"RESOLVED, That the soldiers and sailors of the Republic, and the widows and orphans of those who ve fallen in battle, have a just claim upon the care, protection, and gratitude of their fellow-citizens." Democratic National Platform, 1876. "Let the Federal Brigadiers take back seats in the work of restoration. The Republic has no further for the Lincoln hirelings. By the way, Yankees, don't it make you feel queer to think that we've feated you fellows AFTER ALL and captured the capitol?"-Okolona, Miss., Southern States. PART I. ures taken to adjust the dues of soldiers and their heirs, that that officer was able to report, he Bounty Question-How the on the latter date (June 30, 1874), that but Democrats obstruct payment-25,038 claims remained on hand out of the two hundred thousand; seven-eighths of the Coffroth's canting Resolution— entire number disposed of. Of course this Secretary Sherman's Reply-result was largely due to the readiness with The Responsibility fastened on which the Republican Congress of that day a Democratic Congress-Even lent its aid to the work; for the party that had stood by the soldier during the rebellion Adjusted Claims for which a did not desert him when gratitude became its Republican Administration asks duty. The appropriations asked for were immediate Payment, stricken voted promptly and cheerfully; legislation to out by the Confederates-An Ex-smooth the difficulties in the way of deserving Rebel Applies for Bounty ! In order to curry favor with the Union solers and catch votes at the Presidential elecn with their lying bait, the Democratic aders endeavor to distract attention from e responsibility of the Democratic party for e hindrance of bounty-payments by atmpting to fasten the responsibility upon e Republicans. That is an old dodge that ill not gull the Union soldier. Mean, little es will not affect the soldier vote. Whales e not to be caught by gudgeons. Let us amine the history of this business of delay I payment of bounties. claimants, and to extend the operation of existing laws to include meritorious cases not provided for, was perfected without delay; in fact, the executive and legislative branches of the Government vied with each other in forwarding these acts of national gratitude and justice. On the 20th of June, 1874, Congress attached to one of the appropriation bills a section requiring all balances that should remain unexpended for two years to be into the Treasury at the end turned This measure was de fiscal year. of every signed to protect the public interests by placing a check on expenditures and bringing them more immediately under Congressional romptitude of Republicans to forward supervision and control. That it was a wise payment of bounties, etc. precaution, no one will doubt, who knows On the 30th of June, 1869, at the commence- anything of the reckless manner in which apent of President Grant's first administration, propriations had been handled under the ere were on file in the Treasury Department Democratic administrations before the rebel3,186 claims for pay and bounty. Between lion. But in order that the public business at time and the 30th of June, 1874, there might not suffer from the withdrawal of these ere received 134,661 additional claims, ma- funds from use (since, after being turned into ing a total of 200,847. The settlement of this the Treasury, they could be drawn out only 1st number of claims was one of the duties by an act of Congress), a provision was inoposed on the Office of the Second Auditor serted in the same section requiring the Secthe Treasury; and so energetic were the meas-retary of the Treasury to report to Congress, at the beginning of each session, what amounts | granted; indeed, some accident of legislation of these moneys were needed to pay accruing may carry it over to the next session. Under obligations, so that the requisite sums might ordinary circumstances the next 30th of June be re-appropriated; and in order that the is close at hand; in fact, in case of a long settlement of soldiers' claims should suffer no session it may have already passed before the delay or detriment, one of the last acts of that re-appropriation is credited on the books of Congress was to re-appropriate, on the 3d of the Treasury, so that it can be drawn upon March, 1875, $534,147.23 for the payment of for disbursement. The ridiculousness of "bounty to volunteers, their widows, and throwing on the accounting officers the odium legal heirs," and $597,428.40 for " pay of two of delays caused by Democratic legislation is and three-year volunteers.' Did this appro- manifest. Having contrived to withhold the funds, priation of over a million of dollars for these the innocent Democracy ask why payments are purposes look like an intention of delaying or delayed? hindering the settlement of amounts due to In accordance, however, with the requirethe nation's defenders? And in the next ses-ments of the new law, the Secretary submitted sion, when the Democrats, having obtained a bare majority in the House of Representatives, knew that their power was trembling in the balance, and they dared not raise the voice of opposition, the Republicans carried a re-appropriation of $609,946.79 for the pay of volunteers, right in the teeth of the enemy. Both branches of Congress in the hands of the Democrats; the Confederate brigadiers begin to show their hate for Union soldiers. a report to the Speaker on the 16th of January, 1879, and the sums asked for were appropriated on the 3d of March, just as the session was expiring. Thus for eight months claims had been waiting, after being adjusted, for the Democratic majority to give the word to pay. On the 16th January, 1880, a second report was made by the Secretary to the Speaker. Three months elapsed without a thing being done by the Democratic Congress. Then, suddenly awakening to the necessity of putting the blame elsewhere than on their own shoulders, where it belongs, the Democratic House, on the 26th April, adopted a hypocritical resolution, offered by Chairman Coffroth, Democratic chairman of the Committee on Pensions, asking the Secretary of the Treasury why HE permitted these claims to be unpaid so long! Secretary Sherman's answer-The responsibility belongs to the Democratic Congress. To this the Secretary made immediate an " " But after both branches of the national legislature had passed into the hands of the Democracy, the party of the rebellion began to feel itself sufficiently strong to curb the unstinting gratitude and patriotism that were willing thus to pour out millions to keep the veterans and their families from suffering. It grated on the feelings of the men who had fought behind rebel entrenchments or voted for secession ordinances, and who now entered the legislative hall to renew the reign of plantation arrogance and sow new discord between the States, to be obliged, for fear of displeasing Northern voters, to sanction the dis-swer, as follows: bursement of public money to the upholders of the Union. This furnishes the key to the subsequent legislation in regard to bounties. On the 14th of June, 1878, the act requiring the Secretary of the Treasury to report to Congress the estimates for needed re-appropriations, was repealed, and in lieu thereof it was made the duty of the accounting officers to continue to receive, examine, and consider the justice and validity of all claims under appropriations of which the balances were exhausted or turned into the Treasury. The accounting officers were directed to certify the sums due to the Secretary of the Treasury, who was to report the amount due each claimant to the Speaker of the House of Rep. resentatives at the commencement of each session, and the Speaker was to lay the report before Congress. The evident result of this measure could not be other than to delay payment to the unfortunate claimants thus thrown on the tender mercies of the crafty Democratic majority. The fiscal year closes on the 30th of June; Congress does not re-assemble till December; then the matter must be referred to a committee and await its action; then follow further delays during the prolonged discussion that always occur upon appropriation bills, so that usually it is only at the close of the session that the tardy relief is ‹ TREASURY DEPARTMENT, April 30, 1880. "Hon. SAMUEL J. RANDALL," " Speaker House of Representatives. introduced in the House of Representatives by Mr. A. "SIR: The Department is in receipt of a resolution H. Coffroth, on the 26th instant, as follows: "Whereas, there is great and just complaint being constantly made by soldiers on account of the long delay, in many instances nearly a year, in the payment of the bounty and back pay settled and allowed to them by the Second Auditor of the Treasury: "Be it resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he hereby is, respectfully requested and directed to inform the House of Representatives the cause of delay in paying the bounty and back pay found to be due to the soldiers and other persons entitled thereto; and why it is that he permits these claims to remain unpaid from six to twelve months before he asks Congress for an appropriation of money to pay the same. "In reply thereto, I have the honor to submit the following statements bearing upon the facts in the case: "By act of March 3, 1875, Congress re-appropriated $534,147.23 for the payment of bounty to volunteers, their widows and legal heirs,' and $597,428.40 for pay of two and three-year volunteers,' and by act of May 1, 1876, a further re-appropriation of $609,946.89 for the pay of two and three-year volunteers." The 5th section of the act of June 20, 1874 (18 Stat., 110), requires That from and after the first day of July, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, and of each year thereafter, the Secretary of the Treasury shall cause all unexpended balances of appropriations, which shall have remained upon the books of the treasury for two fiscal years, to be carried to the surplus fund and cov ered into the treasury.' the re-appropriation referred to were carried to the sur"Under this requirement the unexpended balances of plus fund on June 29, 1877, and June 30, 1878. "The section of law just referred to also provides that the Secretary of the Treasury shall, at the beginning of each session, report to Congress any balances of a propriations for specific objects affected thereby that may need to be appropriated. This provision was repealed by the 4th section of the act of June 14, 1878 (20 Stat., 130), and in lieu thereof it was made the duty of the several accounting officers of the Treasury to continue to receive, examine, and consider the justice and validity of all claims under appropriations, the balances of which have been exhausted or carried to the surplus fund under the provisions of the act of June 20, 1874, and certify the same to the Secretary of the Treasury who shall report the amount due each claimant at the commencement of each session, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall lay the same before Congress for consideration. "The reports required to be made by this section were transmitted to Congress on January 16, 1879, and January 16, 1880 (see House Executive Documents No. 30, Forty-fifth Congress, 3d session, and No. 29, Forty-sixth Congress, 2d session). The amounts embraced in the former report were appropriated for at the last session of Congress, and have been paid by this Department. Upon the latter report no action has yet been taken by Congress. claims as follows: up to June 30, 1880, $420,082.48. "On March 27, 1880, for payment of claims to be certifed up to June 30, 1881, $265,000. These estimates (copies of which are enclosed) were duly transmitted to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives on May 10, 1878, April 21, 1879, and April 1, 1880, respectively and were referred to the proper committee. They were also printed by order of the Senate, and are to be found in Senate Executive Documents No. 76, Forty-fifth Congress, 2d session; No. 17, Forty-sixth Congress, 1st Ression, and No. 136, Forty-sixth Congress, 2d session. "As Congress has taken no action on these estimates, the inquiry as to the cause of delay in paying the bounty and back pay found to be due to the soldiers and other persons entitled thereto would seem to be sufficiently "Very respectfully,' answered. JOHN SHERMAN, quires that, instead of paying without delay, the Secretary shall send the list of amounts due to Congress, to await the slow action of committees, the drag of protracted debates, and the uncertain chances of final consideration and passage. Fourth-Having thus contrived, by an ingenuity worthy of nobler ends, to insure a delay of from eight to twelve months before the money can be paid, the same Democratic majority come forward, and through Mr. Coffroth as their mouth-piece, want to know why the Secretary "permits these claims to remain unpaid!" Coffroth's Democratic "cant" exposed- Perhaps the most outrageous thing in Coffroth's canting resolution is the imputation of a delay, assumed to be willful on the part of the Secretary, of from six to twelve months before asking an appropriation. Nobody knew better than Mr. Coffroth, that between the 30th of June, when the fiscal year expires, and the meeting of Congress in December, a delay of five months must occur by the very terms of the Democratic law; that scarcely does that body come together and organize its committees than it adjourns over the Christmas holidays, so that it is usually the middle of Janu before the legislative work is actually beary gun; and on the 16th of January, 1879 and 1880, the Secretary laid his reports before the Speaker. Thus, at the least calculation, between the "Democratic law's delay" and the tardiness of Democratic Congressional business, nearly seven months must elapse before the subject gets before the proper committee (this year it was referred on the 26th of January); and, after that, it is usually the end of the session when it is disposed of. The delay during the recess, forced on the Secretary by Democratic law, is thus continued by Democratic Congressional inaction till nearly or quite a year has passed since the soldiers and widows' claims have been audited and allowed.. But to complete the story of Democratic It will thus be seen that the delay grows partly responsibility, there is more to be said: Early out of a Democratic law, passed by a Democratic in May, 1878, while the Democrats in ConCongress, which the Secretary dare not at-gress were maturing the plan for crippling tempt to set aside, and partly to the inaction of the bounty payments, and more than a month the Democratic Congress on the estimates. before the act was passed, Secretary Sherman directed the Second Auditor, whose business More Democratic delay-The case in a nut-it is to settle and pay bounty claims, to sub shell. mit to the Secretary of War estimates of Yet, after all this, it was the 16th of June, amounts that would be required to pay addi1880, when the appropriation was at last tional claims, it being the province of the Secpassed. Thus, owing to the peculiar provis-retary of War to submit such estimates to lons of this Democratic law, and the sluggish action of the Confederate Congress, the delay in this case covered nearly one year! To restate the case in a nutshell: First-Congress enacts that all moneys remaining on hand after two years shall be turned into the treasury by the 30th of June; a wise and salutary measure. Second-The Democratic majority legislate so as to cut off the two years' use allowed by the former act; so as to leave the Secretary without a cent available for bounty payments after the 30th of June. Third-The same Democratic majority re Congress. The estimate ($420,082.48 to pay claims certified up to June 30, 1879) was duly transmitted to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives on the 10th of May, 1878. So that when Congress passed the act of June 14, 1878, it had all the facts in its hands, and the Democratic majority was without excuse for its action. Nor is this all. Twice since have similar estimates been sent to Congress one on the 21st of April, 1879, for $225,000, and one on March 27, 1880, for $265,000. Thus, three times has Secretary Sherman, though not required by law to do so, called the attention of Pensions - PART II. Congress to the necessities of the case, and asked for the requisite appropriation to prevent that very delay, which Congressman CoffDemocratic Opposiroth attempts, by his cunningly-devised resotion -- Representatives Beltzlution, to saddle on the Secretary's shoulders. hoover and Ryon prove it. And what has Congress, under the sway of the There is considerable complaint all over the Democracy, done with these estimates? They country because of the length of time between have been referred to committees, and the the making of applications for pensions and Senate has actually ordered them printed! action upon the same by the Pension officeThe soldiers and soldiers' widows and orphans whether the case be for invalid pensions, arask for justice, and the answer is a printer's rearages, or what not. This delay, also, as in bill! They clamor for bread, and are fed by the matter of bounties, heretofore referred to, - resolution! There the estimates sleep lies entirely at the door of a Democratic Conin the committee rooms, while Congressman gress, which will not grant the necessary cleriCoffroth, uttering the voice of the Democracy, cal force to put the business more rapidly wants to know why the Secretary of the Treas-through, nor the money wherewith to pay ury doesn't ask for appropriations! them. The plain truth of the whole matter is that the Democratic Congress has inherited a legacy of hate for the Union soldier, and while it would pretend to love him just before an important election in order to catch his vote, the moment it is over-should Hancock be a How $114,879, asked for to meet already adjusted claims was omitted by the House, cut down to $100,000 in the Senate, and struck out by the Democratic Conference Committee altogether! A curious instance of the pretended solicitude of the Democratic leaders in Congress for the well-being of Union soldiers and their heirs, occurred during this very session, shortly after Mr. Coffroth's insincere resolution was presented. On the 3d day of June, 1880, the Second Auditor reported to the Secretary of the Treasury that the sum of $114,879.83 was needed to meet claims adjusted since the 1st of January. The Secretary promptly laid the matter before Congress, and it was referred to the appropriation committees. The House committee omitted the appropriation from their report. In the Senate committee the amount was curtailed to $100,000; and the bill being finally submitted to a conference committee, of which Senator Beck, of Kentucky, and Representative J. H. Blount, of Georgia, were the chief managers on the part of the Senate and House respectively, was reported for passage with the entire sum asked for struck out! And this, it appears from Senator Beck's remarks in explanation, was done at the instance of the managers from the House, whose chairman was General Blount, of Georgia, one of the rebel generals whom clemency and the shot-gun policy of the South have placed in control of the legislation of the loyal American people! [Congressional Record, June 16, 1880.] Application of an ex-rebel soldier for bounty! On July 16, 1880, Robert Hanna, an exrebel soldier, who had previously filed his application in the Pension Office (see part of this chapter for a verbatim copy of it) for a pension, made application in due form to the Second Auditor of the Treasury, at Washington, for bounty under the bounty acts of 1861 and 1866. He certifies that he is the identical Robert Hanna who was a private in Company G of the 15th Regiment South Carolina Volunteers, Confederate States of America, and was discharged at Lynchburg by reason of wounds, The application bears the signatures of witnesses and the official signature and seal of J. H. Keels, clerk of the court of Williamsburg County, S. C. It needs elected or counted in-they would fling him This bill was introduced April 2, 1878, into And to show that that legacy of hate continues to the present moment, witness the thoroughly proved up letters written by two Northern Democratic Representatives to Pennsylvanian constituents, in which one of them, the Hon. F. E. Beltzhoover, Democratic Congressman from the Ninteenth Congressional District of Pennsylvania, declines (April 23, 1880) to introduce and urge the passage of a Pension bill, because, with the present Democratic House pension bills do not have much favor and the rebel general who is at the head of the Pension Committee in the Senate is still more averse to allowing any such bills to pass;" while the other, the Hon. J. W. Ryon, Representative in Congress from the Schuylkill District of Pennsylvania, also declares in a letter to the same person that "the present House is averse to allowing claims for services rendered in support of the United States during the late war. The Beltzhoover Letter to Mr. Curriden. "HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, cheerfully introduce and urge the passage of a bill such | "E. W. CURRIDEN, Esq." "MR. J. A. C. MINNICK, York, Penn. "The bill of Mrs. is pending before the Commit tee on Pensions of the House. I do not think the claim has been finally rejected by the Pension Office. The bill will be finally disposed of next session. The last one was a very bad one for pensions. "Very truly, F. E. BELTZHOOVER."` Representative Ryon's Letter to Mr. Minnick. Following is a letter from Mr. Minnick, addressed to the York (Pa.) Evening Dispatch of September 6, 1880 : Why it is that the publication of letters from the Hon F. E. Beltzhoover, with reference to the difficulty of obtaining favorable action in Congress on pension and other military claims in behalf of the late Union soldiers or their representatives, should cause such a stir among Democrats, is a question that every loyal veteran should ask before he makes up his mind to vote in favor of the change' asked by that party. "The honorable member from that district is not the only one of his party that has admitted those facts. The Hon. J. W. Ryon, from the Schuylkill District, in & communication sent me after his failure to have a meritorious measure in behalf of a soldier passed, admitted that the present House is averse to allowing claims for services rendered in support of the United States during the late war,' although he favored and did all he could in support of the claim, which was substantiated by conclusive evidence of some of the best citizens of his district. "In a communication I received from Mr. Beltzhoover on the 19th ult., in reference to a claim for pension now pending, he admits that the last session was a very bad one for pensions,' and such frank admissions, or the publication thereof, are certainly more to the credit of those gentlemen than against them, although not so with the majority of their colleagues on the same side of the House. "J. A. C. MINNICK, Pension Claim Agent." In the New York Tribune, September 10, 1880, fac-similes and affidavits of the genuineness of these letters places the proof of their authenticity beyond all question. There are, at this moment, hundreds of such pension bills held back in the Confederate committee rooms of both Houses of Congress without action. PART III... Not only have the Confederates in Congress thus shown their hatred of the Union soldier, but in more ways than one have they shown their love for the Confederate soldier. tend to stop until we have stricken the last vestige of your war measures from the statute book." Attempting to put rebels in the army and to pay pensions to Confederate soldiers. Referring to these threats, Hon. Wm. Mc-Kinley, of Ohio, April, 18, said: "They have already entered upon their unholy work; they are engaged in it now. Only the other day, and while the Army bill was being considered, the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Tucker], one of the able and distinguished men of this House, proposed an amendment, repealing Section 1218 of the United States Statutes. What is the section the repeal of which he demands? Let me read it: "No persons who have served in any capacity in the federate States, or of either of the States in insurrecmilitary, naval, or civil service of the so-called Contion during the late rebellion, shall be appointed to any position in the army of the United States.' "The army list is to be opened and revised, so that men who served in the Confederate army, who for four years fought to destroy this Government, shall be placed upon that list as commissioned officers. Ay, more, the men who were in our army before the war as commissioned officers, who were educated at the public expense, who took an oath to support the Constitution of the United States, and when the nation was threatened with danger resigned their commissions and forsook the flag, are to be eligible for re-appointment to that army again. Are we quite ready for this? "This is not all. On the 13th of February, 1878, the Chairman of the Committee on Invalid Pensions of the Forty-fifth Congress [Mr. Rice] reported to the House with the sanction of a majority of that committee, a bill repealing Section 4716 of the United States Statutes.. Let me read the section to be repealed: "No money on account of pension shall be paid to any person, or to the widow, children, or heirs, of any deceased person who in any manner voluntarily engaged in or aided or abetted the late rebellion against the authority of the United States.' "And the same bill contained the following affirmative legislation: "SEC. 7. That the Secretary of the Interior be, and. is hereby, authorized and required to restore to the pension roll the names of all invalid pensioners now living who were stricken therefrom on account of disDecember, 1868, at the rate which they would have loyalty, and pay them pensions from the 25th day of been entitled to had they not been dropped from the pension roll.' be wiped out from the statute book. These aresome of the degrading badges which are to be torn. "These are some of the war measures which are to off." Confederate soldiers already applying for pensions as well as bounty-Thousands awaiting the election of Hancock - A specimen application. Herewith is an exact, and as far as possible, a fac-simile copy (omitting the Acknowledg ment before the Clerk of the Court, and the File Endorsement, which appear on the back of the original) of the application recently made to the Pension Office by a rebel soldier for a pension. There are thousands of such applications, involving millions of dollars, already made out and in the hands of pension Blackburn, of Kentucky, said truly as to claim agents at Washington, only awaiting the the intentions, at least, of the Confederate Dem-election of Hancock, which the rebels are so ocratic party, in a speech made in the House, sure of. Confederate threats. |