Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-02-06

parison with the number Of claim
ants does not weaken heir title in
the slightest decree.
This proposition is so clear that
it ought not TO he necessary to
present It, It would not he neres-
sary, but for the presidency with
which Il certain illogical and sense
less plea against all Southern or
war claims is pressed upon popular
attention. The plea we refer to
comes, for the most part, from the
class of Republican journals known
as 'implacahle," and from their
Washington correspondents, the
latter furnishing the figures and
the former the rhetoric. 1t is q
plea which is brought forward
against every claim presented for
injuries or loss occasioued by mill
tary operations at the South. and
its burden is that, if the particular
claim animadverted upon he allow
ed, there will he millions moro pre-
scented. including a vast number of
fraudulent ones. IL contains no
word Of argument against the JUS
tice Of the particular claim; hat it
does contain abundant reference TO
fraudulent and suspected claims,
which are also being pressed. 1t
descants eloqnently on the gross
amount which the government will
have to pay if all the claims pre-
sentcd are allowed ; and the infer
ence it draws is that because of
the suspected AMI fraudulent
claims, and because Of the immense
amount which it would cost TO pay
all claims, no claims should be paid,
no matter how just or mcritorious.
Only n few days since one of the
Washington correspondents gravely
urged that claim reported on IA
vorably by the House committee
ought not TO be paid because the
Senate committee, in a case where
the claim was based upon totally
different grounds, bal reported
against the claim. The argument
was backed up by the inevitable
statement that there are so many
millions Of dollars of claims
awaiting Adjudication; but its
basis, its sole foundation, was pre-
cisely what we have stated. And
upon the day following the publ
cation Of this remarkable hit Of
logic the journal which was the ia
vored recipient Of it took mp the
strain anil gravely argned that an
other war claim ought not to he
paid because General Sherman, in
Il substantially similar case, recon-
nended the claimants to take up n
The use Of such senseless and H.
logical arguments is an injury to
the very cause which the users af-
feet to he seeking to serve. 1t
tends to convey the impression
that there are no sound, valid ar
against the vast majority |
Of the war claims presented to
Congress, and that the inequiiahle /
claims can only he defeated hy de-
feating all claims without reference
TO their justice or equity. In so
doing it tends 10 excite an undue
sympathy for claimants; and as
undue sympathy is quite rs illogi-
cal as blind antagonisrn the chances
for securing claims which ought
not to be paid are largely increas-
cd.
There is hut ono. safe course to
pursue in this war claim matter,
and it is that indicated at the out
set. Let the principles upon
which claims are TO lie allowed or
excluded he rigidly fixed upon a
basis Of right and justice without
any reference to the amonut Of ex-
pense which may he entailed there
by and when that is done let each
claim be fairly, fully and search
ingly investigated and allowed or
rejected according as it falls within
the principal established or fails to
do so. Only in that way can justice
he done and the honor of the ma
ton be maintained.-Free Press.
--o-C-c
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