The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-05-10
THE CLAIMANT AT WASHINGTON.
[Donn Plat in Chicago Literary LII

THE CLAIMANT AT WASHINGTON
[Donn Plat In Chicago Literary 1lfe,l
Said the late Charles Sumner, " believe we hav
earth"
ment before the Senate In behalf OF the Frenc
spoliation claim, and saw to his chagrn that 1t ha
no more elect on that dlgnined body than the win,
that roared around the Capitol on the outside.
Charles Sumner belonged to that class of abb
enthusiasts who believe that when the argumen
is made the cause Is won They failto recognize thu
and beyond mere Intellectual processes, through
which causes are heard and cases decided by tn
public and their representatives.
Charles summers effort was a case In point. Tn,
Congress Of the United States Is made up of mem
oers selected on political grounds, whose duties arr
legsaes on almost every conceivable interest OF thu
citizen, other than POLITICAL all provisions for {
mated through a lack Of time. Were the member
selected for his judicial turn and ability with every
impulse looking to their exercise, he would yet find
lack of space In which TO act. He ia the mos
over.worked man In the country, being an agent al
Washington for every constituent who has, or fan
Ses ne mas business at the Capital HIS mail
offices, and information. He dares not neglect re-
spending TO each, for his political future hangs
In addition to this he has, II he belongs TO the
dominant party, a number Of hungry applicants fol-
place at him In person, and he must listen and labor
This poor fellow rises at daylight and works pain.
fully at his correspondence until breakfast and
ments to solicit favors or gain Information.
AT noon, when Congress meets, he finds his desk
covered with newly received letters, and turning the
hall OF the throne, or Senate into an oce proceeds
to open and answer. All thewh cardsare coming
In ealing MN out 70 Impatient people IN the lobby
the millions Ia bewildered by the hurry and confu-
sion on all sides. lie discovers to his dismay that
he cannot get member to listen. When his mis-
sion Ia once understood he finds himself Stunned as
II he had contagious disorder. II he s persistent,
members recognize him In tho distance, and dart
down alleys or take refuge In hacks 10 avoid
him.
The poor mans claim must be reduced to writing,
and he sees 1t disappear through door of a com.
mittee-room that ls not only closed against him. but
guarded by grim keeper, whose milk of human
Kindness has long since curdled and left cheek
that Is stony In its polished hardness.
The House, being huge, unweldy body, lslncapa-
BILE OF any business other than POLITICAL and all else
finds place, II not attention. In the comntee-rooms
The committees are made up-unless they are Ways
aud Means or Appropriatlons-of the chairman and
clerk; These two learn at an early day now not to
DO and the chairman, assisted by his clerk gives
All this is aggravated by body of disreputabe
men and women known as lobbyists, who live by
neecing claimants. This lobby Is, in fact, to Con-
gress what bar is to court, and Ia disreputable
because 1t is the will of Congress that they should
81 s 70 eT ay than
men. The ablest advocates of England are proud
to practice before committees and commissions OF
Parliament. With us, the most eminent attorneys,
with good characters well established, dare not be
seen In the lobby. 1t taints all that it touches.
What farces and tragedies are being continually
enacted IN the lobby. remember one the late
President Garfield was wont to relate. was Of an
old woman who came TO Washington with claim
for was too small to tempt the lobby, and she fol-
lowed 1t up herself The smple-Ininded old lady
could not understand why her just demand should
passed, and years with her were few and precious.
Some kind-hearted people, learning of her distress,
not only urged the passage Of the bill, but gave her
support In the meanwhile. Sometimes the bill
passed the House, TO be lost In the Senate. Then 1t
fatal objection In the House.. The little old lady
followed the measure from Senate to House, from
to senate n1 Sitting p one place IN either
waited patiently session after session, and waited In
vain. One day Garneldcaught.at his advantage. The
throat and could not speak above a whisper, and
had gone to his lodging torecuperate. Gen. Garfield,
n lu Of the socalled proceedings, brought up the
bill OF the little old lady, and In i've minutes passed
with ne Joyful tidlngs. She dropped her knitting,
tainted they carried her tenderly to the Committee
room Of the District OF Columbia and abored long to
restore her to consciousness. But the poor old soul,
winged its hight to q tribunal where let us hope,
lobbyists and Congressman are alike unknown
state appears in case that comes home to the wrIts g
OF this and although history is history little known
to IL tns q. average err reader: ,a
mine, John H. Piatt, wealthy man for that PERIOD
and the first man 10 open bank In Ohio contracted
with the Government to supply the northwestern
1t was no light task he took upon himself, for
every pound he contracted for had TO be moved
roads that were such In name only through wilder
ness beset BY Indians, then allies Of the British.
The late Tom Corwin, Of Ohio, told me that when
n q m aitrhfa vaS n
one morning lq the Cincinnati market space, about
70 drive away, having sold his produce, when q
sna 90
Governor Corwin said he to hit this dandy
ded fellow for Ills impertlnence, when the stranger
wagon The boy replied In the affirmative, when
MS gorgeous individual, who proved to be John II.
ali IKE your looks, young man, and your team.
Could you ind me ten or dozen more OF this sort 20
"Think could responded the wagon boy.
swell, II you eau, will give you hauling TO do
Tor the next three months, and j will make YOU
wagon master In the bargain"
The future Senator and diplomat soon had his
ram ~ ORDER and laden with produce proceeded on
his toilsome, perllous Journey through the then
wilderness TO our armies At the North. The hard
Ieresting chapter had space for the detail re-
member one fact l cannot refrain from repeating,
namely, that Tom could retain command as wagon
Iured to dlso6ey orders. Al night, when wagons
were pulled on the roads for camp, Wagon-naster
ION, nhu 10 Hunt out Tie refractory
WAGNER and give him sound drubbing.
To hear the eloquent, accomplished, and most
polished statesman OF his day thus relate his early
for 1t seemed improbable, for Senator Corwln was
one Of the most refined and courtly gentlemen
TO return to my theme; What followed the effort
Of this philosophical citizen of the West Is better
nd by Professor Toeor In his Annals OF the Miami
Valley He says:
"It will be remembered that Congress, Influenced
by the representatives from New England, whatever
may have been their motive, failed to vote approprI-
IN the Held, and the northwestern army was
threatened with suffering from the want OF supplies
"At this crisis this merchant prince of Cincinnati
70 Washington and offered TO supply the
army with provisions out OF his own means and
,redit, looking and trusting TO the Government 10
him when the war was over.
non tue 10th OF January, 1914, when the contract
aas Sy wrsn y win oaa
lusn, and the Government was paying It's debts In
told aud silver. by the LIST Of June, when tue con-
lausted and the Government had resored to treasury
totes, which PASSED a. q large discount. In the
q S Ss 6aSG
be business OF tho whole country. Pialt had ooh
racted TO furnish rations att twenty centa The |
bauH raos Tor less than oe s ner
TX months he had drawn upon the Government for |
900 tue drafts for which had gone To protest for
Wburing this time about $4,000 had come into
'latts hands es commlasarlat fund, resulting from
he sales as commissary to the army Piatt applied
lies. This was regarded aud treated by the an-
hoTitles at Washington as technical violation OF |
aw, Strange, but 1t Is trueI Had Plat turned this
money over 10 the depleted treasury aud let the |
armers and merchants walt aud auffer forther pay,
would nave been compliance with forms, but great
INJUSTICE TO the oredltors OF the Government
"This was the state OF his oilending This oondi- |
Ion OF things obtained on the Goth OF December,
sl4, when Gen. Macarthur made a requsltlon on |
I'm Tor eight hundred thousand rations to be deliy-
red In thirty days, which at exlsting rates would
ave cost &aC0, 900 more.
"unable TO meet this reQuisiion, and unwilling
no public should suffer damages from the failure,
70 immediately repaired TO Washington City to lay
no natter before the Department, accompanied by
Dr. Juailue Mclean, then hs Representative 10 Con.
'rcss. They found the War Minister ofthe United
ates sitting In tho ashes Of the burnt-out Capitol In
n agony OF despair over bleeding country and an