The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-08-24

same enemy to encounter, the samein heart. in
purpose. and in principle, under the same name
and ORGANIZATIONS but they have dropped the
gray and assumed the blue uniform.
FoRETAsTE OF DEMOCRATIC RESTORATION.
AS foretaste of what is meant by Demo
cratic restoraIlon, we have now a Democratic
House of Representatives. where sixty men
who served in the rebel army or rebel Congress
are making laws for you. They are arraigning
Gen. Grant and other conspicuous leaders of
the Union army. They have turned out Union
soldiers who bear honorable wounds from petty
offices to make way for rebel officers. They
passed bill to make Confederate officers eli
gible for service in the army of the United
States. The whole tone, conduct, and policy
of these men are the same as when / was a
member of the House sixteen years ago. They
talk about the revolution but neither &C
knowledge it's results nor respect the great
changes in the constitution which we hoped
had been secured by the war. Let us see what
will be the result if their power in the House ia
extended to the Senate and the Presidential
Office.
REVIVAL OF REBEL CLAIMS.
When the wax closed innumerable claims
against the United States were made from the
lately rebel States, and Congress- in the most
liberal spirit, made provision for the payment
of all that by the wel-settled rules Of civilized
war could be properly made against the United
States. The officers of the departments, the
Supreme Court, the Court of Claims, and the
Southern Claims Commission were authorized
to adjust and pay different classes of claims,
and Congress passed many acts for equitable
relief; 80 that it may with safety be said that
more than 800, 900, COO was paid after the war
was over to citizens of the South for losses
caused by the rebellion. But this ex-
trenle hberality only gave zest to the
presentation Of claims against the United
States, that if allowed would double the ma
IL oJoi-o oJo,or MN
whole financial system. l have here in my
hand a list of 140 claims now pending in the
Democratic House of Representatives amount
ing to ST. 582. 1853, every one OF which ls Tor
injuries caused by our army in rebel States
during the war. Here is another bill introduced
in the Senate by Mr.. Merrimon, of North Caro-
lima to revive the claims which existed in the
South prior to April H. 1861, in favor of per-
SONS s'who promoted, encouraged, or in any
manner sustained the late rebellion" These
include postmasters, custom house officers, and
other agents of the Government, who at the
beginning of the war paid over to the Confed-
crate States the balance due from them to the
United States.
REFUNDING THE COTTON TAX.
At the close Of the war, when every industry,
employment, t"ade or production OF the loyal
States was heavily taxed to meet the enormous
cost of the war, Congress placed upon cotton
tax of three cents pound. This produced
was then repealed It was substantially the
only war tax paid by the South, when the ag-
gregate taxes collected in the loyal States was
still 100000, 600 for one year. This cotton
tax was charged by the producer to the con-
sumner when the cotton was sold, and was
scarcely felt by the planter who raised the cot
ton. And vet every year since there has been
persistent demand for the refunding of this
cotton tax, not to the men who paid it, but to
the States in which it was paid and as sure as
fate this tax will be refunded by the first Con-
gress after the Democratic party is restored to
power.
AS our troops penetrated into the South cot
ton was seized on behalf of the United States
as the property Of the enemy, and much of it
as the property of the Confederate States, and
the proceeds were covered into the treasury.
Over $21, 600, 900 were thus covered into the
treasury, and of this fund the sum OF ST.
348 PAT has been awarded and paid by the Court
of Claims to all claimants who had either legal
or equitable title to the cotton, and the balance
Of this fund is now eagerly demanded by open
rebels, but who now, as leading Democrats,
may hope to reclaim what they lost by the war.
I have in my hand fifteen different bills now
pending in the Democratic House OF Repre-
sentatives, to refund this cotton tax and the
proceeds of captured and abandoned property,
and to make easy this Wholesale raid on the
treasury of the United States.
PAYING THE BILLS OF REBELS.
And, fellow-citizens, have here bills pend
ing in the Democratic House more vide
reaching still. Here is bill introduced by
Mr.. Wiltshire, of Arkansas, now pending be-
fore the Committee on War Claims in the
House of Representatives. This bill provides
THAT all citizens of the United States having
claims against the United States for stores or sup
plies taken furnished during the rebelllon Tor
the use of the army of the United States including
the use and loss of vessels boats while employed
in the military service of the United States, may in
TIY,i%na no adj
iu.tment and recovery Of such claims in the Dis
trct Court of the United States for the district in
which such stores or supplies may have been taken
or furnished, or such vessels or boats may nave
been used or lost"
Reflect moment. All citizens Of the United
States, rebels as woll as loyal citizens, having
claims for stores or supplies taken or furnished
during the rebellion for the use OF the army
including the use and loss of boats, may sue
the United States and recover the value there
of. The loyal people must pay all the war
taxes. submit to the loss inflicted by rebel
raiders, and then pay for all the forage taken
bv our troops when within the rebel lines, all
the rails burned, all the corn, sweet potatoes
and turkeys consumed.
Who that reflects upon the supply of an army
in an enemys country during four years war
will not shrink from such claim-a claim that
could only be paid by an acknowledgment that
the war on our part was unjust?
MILLIONS FOR DAMAGES no REBELS.
But fellow-citizens to complete our liza
bility, l bave here another bill, introduced by
Mr.. Riddle, of Tennessee, and now pending
before the Judiciary Committee of the House,
which, as it contains but single section, will
read in full, title and all:
"Mr Riddle, ON leave, introduced the following
bill:
g bill directing compensation to be allowed for
the use and occupation of properly by the United
States army during the late war.
ssBe it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep
resentatves of the United States OF America in Con-
gress assembled: That the Secretary OF War be,
and he is hereby authorized to allow reasonable
compensation TO all citizens of the United States for
the use and occupation OF their property by the
United States army or any part thereof, during the
| late civil war, in the same manner and under the
| same regulations compensation is allowed
for uuartermaster stores used by said army Pro-
yided however, that the afndaviJ of the claimant
supported by the competent testimony of any repu-
table citizen shall be sufficient proof to establish
the fact of the use and occupation of such property
by said army. But it is not the intention of this ACT
: to limit the parties to the amount Of proof herein
sneciied. Int other and additional Testimony NAV