The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-09-12
OLD COTTON TAX CLAIMS
To Be Pushed by Georgia and Other
Southern States Through Special
Attorneys-To ee Great Fight.

|
Represented by eX-United States
Senator Marion =. Butler of North
Carolina, ex-United States Senator J.
X. Jones of Arkansas and a coterie
Of other lawyers and laymen equally
as we'll known and equipped, the state
of Georgia will endeavor to recover
from the federal government the Sc.
100000 Of cotton tax that was illegal
ly collected from her citizens during
the civil war Governor Smith stated
that he will have Attorney General
Hart prepare at his earliest conven.
ience a contract between the state OF
Georgia, on the one hand, and Senator
| Marion Butler, ct al, On the other.
Upon the execution Of this contract
Senator Butler will Immediately begin
| his onslaught on the national treas
ury At the recent session of the
Georgia general assembly, joint res.
olution was passed, authorizing the
governor to prepare and execute
contract with Senator Butler and 9th.
ers, appointing them as Georgia's
agents, to collect the illegal cotton
tax. The resolution was passed late
in the session. and attracted but little
attention at the time Senator But
ler, however, was in Atlanta, and is
familiar with the details of the
scheme.
The contract between the state and
Senator Butler will probably provide
that he and his associates shall re-
ceite a contingent fee of Is per cent
for all of the cotton tax that is col.
lected from the federal government,
or a fee of something like $600,O00
should they succeed in recovering the
entire sum. Should Senator Butler and
his associates fail, the state will be
none the loser
Hon. H. H. Cabaniss, Of Atlanta,
will, it is understood, be associated
with Senator Butler in the effort to
recover the money. He will attend to
the local end of the work, and his
services will prove invaluable in the
accumulation Of evidence etc., that
will be used in pressing the claim
at Washington.
Among others associated with Sen.
ator Butler is ex-senator Jones of Ar.
kansas, who now makes his home
at Washington. He is one Of the
ablest lawyers in the country, and his
extensive experience in practice be-
fore the court of claims will prove
invaluable. The state Of Georgia, of
course, has no direct claim on any
part of the money. Many citizens,
however. are directly interested, and
the state will simply act as the agent
for these citizens. It is believed that
by thus presenting sold front there
is infinitely more likelihood Of recov
ing than If so many claimants acted
individually.
Practically an Of the other southern
states will cooperate with Georgia
in the movement that will be led by
Senator Butler and his associates. 1t
is understood that North and South
Carolina. Alabama. Mississippi. Louis
lana, Arkansas, Texas and Virginia
will also place the claims of their cit.
liens in the hands of Senator Butler
All of the claims aggregate upward
of sixty million dollars, and the battle
that will ensue promises to develop
into one of the most interesting ever
undertaken. It is likely that Senator
Butler will interest score Of other
learned lawyers from all sections OF
the south, and the movement will as
sumo mammoth proportions before it
is over. The national government ad-
mits the debt. There will be no ques-
tions raised as to the legality of the
claims. The whole fight will center
upon forcing congress to authorize the
restoration.