Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-05-23

4 1
of jest or sheer. and the democratic
candidate for the presidency put him
self on record as resolnteIy opposed tC
all such demands. Probably had Mr.
lTiIden been elected he@might have
proved stronger than bis party, al
Enough MS known characteristics viii
hardly justify such ansassertion. Thai
democratic supremacy, however, mean:
the recognition of rebel claims, is al
ready abundantly demonstrated, The
fruits of the partial triumph of thai
party. in the return of large body e.
ex-rebels to congress and the measure:
.hcy propose, are evidence of what g
supreme triumph might produce. They
indicate the harvest of debt ard cor
Eruption and ruin that the country may
yet reap. They are the warning te
the loyal people of the land to keeT
the government In their own hands
They justify the allegations of the re-
publican press in 1876. TGa g .a-
1t must be promised that the dem
oeratie party in congress is itself re-
sponsible for all the conclusions that
may be drawn concerning the peril of
| the republic. It is not even content to
wait for a fuller measure of authority,
than 1t now possesses, before it reveals
| its designs Thanks are at least its
due for the fullness and frankness of
its disclosures, and the resistance they
will inspire. ...'.s H. --'+... .l..
During the present session of con-
gress, says the Rochester Democrat
d; Ch7 onicle. more than four hundred
bills have been introduced for appro-
priations to persons in the south in
payment of property destroyed by the
Union armies. Some Of them are for
large amounts, and all of them sggre-
gate millions; and these are but the
avant ceuriers of vast mass behind
them, waiting for recognition in their
appointed season Besides the bills
embracing claims for specific amounts,
numbers of acts have been introduced
the object of which is to destroy the
legal barriers that loyal people have
erected against rebel spo;latlon. The
laws are to be modified in order that
depredations may be more easily CON-
mitted. We enumerate a few of the
contemplated measures: -."
Mr.. Wilson, of Western Virginia, by
bill, proposes to reverse the rule of
evidence now applicable to claimants
for damages. This bill is declaratory
of the principle that 6" the loyalty OF
each citizen shall be preserved until
his or her disloyalty shall be afirma-
lively proven The actual presump-
ton is, of course, that all residents of
rebel states were rebels, but if the new
rule obtains, the disadvantage Of the
government, in claim cases, arising
from lapse of time, is clearly seen.
Mr. Mills, of Taxes, has a bill
which provides that the "war of the
rebellion is hereby declared to have
been ended prio- to the 30th day of
June, 1865, and, from and after SAID
day, all claims of citizens of the United
States against the government shall
stand on terms of perfect equality"
President johnson formally declared
the ceceded states to be out of in
surrection on the Goth of August,
1866, and this date has been accepted
and determined by the courts, and, in
accordance Herewith, the laws gov
erning claims have been construed
The bill of Mr.. Mills would give life
to claims amounting to many millions,
now legally and justly dead.
Mr.. Shelley, of Alabama, has intro
duced bill, which abolishes the
southern claims commission, transfers
all business now pending before it te
the court of claims, and gives the lat
ter tribunal Jurisdiction to hear and
transfer all money claims or demands
against the government of any elias:
or description, which occurred since
the 18th day of April, 1861, excepting
claims growing out of the internal rev
onue, customs and pension laws. Fur
Their than this. it res sends all previous
limitations as to the time in which thi
class of claims may be filed, opens the
doors to them for a further period o
two years after its passage, reviyes thu
thousands of claims disallowed by tht
southern claim commission, and per
mits applications to be made within
one year for rehearing In all thes'
cases before the court Of claims. The
inspiration of this is revealed, when j
is noted that the supreme court ha
decided that in the court of claims NJ
inquiry can be made as to the loyalty
of those whom the amnesty proclama
tions of President johnson reached
The doors are intended to be thrown
open so as to relieve every southern
claimant from .the obligation to prov
his loyalty. Similar privileges are con
ferred by the bills of Senator Garland
of Arkansas, and Mr.. Ellis, of Louis
lana, which allow claims for the PRO
ceeds of captured and abandoned pro
perty, the filing of which was limited
to two years after the close of the re
bellion, to be filed for one year more.
Mr. Cook, of Georgia, and Mr.
. Cabell, of Virginia, have introduced
bills extending the time backwards ii
which the government is required tt
pay for cotton seized by Its agents ii
the rebel states. The date, now JUNE
30th, 1865. There are also two bill
for refunding the cotton tax--ove
$50, 900, 900 in amount to the south
ern states, ostensibly for school pur
noses. It is against the refundino O