The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-02-03


rnder the preceding administration al
tempted the same tactics. But Jefferso
adopted rule, which he after wards rig
idly followed. that interiered somewhs
| With the success OF the scheme. lie elm
ply announeed that no incumbent, VIII
had come in at the end Of the precedin
administration with the expectation Q
holding over, should be regarded ss eve
q candidate for the place. 1t is q com
prehensiEe and simple rule, and nigh
be made TO do good work under Presi
dent Cleveland.
But the present First Assistant Post
master General has recently announced
that the Department will make no ap
pontments that will interfere with lh
incoming administration, and II that i
done, it will no doubt save many disap
pointments.
Claims and Claims.
It is wonderful TO see how many
schemes are on foot TO get money out o
the public treasury. Without the powe
to tax roguery.no government could pay
hne-fourth the claims presented and liv /,
With this power OF taxation, the ex
chequer might mainly be supplied from
the subjects in the neiehborhood OF th'
capitol itself. ! suppose it has Away
-heen al,ou, the ssme way ever since ths
government sci up a treasury but tn,
general impression has gone sb Dad lha
there is a vast surplus on hand, aud con
stqutntly the vultures appear more nu
merous and more clamorous than usual
This surplus, however. is rather myth
cal. Al least. enough OF the nalions
debt is now due TO make pretty big
hole in 1t, If it were applied to that pur
pose, besides the las, report Of the Sec
retarv of the. Treasury shows that in
stead OF increasing the surplus there wa.
really deficiency, owing to falling of
in imports and general shrinkage in
business, occasIoned In great measur.
no doubt by the contraction Of the cur.
rency.
But this fact does not seem to discour.
age the claimants-in fact, the growing
hard times appears to stimulate their ef
forts. and they swarm around the capito
like bees around cider mill.
The French spolia,ion claims occupied
the attention of Congress some DAYS
ago. The original owners of these claims
we're not present. They are all dead
The claims grew out OF the destruction
of some trading vessels BY the French
at the close of the last century. The
most Of these claims are now in the
hands OF speculators,and probably three.
iourths Of them are claims of underwri.
ters for the insurance money they were
compelled to pay on the loss Of The yes.
sci. 1.-THE claims had any merit, France
of course. would be first liable to pay
but under treaty between that Govern.
ment and the United ates, made nearly
6 century ago, it is claimed that the Uni
ted States assumed the payment OF them.
| do not know the exact amount OF these
claims. but they doubtless foot up about
City milIions.
> Another OF these schemes is found in
the bill now pending to pay back to the
States the direc! tax collected under the
act OF 1851. Fow remember much about
this tax The claim agents, however,
have been keeping the matter sgitated
for some time. Not one citizen in q
thousand, perhaps, knows that Congress,
in 1861, passed. Law pro,iaing for the
levylng and collecting Of S20, 900, 900 by
a direct tax, which was, spportioned
among the, several States. OHIO was al
lotted the sum of SI,332,025 SO which
was paid All tie States paid their QUO
Ia, except number OF the Southern
States which we're in rebellion and the tax
could not he collected Since the war,
ho wever, the Government sent tax COM
into the South, who proceed
ed to collect the delinquencies wherever
they could with safety, and on failure to
pay in certain ca-es, they sold large
pumher of farms, particularly In South
Carolina; but such difficulty and dssatis-
lion grew out OF this mode that the Com
missioners were 6nallv recalled come
years ago, and nothing further has been
done toward collecting the delinquencies
The Government is now getting ready to
refnnd all this twenty millions.
The questions presented in the matter
are not without difficulty. The Govern.
meat levies tax aai apportions it cut
among the several States according to
Some Of the States collect
and pay over the full amount apportion-
ed 10 them. others agsin fail to paw aIy
portion OF 1t. and individuals in a State
are made to pay while other individuals
in the same Safe are permitted to escape
without paying anything. The bill, as
/ stated, provides for the repayment OF
this money to the several States, and to
the individuals whose lands have been
sold for the unpaid tax. Nsny Of the
States hav- agents here already pressing
their claims. notice that the Ohio Leg.
islsture has recently passed resouticn
TO send an agent here in her interest.
But what claim has Ohio, or anv other
State, as Safe. 10 this money! The
State did not pay it. In fact,t law ex
rressly exempted the property of the
State from the pay bent of any part o.
the tax The money appor'ioned to the
States was collected from the people ant
not from the States Suppose Onit
would get the million and half appor
toned 10 ber, to whom would it belong
Clearly to the individuals who paid it
and how in the world you are going tt
find these individuals after the lapse OF /.
quarter century might puzzle even th,
Ohio Legislature.
No, the only equitable way to reacl
the matter, II the Government shoult
attempt restoration, would be to 90 t
the original land owner at the time th,
tax was levied and collected and max
restoration to him; and il further col
lection is proposed, go to the man whr
owned the land at the time the law wa.
enacted, II YOU can find him, and max,
him paw. Bat it is absurd to say tha
any State, as State, can have any vali'
claim.
There are other schemes equally q
gigantic and with no more merit than th
Two ! have mentioned, and these | may
refer 10 later on. X. X.
A Walking Skeleton.
Mr.. E. Springer, OF Mechanicsburg