Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-04-19
Southern Greed.

The hunger OF the ex-COnfederates for
government plumber is enormous. Hav-
ing failed to destroy the nation with gun
powder, they want to eat up the substance
of the Treasury and exhaust and bankrupt
the country. The number of claims of
public and private character which have
been presented from the South for the
cInsd .ration of Congress is enough to
alarm the public. The New York Tribune
has from time to time published INSTALL
ments of these claims, the facts being OBJ
talned from the records of Congress OF
its last installment the Tribune SAYS:
The South's little bill against the ma
tional treasury is SD big that we have had
TO give it In sections. The first two in-
stallments Included no private
claims and consisted solely of bills for
public improvements. The total sum
asked for by the bills of this character
which were introduced between the mid
die OF last October and the middle OF
March, was Sl92, 900. 900, estimates OF
amounts, where they were unavoidable,
being moderate. To this we add to-day
another item of the little bill-that OF pri-
vate claims introduced during the same
time. In estimating the amount asked for
in those bills which do not name the figure
of the claim. very low average has been
taken, SO low as doubtless to be consider
ably under the truth. But with these esti-
mates, the sum demanded by these bills is
more than $4,000 900, putting the whole
demand made by the South during five
months Of the session at 1902 ,000,U 200 al
the very least. But. as is stated else
where. an attorney Tor a large number OF
Southern claimants, who would be the last
man in the world To brighten the country
with too alarming an array of his clients
expectations, has shown that three large
classes OF private claims, now before Con-
gress, amount to $l17, 900, making
the grand total probably at least $500,
100000. Perhaps these are figures enough
for taxpayers to feed on, but one more
suggestion of the size of the Southern APP
petite will do no harm. The House Com
mittee on War Claims had under consid-
GRAFTON bill referring all war claims to
the Southern Claims Commission. Under
this bill it was stated in Washington dis
patches, some weeks since, that hVenty-
fUe thousand separate claims would be Re-
ierred To that Commission. Only 1000 vi
this number are before Congress, all the
rest are before different departments OF
the government, 10000 being before the
QuartermasterGenera office alone. No
doubt vast proportion OF these claims
are from Southern and border States
Who will dare to guess how many million
dollars they call forP"
Ii the republicans can succeed in re-
gaining the supremacy in the House
they will effectually block the payment OF
these claims, even though the uext Presi-
dent should be democrat, and the Sem
ate of the same stripe. If we can gain
the House this year we shall hold it in the
election of 1880. We hope to see a re-
publican President elected then, but il
such should not be the case we can check
the South if we have control of the House.
Here is consideration which appeals d.
rectIy to everybody who does not desire
TO witness the burial of the Treasury un-
der an avalanche of Southern claims.