Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-09-09
A Thousand Million Dollars Wanted.

s'oicS UHu suIl''ieS tuhc'i W lulli'
lshed during the rebellion, for the
use of the army of the United States,
aud for other purposes"
This bill. introduced in Congress
10y Wiltshire, of Arkansas, just be-
fore the adjournment, has u sig
nilicance not comprehcnded by the
casual reader or thinker. The pur.
pose, however, is direct, and it is u
matter OF surprise that any Demo
cratic member of the House at this
time could have been persuaded in.
to embodying in proposition in
tended to become law u scope of
possibilities SO disastrous and ruin.
Gus to the country.
The first section of the bill amounts
TO this, that all citizens having any
such claims, including the loss OF
vessels and cargoes, the emancipa.
lion of slaves, injury TO property,
commercial Inconvenience. and
every species of damage resulting
directly or indirectly from invasion
by victorious army, whether toi
actual maintenance or for incidental
application of personal effects, may
substitute suit against the Govern
mert in the District Court of the
United States for the district where
the losses were incurred. ana courts
are required to hear cases, whatever
may be the sum involved.
Another section makes it the duty
of the United States District Attor-
ney TO represent the Government in
each district, and when he is absent.
or the functions of his office are
suspended, the United States mar
shall is to serve n valid writ or pro-
cess, 10y FASTING a copy on the door
of the United States court house,
and this shall he held sufficient to
authorize q trial in all cases.
1t goes on further to state that
"lees are to be paid to attorneys,
marShals, and clerks, according to
the amount recorded, or to be re-
corded by the plaintiff" And then
an important item comes in clearly
expressed:
ain all cases of final Judgment
the sum awarded shall be paid out
of any general appropriation made
by the Government, upon presenta-
ton of the Judgment to the Secreta-
~ of the Treasury, with interest at
five Fer cent, from date Of rendition
Of Judgment"
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, 1872, and 1878,
together with the Commission of
Claims, are repealed, and all books,
records, or papers filed with the
Commission of Claims are to he de
posted 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 all Southern at
tempts yet inaugurated for deple.
ting the Treasury of the United
States. 1t is a measure to reward
Southern rebels for their truitlcSS
andeavors to destroy The Republic.
Through it's cunningly worded pro
visions 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 bill is put forth
mainly in the interests of Southern
autocratS, whose property was lost
in the vain effort to establish slave
oligarchy upon the ruins Of the
Union.
These suits are "to be heard in
the districts where the losses are in
curred.' This is master stroke OF
policy. 1t means the trial shall be
in the South; the witnesses from
he immediate neighborhood; the
Judges doubtless slightly biased
through ambition to cultivate popu
larity among their constituents, and
the whole proceedings under the
direct influence Of similar grievances
to be redresSed.
Should Samuel j. Tilden, through
any means of political trickery. in
which he is a consunmate master,
succeed in his election to the PreSi-
dency, it would probably involve
the Congressional districts, carry
ing them for the Democracy, and
the State Legislatures going with
the same would secure the Senate,
when the machinery of the Govern
ment would be wholly in their
hands. Under such state of pub
lie 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 1t WOu!u take W sat
isfy this demand can scarcely be
realized. Careful and able men,
" hose positions have given them
the knowledge upon which to base
a tolerably correct estimate, think
the sum would not fall short OF one
thousand million dollars.
Every clause in this bill is inten-
ded to make the collectionAof 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, not
outstanding the former gave all
home, friends, property, yea, life
itself-to save the country, while
the latter sustained their losses in
the mad effort to destroy 1t. Under
this bill of the astute MIR. Wiltshire
the contract is amply sufficient III