The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-10-09
Let it 60 as a Ioan."
NOW WHAT SAYS GARFIELD,


Nobody thinks it necessary for Gen. Gar
field to write a letter about southern claims
Stal5rar organs.
On the contrary permit us to assure our de
luded stalwart friends that there IS very loud
and earnest call upon Mr. Garfield ito write
letter about southern claims" Among the
claims now pending IN congress, which the
democrats of course wouldn't touch with a
forty foot pole but which James A. Garfield
was understood to favor, is one of j. Madison
Wells, the head center Of the Louisiana cleo.
toral thieves, for $450000. The country
knows of course what Hancock would do
with that claim, but would also be exceed.
lngly gratifed to see Gen. Garfield, in staight-
forward Hancock fashion, say what he would
DO about it if asked to sign a bill in favor of
that steal
From 1SG5-thc close of the war-up to
1874, when the republicans lost their majority
in congress, they had paid over 100000 600
of these southern claims, and bills at the time
were pending for about $30O,OO0,OOO more.
The democratic house shut down the gates on
the business and since then only about ST.
100000 of such claims have been allowed, and
these only after being passed upon by the
Southern Claims Commission" court es
tablished by republican congress and made
up of republican judges and officers. Now
it is obvious under the Hancock letter, the
shutting down Of the gates on these claims
bv tho 1874 IL IN rnntipun Int
how under Garfield should he be elected
president with republican congress to back
him? They hoisted the gates IN 1866 and
kept them open until the democrats put them
down Wouldn't they be likely to hoist them
again in 1881 if they got into power?
Then Gen. Hancock says-and there is no
doubt Of its truth-that the great bulk Of
what are known as southern war claims are at
this day held by northern spectators, who
have actually raised corruption fund TO
bride a servile congress to reopen the gates
for their admission. Should Hancock be
elected of course that would be impossible,
but how about Garfield? Less than year
ago, when a bill was before the house to pay
some of these speculative" claims upon
which the democratic majority had put down
its foot Garfield plead in their behalf in an
eloquent speech" from which the following
is an extract:
"Do gentlemen know that Qeaving out all
the border states) there were fifty regiments
and seven companies of white men in our
army fighting for the Union from states
I, bo roba1lippS no ha, L.
that from the single state of Kentucky more
Union soldiers fought under our flag than
Napoleon took into the battle of Waterloo
more than Wellington took with all the allied
armies against Napoleon? Do they remem-
Der that 10000 colored men fought under
our flag against the rebellion and for the
Union, and that of that number 80 600 were
from the states that went into the rebellion ?
To say that they were enemies, that they had
no rights, and that when they came out of the
war we should not pay them and their fami-
lies for all proper losses they suffered in aid
of our government, is what hoped no man
on either side of the house would say. l am
glad to know that the gentlemen who fought
against us do not say it-nOt one of them. 1t
renamed for one Of our soldiers to cay that
nothing ought to be paid to any man, how
ever loyal, If he came from the south. In my
JuuBulcHt ludt Is III VIC LIZ uCoe ucSiCC uhJuot'
According to this calculation there are at
least 200, 900 ex-soldlers IN the south who are
to be paid for services alleged to have been
rendered. Their claims range from $500 to
$1,000 each; so if the Garfield programme
should be carried out, the taxpayers would
suffer to the tune of about $1,OOOO0O,O0O. Is
it unreasonable, then, for those interested in
the national pocket to demand of the republi-
can candidate an endorsement or reputation
OF the views expressed by him year ago?
A thousand millions of dollars may seem In
significant to him, but to those who will have
to pay it there is very considerable slgnifi-
canoe in 1t. Hancock has set himself right
before the country On this important question,
and now the country waits to hear from Gar
field How long Will II have to waltz