Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-09-02
To the Voters
Of Wood County,!
Why the Republicans will
Succeed.

OOilSlUCIdDle SpaCe mas alCduy DecH
given to facts showing that the South,
the controlling power in the Democrat,
ic party, is determined to regain con,
troll Of the government, and to admin
lister it In the interest Of aristocracy
and caste. Reference has been made
to the fact that she has already pre-.
sented claims against the government
for losses incurred during the rebellion
amounting to hundreds of millions Of
dollars, which the labor and enterprise
Of the North are asked to pay. The
opinion has been expressed that in case
the Democratic party shall succeed to
the control of the government, the
vast millions that will be claimed from
the government on account Of losses
and destruction of other property by
the national forces in putting down
the rebellion, will be followed by a
demand that payment be also made
for the four million slaves emancipated
The estimated cost to the people of
overthrOWing the rebellion is sac
thousand millions of dollars This
has entailed upon the country public
debt which is mortgage upon the
capitol and energies of the nation for
half century to come. The proper
ton Of this burden which the South
has thus far borne, or is likely to bear,
IS comparatively nothing The labor
and industry of the North alone must
bear its oppressive weight. Add to
this the claims of the South for her
losses. including her slaves, and the
burden viii be doubled at least and
the increase will also rest in the main
upon the industry of the North. To
assume this additional debt will pros
trate the public credit. and bankrupt
the nation. Onerous taxation will
of necessity oVerwhelm all branches of
business, and unless we shall follow as
a nation the disgraceful example of
reputation which has been set by so
many of the southern states, the mile
stones of ruin and decay Will speedily
mark the national pathway. The
advocates of democratic" ascend
ency say in reply to this : "There is
no danger. You can trust US. The
18th amendment forbids payment of
these claims. Besides, the party dare
not pay them, if it could, and so de,
sired" 1t has already been shown
that other equally obligatory and vital
provisions of the 14th amendment are
utterly and openly disrcgarded at the
South. Let the candid Inquirer after
truth ponder well, in this connection,
the facts bearing upon the subject,
which are far more significant and re-
liable than are the unsupported as
surances of partizen zeal. Recently
published documents taken from the
rebel archives show that payment by
our government of the rebel debt and
for emancipated slaves was the subject
Of correspondence between rebel
cabinet officer, and a rebel General,
(Reagan. of Texas. and Gen. 10.
Johnston, both of whom are now
Democratic members of Congress, J
at the time Of the rebel surrender, and
they then agreed that such payment
would net be inconsistent with the
conditions of such surrender; and
following this, and in accordance with
the advice of leading Southerners,
lists were made throughout the South
of slaves freed or lost, and of the per
sons who owned them, which lists are
being preserved with greatest care,
awaiting the golden opportunity fol
payment which Democrat" success
Is to afford. All native white South
erners who had anything suffered los;
by their treason, and they are unit
now in favor of recovering compensa
ton for such losses. Nor is this sent
iment confined to the extreme South
The State of Maryland, long after the
war, and after the 14th amendment
was ratifed-which in express term:
forbids the United States or any State
from paying for any emancipated slav'
deliberately incorporated the follow
ing provision in her State Constitution
and it remains there to-day:
1.-The general Assembly shall pas
no law providing for payment by thi
State for slaves emancipated from ser
vice within this State, but they MAJ
adopt s,.cR measures as they may deem
erpedient to Obtain from the United
States compensation for sHch sla0es
and to receive and distribute the sam
equitably to the persons entitled.
Maryland was intensely Democrat
ic" when this provision was adopted
and is so still She did not then seen