Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-09-11
rnE PERll.

kICSo oSaAC6hVC uOOOV pSuVSUVWSUVos
These are of character not barred by
the Constitutional amendments, and
are subject to the action of Congress,
without appeal to any other tribunal.
The Inter Ocean ventures the pre-
diction that the advent of a Demo-
cratic majority in both houses of Con-
gress will signalize the opening of
legislation which will result in the
payment of these claims. And when
once the gate is opened the amount
named will prove but the beginning
of the flood. Then will come the ag-
gregation for the payment of slaves,
the pensioning of rebel soldiers, etc.,
etc., until our own debt will be lost
sight of in the magnitude of this raid
upon the public treasury.
Do our readers appreciate the dam
gers of this movement? 1t is not a
secret by any means, though frank
avowals of the design are suppressed
by the leaders of the Democratic
party as far as possible. They cannot
prevent the less discreet members of
their party from speaking out, how
ever, and so we have from numerous
Southern sources the open confession
that this is to he the object of their
political ascendency, and that ''con-
Citation can only come through the
recognition of their claims by the
North"
We do not believe, by any means,
that every Democratic member OF
Congress will support such raid.
Neither are we sure that every Re-
publican will stand firm in the midst
of temptation in opposition to such
claims. But, as rule, we can depend
upon the latter to vote steadily and
persistently against thescheme, while,
unfortunately, the former, owing to
party association and the necessity of
Harmony" cannot be counted on to
resist the majority of their own party
associates. The opening will be in
significant; some minor claim will be
denominated just, the claimant loyal,
and the amount demanded will be
small. This successful, the precedent
established, and the work will begin
in earnest. And it is not alone from
party discipline that we may fear
danger. Think of a $500, OOO, 900 claim
before Congress, and the opportunities
given for corruption in the handling
of such q stupendous sum! 1t is q
scheme to be watched and guarded
against on every side. We advise the
people of every Congressional district
to put the question of supporting OF
opposing such claims squarely to all Of
their candidates, and exact the most
positive pledges from them on this
point: @
"Do you promise to act and vote
throughout your term against the
payment of any Southern claim grow
ing out of the war now barred by the
laws?" ~
This question, or its substance,
should be addressed to every candi-
date of whatever party, and a positive
answer required. ..a}
The South has everything to fight
for in this Congressional contest. Sue
cess means, at least, the temporary
realization of her peculiar notions
about State sovereignty; her triumph
over the colored race, and the substan-
tial abrogation of the Constitutional
amendments; and, finally, her enrich
ment at the expense of the North,
whom she plots to divide by other is
sues that she may the more easily
exact the tribute she seeks. The
North, confident, easy, prone to indie
pendent thought, and, consequently,
only united by immediate and appar-
ent danger, goes idly on, seeing, yet
seemingly Indifferent to, this scheme
Of sectional aggrandizement.
The Inter- Ocean warns Republicans,
and Northern Democrats as well,
against a 'united South" and, wheth-
er, in the mad craze over other issues,
this danger shall be overlooked or not,
we shall have done our duty when we
have pointed it out and sounded the
alarm.-Lnte,- Ocean.