The weekly true Democrat., 1907-11-22
GIVE 1T TO
THE OLD cONFEDS.
The wFonG Of Thirty Years ASO Can
BS RReheed.

From WatsOp's weekly Jeftersonian
we take the following
There lies in the Treasury Of the
United States the sum Of fifty million
dollara, which has no business there. II
was wrung, illegally, from the South
during the period of her subjectiOn, hu-
initiation and helplessness. We refer,
Of course, TO the illegal cotton tax.
What shall be done with this money ?
Shall It always stay there in the Treas
ury, monument of National injustice?
viii the North and the East never grow
ashamed Of that act of spoliation and do
themselves the justice OF making resti-
tuticni
We believe thatif Southern Congress-
men will exert themselves with earnest
ness and persistence, the wrong Of
thirty odd wears ago can be righted.
What should be done with this money?
It seems TO us that the answer is plain.
Wherever the owner, or the lawful
htirs OF the owner, can be traced, the
money should be returned to those from
whom IL was taken. But 10 is probable
that the greater part of this fund could
never be restored to the owners or their
legal representatives therefore the
principle Of escheat would apply The
property would belong to the State in
which the taxpayer lived at the time
his cotton was taxed Probably the
larger part of this fund of fifty million
dollars would thus be thrown into the
treasures of the different cotton States.
That being so, what disposition should
be made Of it :? We believe that ninety
nine Southern men out of every hundred
would say, cheerfully and reverently:
''Give il to the survivors who fought
for the Cotton States give it to the
remnants of the heroic bands of Lee,
and Jackson, and Stuart, and Johnston,
and Forrest give it to those who, for
four years, threw between the Southern
home and the invading army, the bull
wark of their dauntless battle line.
The wOrld. is staggered yet when con-
templating the enormous indemnity
which Germany wrung from prostrate
France A billion dollars, paid in lump
sums, seemed a cruel penalty to exact
from a fallen foe-but have you ever
stopped to consider the indemnity which
the SOuth has paid, during the forty
years which have elapsed since the
war2 Every year the survivors of the
Union army have drawn from the Ma
tional Treasury bounteous pensions,
which have run up TO nearly one hum
dred and fifty million dollars. OF this
enormous annual payment of pensions,
the South has had to contribute, through |
the indirect system of taxation (which |
burdens the agricultural community |
much more heavily than any other,) at |
least one-tlird Of the entire amount |
paid to the Union soldiers. Thus the |
South is paying a war indemnity Of |
nearly fifty million dollars every year,
for the South gets practically nothing
back from all that she pays. The great
bulk Of the money comes from the Old
COnfed, his children and his grandchil-
dren-and IL never comes back. When
we consider that this payment, incident
TO our defeat in war, has been running
on for forty years, and will, perhaps,
continue to run on for forty years more,
we begin TO have some clear and inn
pressive idea of the fEightful war in
demnity which the triumphant North is
from the helpless South
Surely there will be, in the various
Southern delegations that will 60 up to
the National Council in Decembsr, some
one Congressman with courage enough,
patriotism enough, ability enough, TO 80
plead the cause of the vanquished that
the victor will restore what ought not to
have been taken.
And when that part of the fund which
cannot trace it's way to its legal owner
reaches the treasury of the State by
eBcheat, let us all unite in the purpose
70 divide the money among those heroes
)f the Lost Cause who are still left to
10. They won't be here long. Let Us
make their remaining days as free from
want and az full of comfort as possible.
let as try 20 remember that the un-
Yelling of monuments-whilea q glorious
hing not quite the beat thing for ,
he old soldier who may be In need Of !
he necessarles of life. Honor the dead
lOthing too good can be said of them
mt remember that these old veterans
gho bend as they walk along your streets
nd highways deserve exactly the same
hing at your hands as the eglorious dead
EhOse devotion % duty You commemoI j I