Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-06-11
REBEL CLAIMS AND RADICA
FRAUD.

REBEL CLAIMS AND RADICAL
FRAU I'D.
"A rare opportunity was offered th,
stalwarts in Congress few days ag,
to give the country proof OF thei
sincerity In regard to Southern claims
For years the clamors of Republican
orators and editors about "rebel claims
have filed the air. Columns of figurel
have been piled up in their newspaper
to show the enormous amounts th,
Coniederates would take from th,
Treasury in payment of their claimi
on the advent of Democratic majority
In Congress. Three thousand million:
in these claims constituted the lowest
estimate Of the stalwart Tribune
whose columns groaned for months
preceding every election with the
dismal load That Democratic ma.
jority in Congress has come and the
first step OF one of its members, Gen.
eral Bragg of Wisconsin, brave
Union soldier, was to move to abolish
the Southern Claims Commission as
an amendment to the civil appropria.
ton bill. Gen. Braggs object, as he
declared in the debate, was TO close
the payment Of fraudulent Southern
claims through this commission and at
the same time to stop the loyal cry
that the Democrats designed TO rob the
Government. When the vote on this
amendment was taken the Republi.
cans of she House under the lead Of
Gen. Garfield voted in the negative,
and the Southern claims commission is
preserved through the aid of few
struggling Democratic votes. Had the
Republicans voted in accordance with
their professions the commission would
have been abolished by an overwhelm.
ing vote, as nearly al! The Democrats
supported the amendment of Gen.
Bragg
THIS Southern claims commission
was created on the last day of the
session of 1871, and rushed through
Congress without debate. 1t was
passed as "rider' TO the civil appro.
priation bill, that Revolutionary pro-
cess, as it is now styled by the stal.
warts, for coercing the Executive. The
OF this commission for de.
termining the validity of millions of
claims were not selected TOR their
judicial requirements and integrity
but Tor their partisan services. They
make their own rules of evidence and
have power to appoint Investigating
agents. whose function 1t is to 20
about and gather up testimony in re-
gard to claims and the loyal character
Of the claimants. Upon the evidence
presented by these detectives the valid.
ty OF the claims has been for the most
part determined A more infamous
for tho encouragement of
raud upon the Government was never
ievised in the highest flights Of Radi.
'al ingenuity. Under its operation
rot less than sl5G0O0,OO0 have been
aiken from the Treasury to pay South
rn claims, and the commission with
is detectives is busily engaged in
,rindlng out more. When Demo.
ratio member of Congress moved to
rrest thisIvillanious agency of fraud i
nd robbery, this blot on the jurispru. I
ence of the nineteenth century, the +
talwarts with almost unanimous voice J
oted no. They had a reason for their !
curse. They know that most Of the :
wards OF this commission are fraudu. :.
mt. With spies and iDformers called a
investigating agents" to gather testi- >
lony for the commission, to seek !,
mong carpet baggcrs and freedmen =
n proof OF the loyalty of claimants |,
nd the validity of their claims the \
wards in most instances could not :,
clip being fraudulent and corrupt.
utfrom the awards OF this commission
As been drawn large share Of the u
adical corruption fund, and this nc. a,
'unts for the affection with which the ~
alwarts in Congress have rallied to f.
support This commission afforded a,
10 largest portion of the sustenance m
carpet bag rule in the South, elect st
g carpet baggers to Congress and h,
ate begistures through its fraudulent
Yards, until carpet baggcry broke
wn with the weight of its own rot. OF
nness. The stalwarts in Congress th
II insist that the commission shall be tn
'intained as long as an Investigating he
ent can discover a loyal claimant, W.
the Democrats have resolved that th
must be swept away with the bayo.
election law, jurors test oaths
lrshal Kerns. ballot stuffing deputies, b'
d all the rest of the machinery for el
eating the will Of the people and m
lndering their Treasury. General tn
agg's amendment is not yet lost Sc
triof. is