The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-03-22
GEN. GOFFS BILL
To-REMEDY AN INJUSTICE
Done Many Good Oiulspl Of West virginia
In the Rejection Of Just War clAlnS.
HOwIrrsspOnSibls Agents Baked
the Intent Of the First Law.
special DipalcA 10 M IieRigalop.

Representatives q bill which Is designed
to afford relief to and benefit greatly thou
sRnds Of people, principally tarmersi in
West Virginia and nelghborlng States
There are, perhaps, covered by this bill in
West Virginiaalons six or eight thousand
Just and honest war claims, which, ifpaid,
will place in the hands OF these an aggrs'
gate sum Of several hundred thousand
dollars.
A brief history OF the circumstances
which have Conspired to make General
Gof's proposed law necessary, may prove
interesting to many readers Of the INTEL
IIdRNCRR who are interested, or who may
be directly benefited by its passage.
HISTORY OF THE CASE,
In 1854 Congress passed an act recog,
mixing the fact that great deal Of proper
ty for the purpose Of subslstiug the army
had been taken from the farmers Of the
States along the border during the war,
for which no compensation had been
made, and gave to all such parties an op.
portunity TO present their claims TO the
Quartermaster General and Commissary
General for payment, II found TO be Just.
The act was crude and left the mode oil
adiudiCaing the cases solely to these
officers. They We're not lawyers, but
mere military men, aud by reason Of their
education and training, as might be ex
peCted from them, they adopted an abb.
trary set OF rules by which theae cases
were TO be settled. From 1864 to 1880,
when man filed his claim before the
Quartermsster and Oommissary Generals,
the claim was placed in the hands OF an
agent OF the department for investigation
and report, That agent would usually
visit the locality where the claim origina.
ted and make an e. pdrle inquiry about
the justice OF II, sometimes without oven
permitting the claimant to know that
such investigation was going on.
KNOCKED OUT NY IRRESPONSIBLE AGENTS.
Statements were accepted and used
against the claimant without swearing the
parties who made them. Reports Of all
sorts Of irresponsible parties however,
llmaey In their character, were accepted
rs legal evidence for the purpose OF des.
Lroying the claim. In fact, II is O matter
Of common notoriety that many Of these
sgents were totally irresponsible and had
but one object in view when they inyesti.
gated the claim--namely, that OF taking
care that the claimant never should BIZ
paid, however just and honest his claim
fhe whole system was that oi q star cham.
Der proceeding. These agents would MAXI
their report to the departments, and In
large number Of cases, base them upon
mere rumor, without taking the trouble to
get the facts. The report, when made to
the department, could never. be seen
by the claimant or his attorneys. He
was not allowed to refute any charges that
might have been trumped up against him
mot even allowed to combat rumor. Iu
fact, from the time the claim was filed un.
til the claimant received stereotyped
letter notifying him Of the rejection Of his
claim the whole proceedings were EN-.
shrouded in darkness.
had WAY TO DO jusTlcE
1t must be seen at q glance that such a
mode Of procedure TO enforce q remedy TO
right which the United States had recog.
nized, was not only shocking to every
sense OF right and fairness, but contrary to
the recognized institutions OF our country
II these people had any rights In the
premises, and Congress said they had,
then there should have been adopted a
system OF open, honest mode OF procedure
to determine those rights, In absence oi
which whatever may have been done In
the direction ot o seeming adjudication oil
these claims from 1854 to 1850 was 30 pal.
pably unjust as to demand at the hands oi
4 fair and intelligent Congress further and
additional relief In the settlement OF these
matters.
WHAT CONGRESS DID LATER,
AZ an evidence OF the correctness Of
this proposition, in 1879 Congress passed
an act giving to this very class Of claim.
ants the right to be fully and fairly heard ,
according TO the rules Of tho common law,
which was all they could aek or expect
Under the act Of 1870, these claims are
adjudicated precisely as disputed ques.
tions OF fact are determihed before our
Commissioners oil ChanCery In the courts
OF our State. The whole case, with the
evidence pro and con, Is submitted with
a report Of the agent TO the department,
and is open TO the inspection Of the claim.
ant or bis attorney. In fact, the depart.
ment takes no action, after the case is re.
turned by the agent until II first notifies
the claimant to come forward and inspect
the proceedings. SO that, under this
system, since 1870, there can be no cause
or complaint aS TO the fairness with which
the claims are adjudioated.
WHERE TIE LAW IL LANE.
But, unfortunately, this act Of 1879 was
Of no benefit To the claimant, whose claim
had been passed upon under the act Of
1904.
Gen. Gof holds that II II was fair and
proper for Congress in 1870 10 recognize by
law the right OF these claimants TO have a
fair and legal mode OF procedure, then IL is
equally 80 that all whose claims from 1854
to 1879 should have the same fairness &C.
corded 10 them. II ID with this idea in
view that Gen. GoF will introduce the fol.
lowing bill to-morrowi
aoFF's BILL.
ItA bill TO authorize the re.examination OF
/ CeItalh Olhub uBAthbb VIC Oulteu ptAVobI
HBs acnacted," Gco
sHCTioN |. Thatthe Quarter Master len.
eral and the CommisSary General Of the
United States Army be, and they are here.
BY authorized and directed, upon the ap.
pllcaHon Of any person or persons interest
ed therein, 10 reopen and re.examihe the
claim Of any loyal citizen Of the United
States for quAftef.inastef stores and sub.
siBtence supplies taken for the use oi the
Army otthe United States during the war
Of the rebellion, which said claims have
been fled heretofore and diSalloWed by
said officers between the 9Th day Of July,
1884, and the lst day Of January, 1889,
provided, however, that the application
lor said fe.examinatlon be made within
two years after the passage Of this act,
nSEgTioN 3. That for oil purposes con.
neoted With the execution Of this act, the
acts approved July 4, 1884, and the acts
amendatoty thereof shall be applicable
and IN full force and effect.
Ill Htt..N IL nj Il.