The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-11-16
THE COLUMBIAN AND DEMOCRAT, BI OOMsBURG. COLUMBIA

report, with or without q recommends
tion, is obtained, and nothing NOR,
comes of it for that time. Next time
1t gets a set back from an untavorabt
report. But that does not discourage
the syndicate, who are prepared fol
that. The next time the attempt i.
made to have the matter referred to Q
select committee. II il succeeds, il i:
a piece of good fortune it is favor
able method BY this time some
new proof has probably been discover
ed.
Papers heretofore missing have been
found. After while bill is reported,
which, however, is not considered for
want OF time, or through persistence of
some objector at the only time when it
could be got up. But no one is dis
couraged yet except the poor claimant
who has spent his time and money
hanging around Washington winter
after winter, until he can do it no Ion
ger, and yet not knowing what else to
do. And SO he comes and goes year after
year, and so do the contracting syndi.
cate, who, with a number of Jobs on
their hands, manage to make business
of it and pay expenses. But the poor
claimant, the victim of hope deferred,
having no such arrangement, is getting
poorer every year, though the syndi-
cate assure him that the prospect is
Frightening. And so it is in one view;
for now and then a claim of this de-
scription does go through, either by
the direct and conclusive action of Con.
gress, or by being referred TO the Court
of Claims. After that there is another
and peculiar experience. Managers of
claims consider the Court of Claims a
good place to be. The reasons are
various and familiar to those who have
gone through the mill. How made
quately the government is represented
in this Court outsiders little understand
Claims that have been pushed in the
lobby by women have had exception
ally good luck. Women are believed
to be more persistent than men. Cases
are cited of claims abandoned by ex-
perienced lobbymen after a faithful
trial, that have been put through by
female influence. There is one such
case before the Court of Claims at the
present moment for large amount,
which owes its success, after repeated
failures, to this character or effort and
influence. Few claims are totally
abandoned. A claim for cotton or
other property destroyed in the war has
ever been regarded as good property.
Men have lived for years on claim of
this description, obtaining money from
time to time by pledging an interest in
the claim. One case is given where
the original claim, which was spread
over every inch of fact drawn out to
its utmost capacity, has been enlarged
and pledged to pay expenses and en-
larged again. One such claim was put
through a few years ago after the
original claimant had, little by little,
sold himself cut. The syndicate that
floated it got the money and made a
good thing by the operation. 1t would
not be right to infer that all claims, or
even majority of them, are fraudu-
lent. Some of them, many per-
haps, are founded in justice. What
heartaches have attended the falling
endeavor to push them year after year!
But for professional claimants the
prospect this time is not good one
The House is largely Democratic.