Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-02-07
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.

The inevitable and never ending chilly |
still lives. He is here look
ing as fresh and vigorous as if he had al
wavs been the victor rather than the under
dog in the fight for the last 10 years. de
has been knocked into pi a dozen times
since he began his memorable contest for
the New Idria quicksilver mines, but his
Irish pluck has never deserted him, and,
after repeated returns to the fight, 1t really
begins to look as if he would win. He has
struggled along without money and with
an unscrupulOus corporation against him,
which has used the profits of its immensely
valuable property, stolen either from MIN
or the Government, to fight him with.
One thing is sure and that is that the New
Idria Mining Co. has not even the color OF
a title to a foot of its mining lands and
that all of its millions of profits are but so
much theft, hence our sympathies are for
the invincible "Billy" as against the New
Idria brotherhood of thieves and we are
glad that our smiling pleasant faced, joVlal
wild Irishmen, Billy McGarrahan, is at last
drawing the tolls around his opponents SO
that they must either surrender to the
United States or to him. "Luck to him.
Congress has passed no bill for a long
| time that has excited so much interest
throughout the country as the Arrears oi
Pension Act. The Pension Office is already
being taxed with numerous applications
by those entitled under the bill, and antici
pates that it will soon Ee flooded with let
tiers from eager expectant benetciaries whit
are not inclined to brook the delays incl
dent to rules and regulations of the DE
partment. So far, the applicants have in
dicated that their moneys are ready 10
them and do not realize that Congress mus
first provide the means before any paymen
can be made. 1t has enacted the law bu
has not legislated the money into existene
requisite to make payment under 1t, an
while it is not possible that the law WI
fail for want of appropriations yet CoI
gress will hesitate till the last moment b
fore authorizing expenditures to pensloner
1t is said of a certain prominent Senate
: who dodged vote when the bill was
its passage, that subsequent thereto he Wi
condemning the measure in most unqual
fed terms to friend as an unwarrant'
throwing away of millions of public none
L The friend asked him why he did not
pose it inasmuch as he was in the Sena
at the time of its passage, and received
i answer, 81 lodged from pure moral co
e ardica." There can be no question as
. the truthfulness of this reply, and we
lieve the same ''moral cowardice" fore
-e many into voting for the bill who were
81 much opposed to the principle involved
ID this particular Senator who dared not fig
c. that which has had universal dema
~ made for it. That $5O,OOO,OOO so goi
r. into every nook and corner of the land
Is do immense good, and do more to start
wheels of business than 500, 900, 900
by spent in any other direction seems ia
x and like the Senator above, we waive
ay seruples against such legislation and un
Mt our "moral cowardice" will say ''let
or money CO." Its surprising that pension
to ignore the plain statement of the law VIII
ed says no attorney shall be recognized,
persist in asking claim agents to take cha
of their cases under promises Of large Il
ks&-@s ,aless and the claimant should
kI ee direct, for his
s.9 as much as tba