The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-10-17

both houses of Congress, but DO approved
by the Executive after March 4, 1881
Bills by the hundred were rushed for
ward In that belief. Prudence gave way
10 greed. The caution Of BhIewd Southern
members was treated with contempt
Members were compelled by their con
stituents 10 introduce their little bills
In order TO get them well on the way to-
ward passage before the triumph Of the
Solid South In a Presidential election
should bring the promised hour. The
record Of these bills the Tribune now sub.
mits, and Il deserves the most serious Of.
tention'ot Northern voters.
The figures stagger by their magnitude.
The South submitted bills, at the second
session Of the last Congress and at the ex.
ira session OF the present Congress, involv.
Ing an expenditure OF S753, SJl 900 for In.
ternal improvements at the South alone.
Al the same time, bills relating to private
claims were offered which demanded 49,.
903 900 from the public Treasury, In nd.
dition, the claim Is still urged with intense
zeal for repayment Of the cotton tax, and
y is estimated that this alone would take
SSoV'OO0,OOO fromthe Treasury. From the
beginning OF the first session Of the
ALvth Congress to the close OF the first
session Of the XLVIth, the bills presented
on behalf OF the Solid South called for
u, 2S7 ,624, 7S5 more than enough to bank.
rupt the Treasury. Yet these bills do not
cover the entire demand OF that session
thns lar. The above statement does not
include any estimate for the cost OF con.
structlng railroads which 1t Is proposed
70 build by Government aid, at the rate OF
Si50OO per mile for the San Antonio and
Mexican Border road, $4,000 per mile for
the Texas Pacific, and similar sums for
other roads, the length OF which is not
ascertatnable, Enormous as these de.
mands are, thus swelled by sums OF un.
known magnitude, they still do cover all
the requirements Of the hungry South.
IheTe Is wanted payment for the value
VI slaves emancipated as war measure,
payment for losses caused by the move.
ment OF the Union armies, and payment.
Tor losses imposed by Confederate or dis.
loyal State Governments upon the loyal
citizens Of the South. In short, these
claims are In number as the lice OF Egypt,
and Ia magnitude absolutely incalcuiabie.
What u the North going to do about
themF One thing we may as well under
stand at the outset; the Democrats at the
North are going to pay these or any other
claims which the South may make, II they
have power. There will be protests BY
the score. OF effective resistance, there
Will be not any. Confederate Generals
already have secured chairmanships Of the
committees which pass upon these claims
and Jobs. The Solid South will in the
future have clear majority, as it has
now, in every Democratic caucus. The
demands OF the South will be obeyed by
every Northern Democrat who has any
ambition to hold high office by Democrat
&c votes, OR to WELD large influence in
that party. The Democratic party, to
speak plainly, does not care II it does
bankrupt the Treasury. In fact, the ma.
Iority Of its voters and leaders would
rather see the Union dishonored flnanci.
ally than not. But whatever men want,
when the Solid South demands they will
obey, For it is as true now as it ever was,
that the National Democrat sneezes when.
ever the South takes snuff.