Morning journal and courier., 1880-10-07
THAT ..REPUBL1CAN BUGBEAR.' 5

THAT ssREPUBLICAN BUGBEAR.''
 The declaration concerning southern claims forced out of General Hancock by anxious northern Democrats did not so entirely de- molish that Republican bugbear' as the Democratic newspapers and orators would have us believe. If the claimants agreed with Hancock, or if they were a much less numerous and influential portion of their party than they are, his declaration would have more weight and be more reassuring than it is. But the claimants do not agree with him, and, moreover, many of them have not sufficient discretion to refrain from say ing so. Hancock says nobody wants or ex- poets" the payment of rebel claims. On the other hand Senat or Vance, of North Carroll ma, Confederate Brigadier, who has a bill now on the files of the Senate to expedite the payment of those claims, rises up and says: | ssThe South asks no bold and unfair thing when she demands her rightful compensation | for homes destroyed, farms laid waste and pillaged, property stolen and slaves released | by the Yankee plunderers who lived upon us and then refused us bounty And it is time that the whole North should understand this | It is time that the North should understand | that it must atone, far as 1t can, for all the South has suffered in body, pocket and soul Our time is coming, boys, and the long pur- gatory that we have gone through will only make our paradise the brighter when we get | there" The Meridian Mercury, a Mississip- pi paper, inquiries how the General would stand if the pensioning of Union soldiers was 1 @ new and open question. The Mercury in sists that a new question 1t should be solved by pensioning all of both sides, or none, and it speaks of the stupidity and meanness'' that make the discrimination be- tween loyal men and rebels. It adds In this connection we think to make a remark about southern Congressmen who vote for these pension laws and appropriations They stultify themselves every time they do it and degrade themselves besides" Taking these and similar utterances in connection with the known determination and power of those who make them and sympathize with then to rule Hancock and his party, the 'sRepub Iican bugbear'' does not seem so very ridicu lous after all.
 It is also pointed out that there are large classes of southern claims about the depart | even under the letter of General Hancock declaration. To begin with, there are $10, GOO, 900 of cotton claims where the question of loyalty does not enter, and where the re opening and paying would only require { ] ruling from willing Attorney-General tha the decisions of one Secretary of the Treas ury do not of necessity bind others. Ther' F are $15, GOO, ,OO0 worth that could be put be fore the Court of Claims if the Potter bil should pass. This is bill of a general char acter, providing for sending all claims of I legal or of an equitable character before tn
 Court of Claims. The ostensible purpose o
 the bill is to relieve Congress from work o1 private matters. It has been favorably re
 ported, and has the support of many Repub
 licans, because it has seemed to provide
 plan for taking the matter of claims out o
 Congress. While it could be made to appl
 to large class of rebel claims, its terms ar
 altogether general, and there would be h
 ground in the face of the measure to requir | a veto from General Hancock, if elected But Democratic lawyers, in their talk at tn
 Treasury, have exposed the next step in con
 temptation, if the Democrats succeed. It
 the intention to make the additional bushes l which this measure would inevitably give t j, the Court of Claims an argument to enlarg ;, it 10 nearly twice the present size in order 7 make it possible to discharge its bushes
 promptly. With the Potter bill law and th :. majority of the Court of Claims Democrats
 there would be no limit to the sums thf
 could be taken from the Treasury. Thos
 who have had to do with settling the eotto
 claims since the war express the opinio
 that at least $25, 100000 in cotton claim
 which have never yet been filed, would 1
 once be placed on the dockets of that cour
 AS we have frequently stated, there is or d way to settle this unpleasant business an
 give sure protection to the public funds, an
 that is to elect General Garfield Presiden
 Republican candidates for the Presidency n. not have to write letters declaring that tht
 will do nothing to help the payment of reb
 claims.