, 1876-10-29

stepped forward and said.
LADIES AND GEsrLEMEs: I take pleasure in
naming as the Chairman Of this meeting the Hon.
George Armour.
9fr. Armour WIS received with cheers, and
said:
lam sure, ladies and gentlemen, .hat It is en-.
frely unnecessary for me to occupy any portion OF
this precious hour In trying to tell you who the
@ Esnteman G y who 3s propo1es to addre5s yop this
in Illinois knows who the spcakcr Ia. now have
the pleasure Of introducing to you the Honorable
Senator, James G. Blalne.
There were cheers on cheers as Mr. Armour
concluded, and when Nj. Blaine appeared the
applause was redoubled, and somebody near the
platform proposed three cheers. Such cheers
were given as were never before heard in that
hall Nj. Blaine, in spite Of the noise in the gal
leEies, commenced bis speech. He said:
y has at least resehed the ears Of Samuel J,
Tlcen that there claims in tho South to be pre-
sented by the Rebels, and Mr. Tlden has written
letter on that subject
The noise had not yet wholly subsided, and
MIR. Blaine was obliged to say:
crowd hear mt, but no man can talk against pass
drum and thunderstorm. (Langhter.] / can
1a9's:.o1 MAKE this ~, whole area hear me II the
cheers. voice-s'clear the ealleries. y
After an interval OF five minutes, Mr.. Armour
raped on chair with gaycl, and, lu1l in the
noise occurring, he said:
The gentlemen will cndeayor to keep quiet. My.
Elainc cannot speak with so much noise going on.
apd e eFes 81 ssieRPss sSsR
Mr. Blaineth came forward and began again.
He said:
was saying that 1t had at last reached the attan-
ton OF Mf. Samuel J.. Ti1den that there are certain
claims OF Southern M Rebels to be presented to the
of the election, Mr.. Tilden, who had for three
months been giving no attention whatever to the
subject, comes outin letter defining his position
on that question. Now If We were dismissed to
concede to Mr. Tilden that his letter is IN ali re-
speets as lair and as candid and honesttoned as
we should have very little TO pin faith to in &C.
ceptng It, because it has been only year since
Tidcn gave Just as absolute an assurance, just rs
positive declaration, that he would
ABIDE BT THE sPKc1E-REsuMPT1oS ACT OF 1875.
A. soon as that ac1 Was passed in Congress Mr..
1alden made naste before the New York Lcgisla-
the General Government, and when some members
OF Congress from New York hcsitated and bolted,
Nj. I4den cansed resolution to be passed
through the Legislature Of New York requesting
them to take no step backward. Now that was his
record on the question Of specie payment: and
yet he found ath It convenient within ess
hrcly disregard it. to break it. TO trump!c it. and
to ignore it. and to urge upon Congress- through the
to winch be had pledged his lasting fidelity. Now.
what more faith can you have in Mr. T11dcn On this
new letter than you had on his old: But, gentle
which now hold in my hand, alters his position
one particle on this question Of Southern claims.
/ ask your attention one moment while read It,
The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution Of
the United States bars two classes Of Rebel clalrs,
one the Rebel proper, the other, COMPENSATION for
obligation incurred in aid Of the Rebellion shall ever
be paid By the United States; but the amendment
does not say TINT any loss suffered shall not be
paid: II the Fourteenth Amendment said that
l0E6 ffeff6 E0nkenOence OF the Rendition
should not be paid, that would be complete bar,
bet ou will observe that that ID the class OF claims
United States, and about which the issue IS before
losses suffered not for losses incurred. There is
word incurred and the word Suffered The
word incurred" implies an active intervention
OF the man who incurred the loss. The word
eseuhered' means that the loss |
. Here band Of music entered the hall causing
temporary confusion, but moment later the
speaker proceeded.
Now, want yoa to observe that in Mr. TiIdcn's
language that it used in the Fourteenth Amend
mcnt, and that is, that he viii veto any |
bill proposing to make good the losses +incur1ed"
that be MAS opposed to making good my losses
. ..'suaercd BY dis1osal persons. And maintain |
that there is a
I do not charge, fo- do not know, that Mr. Til
den meant this difference, but do charge this: !
that The Riddie bill now pending in Congress, pro-
yiding for tho payment OF every form OF Rebel |
claim, can go through md become 3 law and be |
signed by Mr. Tiiden without violating thnt letter.
maintain that; that In signing that bill he would !
not in the rcmotest degree rioate the pledge made
in that letter. Take the very literal meaning OF |
what he has pat there, and there would be no pos
Eible conflict between his sgnature OF that bill and
the sentiments expressed in that letter. Now,
gentlemen, this question OF Rebel claims is one I
which has got kfm possession OF the public mind, |
and want to talk : little about it, IL |
can be heard BY fifteen or twenty OF this vast
crowd. Laughter The question between the |
Democratic parf5 and the Republican party has not
been whether any claim erisng out OF the War
should be paid, but whether War clnims should be
paid (coufusion in the galleries. which neccssltated
1 pause Of several ondsl-whetbc. the War
c1a1me should be paid regardless Of the Loyalty Of
the claimant That il the whole Of it. We have
paid, ever since the War closed, hun
drcds Of claims growing out Of the War, |
and the Republican party has held that every we'll
based, honest claim for anything furnished the |
atrny OF the United States by loyal mnn should be
H. d for, and the question now comes up whether
sou arc going 70 pay for all ttst the army con
snnicd in the South, Of forage, corn, wheat, -four
oacon+ horses, mules; whether Ill the houses they
occupied the farms, the fences, the railroads, the
sulverts- the bridges every conceivable thing TINT
destroyed In the wake OF those great armies.
The question Is whether you arc going to
pay Tor those, regardless OF the loyalty
IF the men who formerly owned them. and the
wo questions On which Mt. Tiiden expeuds four