New-York tribune., 1880-09-25


minority of the stockholders are getting the
biggest share of the dividends.
| GENERAL HANCOCK on SOUTHERN CL1iNS.
General Hancock has been forced, as Mr.
Tilden was by the pressure of Northern SEN
timent into writing letter upon Southern
claims Ii would have been better for Gen
eral Hancock to follow Mr.. Iilden'S example
still further and treat the subject with entire
seriousness. The Democratic candidate of 1916,
| who was sagacious politician when young Mr.
| Hancock received his appointment as West
Point cadet, was keen enough to see
what the temper of the North was
on this subject, and his letter dis
cussed it with all necessary gravity.
General Hancock, whose lack of public cx
penencc is as likely to lead him to under
estimate important questions as to lead him
to overestimatc questions that are OF little
moment, writes almost in a hppant tone.
He is sorry to find that his correspondent Is
"Gisturbed' about " that bugbcar-Southern
"War Claims"
This is the keynote of this letter, which
the voters of the North will read with sur
prise. The burden of the letter is not Gen
eral Hancocks pledge to veto the claims OF
disloyal persons, though that is gwen, but
General Hancock's attempt to show that
there are no such claims. Had he con-
tented himself by putting on record his
individual promise to veto such measures. he
might have reassured many Northern voters,
hut when he undertakes to show that the eX-
Confederates of the South have no designs
upon the Treasury he insults the intelligence
of the people whose votes he asks, and re-
news the alarm his letter was intended to
allay
General Hancock SAYS that "tO suppose
" that Rebel claims, or claims in the interest
"of persons who were in rebellion, can in
"any way or in any degree be countenanced,
- is an imputation of disloyaty such as usei
"to be made against Democrats even when
" they were in arms defending the country"
Rebel claims have been countenanced
III this way and to this degree-that
the files of both houses of Congress
are loaded with bills providing for their
pavment. introduced by General Hancock's pot
zeal supporters in behalf of the men who hope
to see them paid if he becomes President. He
says that to propose the payment of such
claim "wOuld be an insult to the intelligence
land honor Of our people" Then have the
two houses of Congress grievously insulted
the intelligence and honor of the American
people. He says that nobody expects or wants
such unnatural action" Every reader of The
TRIBUNE knows that this statement is tar
from the facts. We have printed from time to
time complete compilations OF measures
now pending in Congress looking to just
this " unnatural action" Their name
is legion. The amount of money which they
would take from the Treasury, by direct and
indirect means, is almost beyond computation.
There is no space here in which to indicate
one-hundreth part of the devices sought to
be employed by the Southern army of claim
owners and claim agents, nor of the results
that would follow success. The amount in
volved in the strictly war claims from the
South now pending ~ Congress and the De-
PAL tments, has been estimated at $500, ,O00,OOO
Judge BARLEY, an attorney for many claim
ants, estimates the amount which could be
proved" under the three heads of the cot
ton tax, captured and abandoned property.
and Army supplies, at $117,OOO.OOO. "A
much larger amount of course" he says,
would be claimed" These are familiar
facts in contemporary history. Men of both
parties know them and discuss them. And
vet General Hancock declares that "nObody
"expects or wants such unnatural action" If
that is so--if no one is pressing such claims.
why did Mr.. Tiden write his letter promising
to veto them 7 And why did General Hancock
write his 2
The issue should be kept clear. The danger
to the Treasury. as Senator Edmunds recently
reminded the North, is not of the payment of
debts or obligations incurred in aid" of the
Rebellion, or of claims for slaves, but of the
payment to dislOyal persons of claims for
the use or destruction of property by the
Union armies. These latter claims are not
barred by the Fourteenth Amendment, and
may be ordered to be paid at any time if the
Democrats in Congress can repeal the exist
ing provision of law fOrbidding payments to |
disloyal claimants. Bills are now pending III |
both houses to effect that repeal. We respect |
fuIy direct General Hancocks attention to
this statement.
No doubt General Hancock means all he |
says when he promises his Veto But behind |
him stand his party. They write no letter, |
and make no pledges. They have stuffed the |
files of Congress full of Southern claims, and |
will make none. Which would be the safer |
give the Government to the party |
which is, in the nature of things sOlidly OPP
posed to such claims, or to the party which is
strongly in favor of them on the promise of
one man that he will hold them back Is |
there not considerable risk in stalking the !
United States Treasury on the backbone
power of one man Is it safe to invite the
ocean to try an Inundation, the strength
of promises-even in writing from the dixie !?