sum
would not fall short of one thousand million
dollars.
Every clause in this bill is intended to
make the collection of these claims an easy
matter, while not one safeguard is thrown
around the Treasury. No question is asked
relative to the claimants loyal status during
the rebellion. The Union and Confederate
soldiers are forced upon an equal footing,
notwithstanding the former gave all-home,
friends, property, yea, life tself-to save the
country, while the latter sustained their
losses in the mad effort to destroy it. Under
this bill of the astute Mr.. Wiltshire the con-
trast is amply sufficient in that while there is
no adequate redress for Union soldiers in
their great sacrifices the rebels..are to be paid
even to the uttermost farthing.
The claims from Southern sources already
before the Commissioners amount to some
thing over one hundred million dollars.
These claims for damages, in most part
fraudulent, haYe:been refused under Repub-
lican rule: but let this bill become law,
and the one hundred millions will not only
be quickly paid, but swelled in proportions to
thousand millions-nearly, if not quite,
half the present national debt.
Are the American people prepared for
crisis of this character? Are the old veter-
an heroes Of the war to be satisfied with this
misapplication of their services? Are they
willing to step out from beneath the banner
of victory, and placing themselves side by
side with those whom they conquered, say
we ask nothing, not even considerate remem-
brance, for our sufferings in preserving the
Union, and are willing you should be paid
dollar for dollar for every wrong or injury we
may have inflicted in thus sust aiming the in
tegrity and unity of the Republic?
The great issue is not hard OF