The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-10-07
Democrats, remember that
next Tuesday is election day.
Southern War Claim. ..


Southern War Claims.
The Republican papers, says the st.
Paul Globe, return to the charge. anu
continue to allege that it is the pur-
pose of those who control the action OF
the Democratic party, in the event OF
its ascendancy to open wide the doors
of the treasury and pay all claims oi
Southern people who suffered loss dur
ing the war, whether the claimants
were loyal or disloyal to the govern
ment. This lie has been so often re-
futed that it would appear work OF
supererogation to again deny it. The
facts contradictory to the assertion are
so numerous and SO positive that it
looks as if the maligners of the Dem
ocratic party were animated only by
the most malicious motives.
The truth of the matter is that the
great bulk of the Southern claims thus
far allowed have been passed upon by
Republican Congresses. From the
forty-second to the forty-sixthC Congress
nearly five million dollars were allow
ed by Southern claims commission,
and appropriations for their payment
made by Congress-. This does not in
clude the amounts allowed directly by
Congress by means of special acts,
which would swell the sum given to
over Il hundred million dollars. Eve
ry law or decision of the courts under
and by which Southern claims have
been paid, and by which payment is
now claimed, was originated and en-
acted by Republican Congress and
interpreted by Republican judiciary,
as all the offices Of the government
since the close of the war up to the
opening of the forty-fourth Congress
were held and controlled by the Re-
publican party. The records of Con-
gress show that prior to 1876 the Re-
publican Congress voted to Southern
claimants the enomOus sum of one hum
dred and seventeen millions of dollars.
Since the accession to power of the
Democratic party the payment of
Southern claims has practically ceased.
The two Democratic chairmen of the
committee on war claims, Mr.. Eden,
of Illinois, and Gen. Bragg, of Wis
consin set their faces resolutely against
the payment of such claims. They
held that ample time had already been
given to those justly entitled to COM
pensation for war losses to file their
claims, together with the requisite
proofs of their loyalty, and they have
refused to consider or have reported
adversely upon nine-tenths of the
claims submitted to them. The rec
ords of Congress also show that Sena-
tor Hill, of Georgia. Representative
Davis of North Carolina, and many
other statesmen, have made speeches
in Congress against the recognition by
the government of such claims, and
most all the Southern representatives
acquiesced in their statements. The
payment of Southern claims was Re-
publican device intended to subserve
partisan interests, and that only, and
if there are loop-holes in the law
whereby the claims of disloyal persons
can be recognized it is the fault of the
party which framed and
enacted the laws.
There is not the slightest danger that
the Democratic party will deplete the
treasury by allowing the claims of dis
loyal persons. The party is on record
as opposed to such policy. All claims
upon the treasury must be fully sup
ported not only by proofs of loss, but
by proofs of the loyalty of the claim
ants, else they will be rejected. The
charge that any contrary
course is to be pursued is a mere buga-
300 disigned to frighten the timid.
Those who make the accusation do not
believe it to be true, and the facts that
ire of record certainly disprove it
ully.