The Republican journal., 1904-08-25
NAMES WAR CLAIM,
The Full STORY Of How Maine
Secured interest MoDev from
tire GIFTED States.

There X no lie so dangerous as hair
truth.
The statement that the State of Maine
received from the U. Sin 1923, $685.
Is and paid a firm of Washington after
news 20 per cent OF that sum. or $7l,94o.o4
for services in making the collection Is
true.
Standing alone and unexplained. with
nc knowledge of the facts SURROUNDING
this claim, it's origin or its successA0'
prosecution. such a sum would seem
large fee for the State to pay. -.
The democratic press ana seVeral u
its speakers, sometimes by innuenoo'aI'o
sometimes by positive missta tements. en-.
deayor to convey the impression thae
there was something wrong ,r corrupt IA
the prosecution and collection OF THIS
claim.
The public are entitled to plain ana
truthful statement of facts. ms clali.l
has its origin away back in the cary
days of the war of the Rebelllon' III"
more than forty years ago.
When the United States called upon
the states in 1861 to furnish troops 10 put
down the Rebellion.the states were WIZ
out the money to meet the vast eHpI
ditures of enrolling and equlpplng the
troops. By. reference to the records II
VIII be found that at special session Oh
the Legislature in April, 1861, loan was
authorized not exceeding $l,3oo'ooo 10
meet these expenditures. Or TINS auenoa
lied loan bonds to the amount OF seoo'ooo
were issued in May July and August.
1861. on ten years time, bearing per
cent interest.
By an act of Congress, July q, 1851 the
secretary of the treasury was directed
out of any money in the treasury not
otherwise appropriated, to pay to the
governor of any state or to his duly
authorized agents the costs. charges and
expenses, properly incurred by such state
for enrolling, subssting. clothing, sup
plying. arrning. equipping. paying and
transporting its troops employed in aid
ing to suppress the present insurrectlon
against the United States. to be settled
upon proper vouchers. to be filed and
passed upon by the proper accounting
officers of the treasury"
Without going into weaTsome de-
tails, it is sufficient to say that upon
the close of the War OF the Rebellion in
1863 q claim was presented by the prop
er officers of the State, in accordance
with the provisions of this act of Con-
gress, against the United States for re-
Endorsement for the expenditures made
by he State in equipping its troops.
Other states of course were making
similar claims and some of the states
hursement the sums they lad paid for
interest upon loans to raise the money
to meet such expenditures.
That is, when a state had issued its
bonds. the same as Maine had its $500 900
above referred to, the State claimed
that what it had paid out in interest on
such bonds was a part of the expendi-
lures for which it was entitled to REIN
hursement under the act of Congress of
July. 1851
The United States Treasury had, how
ever. early ruled against the allowance
claims made by any of the
states, and as a matter of fact
the claim of the state of Maine
against the United States for reimburse
ment which amounted to something
over s1.300ooO Gid. not include any such
interest item, because as before stated
the United States Treasury had al
ready refused to allow such items, and
in no instance was such an item al
lowed ana paid to any state by the
United States Treasury.
As early, however as 1857 or 1868. the
claim of the State of Maine amount
ing to over 100000 was allowed and
paii in full by the United States
Ard here the matter ended so far as
the state of Maine was concerned. and
indeed so far as every other state wasJ
concerned.
States Treasury refused to allow such
interest items. was that interest is not
to be awarded against sovereign gov
ernment unless it's consent to
Pay interest has beer manifested
by ar act of its legislature or
by lawful contract of it's ex-
ecutive." and also that it was expressly
prohibited by statute of the United
States. March 3. 1883. Thus 1t will be seen
that when the collection of this claim |
vas first suggested to the governor and
council In December, 1893 it was more |
than Is years after the settlement be- |
/ cen the state of Maine and the United |
States, and during which time nothing |
had been done by the state to enforce
the claim.
The collection Of the claim involved |
first. the establishment of it's legality;
second, the crediting and determining OF
its amount. and third, the securing of
an appropriation TO pay the claim when
sc established from Congress
The proposition made by the firm of
Needhan & Cotton to take the claim
was upon contingent fee Of 90 per
cent. without any liability on behalf of
the State.''
Nthe: states made similar contracts
and upon commissions ranging all the