Daily Republican., 1880-09-28
Mancock,s Ins,pcsre Answer.


General Hancock hard pressed has q,
last broken the silence imposed upon
him in regard to payment OF the rebsl
claims, and at last evidently by the
advice Of his Southern masters, answers
implicitly, fully and unequivocally tha,
Il elected President he would sign no
bill involving such purpose. Nay, he
goes little farther in his endeavors to
satisfy his oatechists than he was asked
to 60, and evidently upon his own voli-
tion says: That to suppose that rebel
claims, or claims in the interest Of per
soma who were in the rebellion, can in
any way or in any degree be counte-
nancsd, is an imputation Of disloya yalty
such as used to be made against the
Democrats even when they were in arms
defending the country"
This is more exploit than was e1-
pected Of General Hancock, even by his
most ardent conservative supporters.
There is no use for Republican editors
or Republican speakers to decry it ]
account OF not meeting the question
boldly, for 1t does. And there is where
Hancock'S mistake is. The questions
are met too boldly, they are Answered |
too aippantly to satisfy the keen dis
eerner OF the honesty of mems motives
when pressed to do something for their
own political advantage or the advan.
tage OF the party to which they belong
What are the circumstances which
led TO General Hanoock's answeri HE
rebel friends from the South have the
pigeon holes Of the desks and secrsta
ries in the Senate and House OF Repre-
sentatives filed with bills for rebel
claims. Nobody doubts the sincerity
OF these same rebel brigadie.s who
offered these bills. They mean in offer
ing them that they shall be paid by the
government.
As there is nothing in the constitu.
tion Viii actI as barrier to the pay.
ment of these claims, large portion Of I
the Democratic supporters of General q
Hancock in the North became appre-
hensive that these claims would be 7
pushed with even more pertinacity [
than before If Hancock should be elect q
ed, and several weeks ago began sound b
ing him by letters to see where he stood 4
upon that subject. To all such in
quiries Hancock was as silent as the n
grave. Mum, was the word. There T
were fears that II he weuld answer to o.
suit his Northern friends he might '
onend the rebel brigadiers who had
nlied the pigeon.holes Of Congress with ii
bills providing for the payment of "
southern war claims. Republican pa o,
pers and speakers were using Hancock'sl
refusal to answer with deadly effect c.
against him. At last, advised of the s,
effect his silence was having upon the
democratic merchants in Ohio and G.
ther places by Theodore Cook, of Gin y
ciHnati, and by this time no doubt a
conference had been held over It by ~
Southern leaders, he answers the ques. r
tions in such a manner that under
ordinary circumstances they would be A
satisfactory to any loyal man. Does ia
any man suppose that such an answer H
could be satisfactory to the men of the n,
south, who are the only. ones who have i,
nied rebel claims in Congress and de- nc
manded their payment Without the br
SOLID one hundred and thirty-eight tb
votes OF the South Hancock would be NJ
but more shade in this contest. RI
He 10 not certain Of single electo.
raj vote except from the South, Would q
be vilfully throw such an insult into mi
he face Of the Southern people II he n.
lad not been assured of their support pu
lnder any and all circumstances, o al
natter what he might writes or say7 bv
'ixteen Southern Senators and Grtv. sil