The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-10-06
General Haaooch on southern.
Claims.

Claims.
General ifaucoeis has been forced
as Mr.. Tilden was. by the pressure
Of Northern sentiment into writing
q letter upon Southern claims. II
would have been better for General
Hancock 10 follow Mr. Tiidea s ex-
ample s-ill furthur, and treat the
subject with entire seriousness The
Democratic candidate Of 1876. WAC
was sagaci0us politician when
young 8lr. Hancock received bis app
gointment ds q West Point cadet,
was keen eneBga ts-ese- -1Fitat The
temper Of tho North was or this
subject, and his Letter d;scu sel II
with al neces s2ry grav.ty. General
Hancock, whose lack Of public ex-
. .perience is Is likely to lead him TO
underestimate important questions
as to lead him TO oyeres5in&te ques-
tions that are oflittlc moment, writes
almost in Hippunt tone He IS sorry
10 find that bis c3clesP PondeBt is
disturbed p abou, "that bu5baIg
Southern War Claims.
This IS tie keynote oi this letter,
which tie voters Of she Sorth VII
( read wilb surprise. The burden 81.
the letter Is mol General Hancock 5
pledge to veto the claims Of di>loyal
pensions though that is given, bat
Gen. Hancocl,s at5ampt to show
that there are no such claims , HaC.
( he contentcd himself by putting on
+ record hisindiyidual promise 70 veto
such measures, Le might have reas-
sured many Northern voters, but
when he undertakes to snow that
the ex-ContedeTates 81 tie South
have no designs upon tie Treasury
he insults the intelligence Of the
people whose cc,cs he asks, and re-
news the alarm his jltler was iltead-
cI to aIiay.
Gcn Hancock says that 20 sup
pose til. Rebel clJims. OF ciIims
in thcin,are--. Of person VINO were
IN rebellion, can in any waF or IN
any degree ae couutenanced. is an
imDutalea Of di=ioval.y such as
used to be made against Democrats
even when they were in arms Ga-
Tending iho country. Rebel claims
have bee-rJuutenalced III tHis way
and Ga THIS .e-ree-lhat tnc files OF
both h9ur ot Congress are loaded
with bills providing for their pay
ment, introaaeed by Gen Hancock $
political supporters IN behalf oi tie
men who nope to see them paid if
he becomes President De SAYS tEa
TO propose the payment OF such @
claim would De an insult TO the in
tellieence "aud Eoa0rOf our people. ?
Then have the two houses Of Con-
eress crey.0uslv iu>aited the int5iE-
Qouce ana holor af the American
people lie SAYS tAat nobody ex-
poets or wants such unnatural ac-
ton Every reader of the T-.5
knows tia. ta.s statement Is Er
from the facts. Ne have printed
from time to time complete compil-
atoms OF measures ROW pending iH
Congress. looking 10 jus5 Jhis -uu-
natural action, Their name is lezi0n.
The amount OF money which .3ev
would take from the Treasury 1y
direct and iaoiEec. means. Is almost
beyond computation. Iaera is E5
space here IN Whic. Ia indicate OBS
hundreth part o the Geeices sought
to be employed by tao Southern
army oi claim owners and claim
agents. nor Of the results that would
follow success. The amount iayoly-
ell IN the strictly war claims from
the South now pending IN Congress
aud the Departments. has been estI-
mated ct S30.CJJtU Jadgc Bart
ley. an attorney Tor many claimau.-.
estimates the amount which could
be proved under tie three heads
OF the cotton tax. captured and aban-
doRcd property, and Army supplies.
at s1110JD,0J0. 4 much larger
amount Of course. he says. would
be claimed" These are familiar
facts in contemporary history. 3IeH
Of both parties know them and dis
cuss them. And yet Gen. Hancock
declares that nobody expects OF.
wants such unnatural action. Iii
that Is sol no one Is pressing such
claims, why did 1Ir. Tilden wrile
his letter promising 10 veto thcm =
And why did General Hancock write
his?
The issue should be KEEP, clear.
The danger 10 the Treasury, as Sen
ator Edmunds recently reminded
the North, IS not Of the payment of
debts or obligations incurred il
aid of the Rebellion, or Of claims
for slaves, but Of the payment to
disl0yal persons Of claims for the
use or destruction ofproperty by the
Union armies. These latter claims
are not barred by the Fourteenth
Amendment, and may be ordered
90 be paid at any time If the Demo
crats IN Congress can repeal the ex-
isting provision OF Law ioTbidding
payments 10 disloyal claimants. Bills
are now pending in both houses to
effect that repeal We respectfully
direct Gen. Hancocks attention -
this statement.
10 doubt Gen. Hancock means
all he says when he promises to veto. !
But behind MIN stand his party.
They write no letter, and make no
pledges. They have stuffed the files
Of Congress full Of Southeran claims.
and VIII make none. Which would
be the safer c0uTse-to give the
Government 10 the party which i.
il the nature Of things, s0lidlv OF
posed 10 such claims, or 10 the party
which Is strongly IN favor Of them
on the promise of one man that he
viii hold them back Is there rot
considerable risk IN stalking the
[ nited States Treasury on the back
bone poweFof one man? Is It safe 70 (
invite the ocean to try an inunda- /
ton, on the strength OF proRises-
even II 1riJllG-lTon the dlke2