Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 March 1878 — SOUTHERN CLAIMS. [ARTICLE]

SOUTHERN CLAIMS.

It will b 6 mjX'inber.ed by nearly all who take an interest in political affairs—and none will recollect it more vividly than those who are called democrats —that it was charged during the Jirogross of the Inst presidential campaign that a scheme was on foot in the sonthern states among the people who engaged in rebellion to file and prosecuteclaims against the government, for losses sustained by them on account of the war. At the time this charge was being extensively published and commented upon the democratic party vehemently denounced it as false, ns mere campaign clan-trap to frighten and mislead public sentiment which had been taught, by the action of the democratic parly during the war in professing sympathy for those who were in arms against tue government, to look with great suspicion upon the loyalty of all who love the jiemocratic name. There were also a few among those 1 who advocated the success of the republican party during that caminn who thought these charges the result ofhighly wronghtimagination and n desperate determination towin rather than of a fortunate discovery of actual facts. But when Mr. Tilden in a manner recognized their truthful foundation, or, rather, the possibility -of their IriiUi, -arid pub- [ lis hed his 1 e tte r deny ing sy in path y i with the scheme, republicans I generally felt that the charge was substantially sustained and no longer had doubts, if any existed previously, of the wisdom of their course in laboring to prevent the democracy from obtaining control of the national government. It will be recollected that oircul ais were sown broadcast throughout the northern states, and the substance of them published in the columns of every prominent republican paper, showing that the sum of these ida inn* amounted to many millions ■of dollars. The charge thus made ' against the people of the southern states who were in rebellion was true. At the time it was made many thousands of such claims were already on file in the courts of ! proper jurisdiction, and also in congress under the form of personal relief bills. Since the present tmrgi-esfr h-.is been in session many more of these bills, covering additional millions of dollars, have found introduction to the notice of uttr represent alt ve«s ~ There is no doubt the people of labor as long.a» jagjghqpe remains for the payment of these claims. In less than thfde months after Mr. Tilden published his letter an attempt was made during the second session of the forty fourth congress pass a joint resolution providing for a constitutional amendment forever prohibiting the payment of this class of war losses. The House judiciary committee failed to report the amendment, and the democratic majority voted down an attempt to compel a report. Mr. Hunter of Virginia has introduced a bill to establish the presumption that all who present claims of this nature were loyal, which would reverse the practice as at present adopted and throw the burden of proof of disloyalty upon the government. Of course the difficulty of procuring evidence so many years after the crime of rebellion was committed would render it next to impossible to make out a case against these impudent claimants, and they would be successful through sheer audacity. A Texas delegate, Mr. Mills, has a bill pending to shorten I the legal duration of the rebellion nearly one year. This alone, if it should ever become a law, would admit claims amoun ting to millions of dollars. Mr Shelby of Alabama has a bill to abolish the sonthern claims commission; to transhw. all pending cases to the court of claims; to grant two more years for filing claims; to allow the rehearing of all of the claims which have been rejected by the commi ssion—astv measurc of pretended economy. The reason for prefering the court of claims to the commission is found in a decision of the supreme court which declares that this body cannot make inquiry concerning (tiff loyalty of persons who were i pntdoned by President- Johnson’s aiiincsly pruclumalioit. ’ Senator

Garlwud of Arkansas mid Mr- Ellis of Louisiana have’iiHroduced bills removing the limitation -on claimmils. Mr. Cabell of Virginia wants the government to pay for all cotton seized after April 10, 1805; whereas heretofore the date has been June 30,1805. The cotton tax amounted to sixty millions dollars. Of the claims for cotton aggregating thirteen millions dollars, only two hundred thousand dollars was allowed; this fact serves to illustrate to some extent the character of the claims: Mr. Shelby of Alabama would have this money donated for public school purposes, Mr. Robertson of Louisiana would have it refunded to the individual claimants. The private claims already presented to the consideration of lhe present congress, under the general name of “relief” bills, is something enormous. The sums asked for run from four hundred dollars up to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, the average probably being ten thousand dollars. Fully ninley-five per cent, of these southern claims and personal relief bills have been presented by democratic members. This would seem to show that they enjoyed democratic sympathy to a large degree. It is a serious question which comes home to every man who pays taxes these times of universal business depression ami monetary stringency, far more important than was the queston of silver remonetization, if lus interest demands that the government shall assume the burden of this enormous addition to the public debt ? Every one of the claims here referred to are for losses sustained by persons engaged in armed rebellion to the rightful authority of the government. -It is a part of the penalty which is justly visited upon their crime. They Took' tooic the risk rof these losses upon themselves when they deliberately planned the overthrow of the government. To make the losses good is not only to make a farce of the coercive measures adopted to ‘ tffider subjection to lawful-authority, but it is also to offer a premium for insubordination and war. As has been stated before, ninety-five out of every hundred of thfise claims have been presented and advocated by the democratic members of congress; they derive all their encouragement and support from democrats; all tho effective opposition they meet with is from republicans. Now if the people of Indiana would be safe —if they do not want the burthen of these additional millions to the national indebtedness—they must send somebody else than men with Mr. Voorhees’ well know sympathies to represent them in the United States Senate; they must send other than democrats to represent them in the Lower House of Congress; they must trust some political party other than the democratic party which meets in state convention only to denounce lhe party that proved its loyalty to the government when the country was torn by civil war—lhe democratic parly which has not a word of protest against these iniquitous claims, or of instruction to its representatives to vote against their payment. A regular ..tidal-wave upheaval of the orthodox stamp struck the slate of New Hampshire,day before yesterday, and she went republican with the usual 4,000-rfiajority.

A new real estate, insurance, transportation, loan and abstract office has been opened is room 3 Bedford & Jackson's building, by Hon. John Vau’t Woud, commissioner for the first district of Jasper county and president of the board., lie proposes to do a general agency business in the lines specified, m which he has had much experience to familiarize himself with the details at Milwaukee and Chicago. He will furnish transportation to all points reached by the leading lines of railroads, and also ocean steamers. lie- epeaks fluently die English, French, German and Holland languages, which renders it easy for him to transact business with people Of these nationalities. Those desiring to purchase lands in Jasper county, who wish policies in life ot fire insurance companies, <>r Whh desire to travel long journeys will find it :*dvant genii' tprei:sill W.tli Mr. YauTlWoitd. . t -

i The V'alpantfao Fufrf/g t l»i»»lta Twi-r Union offered the republicans seine 'bad nd visa, two wesjis tup. in r«4«tion to the the attitude they ( rboiilik assume toward* natlouul limik*., Veiy well. Thh Union hnamiid ••" tji.v ft»r the present, “and now" it” th«* classic hinguave of Gov. tVlHintio* at Ute close of an fntrtrdnrlorv apwsr-h when canvassing the state in conip.tny with Senator Voorhees), “jrlii give way to a more abler spr-ther.’* It is an exceeditisly dlffienW urrtfer' for an upheaver to give an brtvtlfcrint reason why any one should net ni»d vote with the democratic |xirty. ff asked the question and pressed t«» answer, nine-tenths will reply -B«~ enuse” —and then begin to niiiligu President Hayes, whom they insb-l in executing tire democratic theory ft is possible that Horace Greelcv us*<i to be a trifle prejudiced ngninst Uw* democracy of his dny, but If they w»-r»-half the by pocritical demagogues t luffF that they are now, bis honest soul w; * grieviously vexed. The Indiana supreme court lnlr*y rendered a decision of much liupor tance to tire medical profession. Hoctor Dills and Doctor Birehiwii’, of Fort Wayne, were subpoenaed to testify as medical experts. They refused unless paid a fee for professional services. The court committed them for contempt. They appealer! to the supreme court, which held that, the constitution, no man’s particular services should be required wlthot t compensation, and that giving testimony as an expert was particular sei - vice Within the moaning of the law.