The Aberdeen examiner. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1866-current, 1884-04-10

the sessions of Congress who go to
Washington in the very bloom of
manhood to collect through legisla-
ton money honestly earned, and who
will 60 down to their graves before
their claims are passed upon. Every
Congress these men appear with their
papers and other testimony before the
committees, obtain unanimous reports
favorable to their claims have their
bills placed upon the calender and
then hang round the corridors or sit
patiently listening in the galleries,
expecting every day to have their
matters called up, until the Congress
dies by constitutional limitation and
their bills 90 to their graves in the
files of the Clerks Office and the huge
bundles of printed matter stored away
for the moths in the document room.
In the next Congress they appe II
again the bills for their relief are
again introduced they again appear
in the committee rooms with their
bundles of testimony, but the old ia
miliar faces are probably not there to
greet them; the personnel of the COM
mittees have been changed by polit-
zeal revolution or reinstatement of
members, and they begin at the bot
tom of the ladder again and go
through with all the old formula of
explanation and proof, only to get
other favorable reports upon bills
that are to die the death of their pre-
decessors. How these men live in
Washington through the succeeding
periods of hope and despair the Lord
only knows, but many of them die
there miserably with money enough
of their own in the Treasury to give
them comfort in their old age if Con-
gress could ever find time to unlock
the Federal Golfers to the honest cred
itors of the Republic. One day we
listened to a touching story from the
lips Of Methodist preacher from Ne
braska, whose cheeks were moistened
with tears as he told and proved how
he had paid for a quarter-sectlon OF
Goyern't land; expended the labor Of
three years and the savings Of a life
time upon it in buildings and I'M
provements, and when he felt that his
little flock were safely housed and
homed against all probable disaster,
a man came to his house with proof
Of prior purchase from the Govern
ment. When he appeared with his
plant at the land office there were
sincere expressions OF regret for the
bIunder, but they could do nothing
for him but supply proof of his claim
against the Republic, and he went to
Congress for relief, to dance attend
ance for years or surrender his rights.
On that day a one-legged soldier Of
humble social and mental status APP
peared before the same committee to
tell a similar story and make the
proof. Both of these men will OBJ
tain favorable reports, for their claims
are absolutely perfect and incontest-
able; but there is hardly possibility
Of their cases being reached this ses-
sion or this Congress, and unless some
change is made in the system of leg
islation by extending the sessions Or
creating special claims tribunals,they
may grow gray before they obtain
their rights; for sometimes Congress
does not call single case up from
the private calender in a whole ses-
sion though hundreds sleep there.
The sessions under the present or
der of things are not long enough to
admit of adequate attention to gener-
al Legislation, and yet every day adds
to the number of the Governments
private debtors, and each name added
detracts from the chances for speedy
relief Of those already on the roll.
When you meet one Of these claim
ants newly arrived you find man
brim full Of cheerful hope; so conf
dent of early relief, that you have no
heart to tell him of the probable fate
that awaits him. He is happy when
lis bill is introduced; absolutely
jubilant when he obtains a favorable
report from committee, and never
realizes the true state of affairs until
Congress adjourns without disturb
ing any one of the many bills that
have precedence Of his upon the cal
lender.
If every man in the country could
spend day or two in the Committee
room of one Of the Congressional
Committees on Claims or Pensions,
there would be such a clammor raised
for perpetual sessions Of Congress or
the establishment of adequate tribu-
nails for the relief Of the private cred
itors of the Government whose little