Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-03-14
Raids on ihe Treasurry.

No one argulnent Was pressed more
closely during the last Presidential
campaign than that the accession of the
Democratic party to power in the ma
ton would involve the payment by
the United States of a mass of Rebel
claims almost limitless in amount. By
the Democrats this cry was sneered at
as an election lie, and many good Re-
publicans believed it Was used simply
as an electioneering dodge to scare the
people and secure their votes. Time
will tell who was right. One fact is
From the time Mr.. Tilden
wrote his famous letter putting himself
sharply against the payment of South.
ern war claims, and in such open, un.
manner as to show he was
in earnest in, the matter, the. South
washed Its hands of himat once. They
never felt any interest in the man from
that moment, and Hayes owes his seat
to-day in the White House as much to
the unpopularity of Tilden at the
South, growing out of his position
upon the Rebel claims question, as to
any ether cause. The Detroit Post
and Triune has recently published in
detail a list Of the Southern claims,
by States, with the names OF
the individual claimants asking COM
These measures are all
now pending as private bills. At
present they are about five hundred in
number, and vary in amounts from
SLY to $50, 900 each. The refunding
of the cotton tax, which will take $50,
000, 900, is certain to pass the next Com
gress if the House continues Demo.
cratic. Mr.. Cook, OF Georgia, has in.
troduced a bill enlarging the claims for
cotton, demanding pay of the Govern
meat for all cotton seized by its agents
in the Rebel States after May 18th.
1865. Heretofore the date has been
June 3Oth, 1865. Mr.. Cabell, of Vir.
ginia. has introduced a bill CARRYING
the cotton claims back to April 10Th,
1865, and adding claims for all tobacco
seized after that date by the Treasury
agents. Mr.. Wilson, oil West Virginia,
has bill ordering that every claimant
shall be sheltered behind legal pre-
sumption of his loyalty. The. bill Of
Mr.. Mills shOrteLs the legal term OF
the Rebellion fourteen months, while
Mr.. Shelley would transfer all claims
Tor war losses to the Court of Claims,
where the question of loyalty or dis
loyalty cannot be considered. li slid
4 One brilliant step in advance has al
re1dy been made. The House Com
mitlee on War Claims have agreed
upon bill sending to The Southern
Claims Commission the vast mass of
war claims now pending before Con
sress and Departments. 1t changes
the present law, which compelled
claimants TO prove loyalty from the
of hostilities to the
present time, into provision reuuir.
ing proof of loyalty after seizure of
the ii property. The iniquity and
of such a provision ia
apparent. Instead of taking the bold
manly, honest ground that no traitor
should receive compensation for losses
received in war, and that the Govern.
ment will pay no claims. to the men
who originally tried to destroy it. the
House committee open wide the door
to all claimants, and pave the way for
their future success. Their report
says: ly 9-fd ed ra.7iii aa'-5 4. i
Whenever our Government assumes the DO.
sition that it, in such case, Chat of alleged
uOs AAaDiC, OLs IL bLlal from the
maguitade of the aggregate Of similar claims
likely to rise it cannot as matter of polity or
in Justice to its finances undertake to make
compensation, then our Government at once
loses one of ils highest attributes 49,. ....-'.'
The laxity of such a rule is obvious
to the poorest understanding. It is
plain these Rebel claims are to cut
large figure hereafter in the legislation
of the country. The Democratic party
OF the North will vote for their paw.
ment az u part OF the price demanded
of them for the support of the South.
To an enormous extent the private
claims will be paid in full. The South
is in earnest in this business, is Door.
hungry, clamOrous, and determined.
twill not be very long before men
who place Democratic Congressman in
power at the North will find lust how,
costly a luxury it will prove. When
the cotton claims, the tobacco claims.
and the claims for war losses pass
against the strenuous protests of Re-
publicans, and are paid over to the
South by millions upon millions, as
they certainly will be il the Demo.
Gratis in Congress continue in power.
then our people will begin to find ex.
actly what Democratic reconciliation
costs, exactly what Democratic econo-
my means, exactly what the South de.
mands, and will know the value of
that bowling reform which cripples
the army and navy, discharges few
hundred disabled Union soldiers and
poor women clerks from the Depart
ments, and pays Rebel war claims
with nnblushing effrontery to the tune
of hundreds of millions.-Cleveland
Herald. ttDi 5..I Y73.e. ID