Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-10-07
REPUBLIcAN ROORBACKs.

REPUBLICAN, ROORBACKS.
In the circulars issued by the Republican
National committee and by Bill Washburn
and his friends, great stress is laid upon the
necessity of choosing Republican House
of Representatives, and among the woes de-
picted as likely to result from the election OF
Democratic majority is the prospective de-
pletion of the treasury by the pawn. MT of
the rebel debt, rebel war claims, and COM
pensation for the emancipation of the slaves.
The Glencoe Register echoes the sentiment,
and is using it as an argument against the
election Of the Hon. Henry Poehler in the
Second district. In recent issue that paper
says:
Henry Poeher this fall, votes in favor of paying the
rebel war claims bills of which have already been
presented by the Southern members to the enor-
nous amount of S2O0,oO0,0OO.
In a subsequent issue the Register says:
The claims now before Congress do not r. present
dollar of the rebel debt proper, but tiey are
for the most part claims for property de.royed by
the Union army in it's march through the South while
in pursuit of its rebel owners, every of them
being ready to subscribe to oath that he was a
Union man, consequently EMIT ed to receive pay for
property destroyed. The Democratic House has
already smugged through several bills for the pay
ment of some of these claims, which will undoubt-
eddy pass the Democratic Senate with which the
country is to be blessed (?) after the election
The absurdity and dishonesty Of such as
sertions as the above are manifest to every
intelligent man who has read the constitu-
ton of the United States and the laws of
Congress, or VINO understands the policy and
purposes of the Democratic party. Fortu-
nately documentary proof is at hand
sufficiently convincing to disprove each
and every one of the allegations.
AS 10 the intentions of the Democrats, no
better evidence cin be found than tkeir rec
ord dnriog the late session of CONGRESS,
where they had undis, .uted sway in the
House. DR.. Redfeld, the Washington cor
respondent of the Cincinnati Commercial, a
Re publican of good anding and che of the
most careful and painstaking correspond
ents in tho country, in reviewing the work
of the last Congress-, says:
Summed up, the Southern claim, legislation of the
last Congress amounts to this: About $4,000 600 in
claims OF all sorts were introduced, most of which
were for the two items of cotton captured and pub
lie buildings, churches, etc., used and destroyed.
None Of these passed, and should never pass, for
there would be no end to that sort of thing. But
Union people should be paid to the last dollar. Of
the whole aggregate of about S1OOOOOOO introduced
less than $780, 600 got through and these of nature
which should certainly take them out of the cate
CORY Of "rebet cI0inaS.' An appropriation of about
S4D0,0O0 was made to pay claims awarded two years
ago by the Southern cl inns commission, but for
which the last Congress made no appropriation.
These claims mostly small amounts, the average
being but few hundred dollars, and go to Union
p1oi oI>o
States.
Thus it will be seen that instead of $780,
100000 of Southern claims presented to
Congress as alleged by the Register, those
actually submitted footed up to but one
twentieth of that amount, and not single
claim of doubtful description was allowed.
This does not look like determination on
the part of the Democrats to pay the 'rebel
claims'' or the s'rebel debt.''
But granting for the sake of argument
that some of the Southern members
of Congress might endeavor to secure
an allowance for such purposes, they would
be met with an insurmountable constitution
al bar. Section of the Fourteenth amend
ment to the constitution reads as follows:
The vitality Of the public debt of the Uni ed States.
authorized by law including debts incurred for pay
ment OF pensions and bounties for services in sup
pressing insurrection or rebellion shall not be
questioned. But neither the United States nor
any State shall assume to pay any debt or obligation
incurred in aid of insurrection rebellion against
the United States any claim for the loss or eman-
cipation of any slave; but all such Debts obligations
and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Could anything more effectually bar the
payment of claims arising out of the rebel
lion than this? To allege that this provision
of the constitution will be set aside is to as
sert that an impossibility can come to pass.
To annul it will require vote of two thirds
of the members of both houses of Congress
and of the legislatures of two-thirds of the
States, neither of which can be had in any
possible contingency.
But to show still further the temper of
the Democratic party we will quote an act
passed by the Democratic House of Repre-
sentatives on the 18th of June last:
An act providing for the judicial ascertainment of
claims against the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives of the United States of America in Con-
gress assembled, That any person who may have a
claim against the United States of which the court of
claims would not now have Jurisdiction, but founded
upon justice and equity and not bound by any stat
ute OF limitations provided by any law of the United
States may file his bill in the court of claims of the
United States, setting out the grounds of claim aud
the relief desired by him. and the attorney general of
the United States shall appear and plead thereto
provided in other cases.
SECTION 2. any issue of fact joined upon such
bill may be tried by the court now provided for
cases of which it has jurisdiction.
SEC 3. The court shall find the facts appearing
from the testimony before them in each case, and
shall report their findings to Congress, with their
opinion as to the determination which should be
made of such claim.
SEC. 4. Congress shall not consider, nor allow.
nor authorize the payment Of any private claim not
payable under existing laws until the same has been
heard and reported to Congress by said court of
claims as herein provided.
SEC. s. All claims against the United States pro-
yided for by this act prosecuted within six years
from the passage of this act of the time when the
same severely accrued, shall be barred, except that
when the claimants under le yal disability to she
the action must be brought within six years. or with
IN three years after such disability shall cease.
The purpose of this act was not only to bar
the presentation of claims by interposing
what amounts to statute of Limitation, but
to take the ascertainment Of the character of
these claims out of Congress altogether. If
the Democratic majority had intended to