The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-14
A BAD CREDITOR.
The Closeness, Meanness, and Injustice of
the General Government.

The Closeness, Meanness, and Injustice Of
the General Government.
Washington Letter in Cleveland Leader.
OF all creditors the government is the closest,
meanest and most INSCRIPTIONS. 1t never pays
debt unless the man of whom it borrows has
caSt-iron contract in writing, and for services
rendered it in all hours of need, without such
contract it will laugh in the giver's face, and re-
fuse him the pittance which may keep him from
the poor house. No Scrooge with all of his
hard listed, stony hearted miseriness! No Ralph
Nickleby with his cruel heartedness, could rival
the United States government In its business
dealings. 1t keeps its debtors out of their money
for generations, and when at last it does pay
them, being forced, it throws the money at
them as you would a bone to dog, retaining
the interest and taking advantage of every
bubble of the law. Look at the French
spoliation claims, which were due
nearly century ago, and which Congress
adjudged valid from time to time during every
decade since then Yet babes have been born,
have grown old, and becoming enfeebled have
died in poor houses. while the government was
Withholding from them the money which, in an
international treaty. she had promised to pay
This year those claims have been at last passed
but the original debtors have all died long ago,
and their chdren's children will receive part
of what their grandfathers should have had
years and years ago.
/ could cite other instances, enough to fill this
paper, of the injustice of this beautifully free
and equal government of ours. There are filed
away up there in the Capitol, claims-and just
claims they are-which if the Nation had
time to consider them, would cause it to
hold up its hands in horror at the cruelty
and meanness of the benevolent old man
called Uncle Sam" There are thousands of
them, and they come up before the committees of
every Congress every year, only to be pushed
| aside for other claims which contain some pro-
visions which will help certain members in their
respective districts, and for jobs of bigger fish
who can afford to pay big prices to keep the lit
| tie ones out of the congressional waters. These
| claims contain all the elements of romance.
| Their truth is stranger than the imagination of
| fiction, and their pathos often brings tears to
the eyes of the tenderer- hearted congressman on
| the committee. One member told me lately
that he had left this committee because he could
not stand the effect the work had upon his feel
| ings. and others there who would do what
! they can, but in the presence OF such picayune
| buncombe loving statesman as Holman and
| Randall they are helpless
Randall and Holman cut down a messengers
| salary, or defraud man out of the pay for
services or supplies he has rendered the govern
ment, and the hard hearted, money making. tax
| hating public throw up their hands and call it
craftsmanship. The government sells lot of
| old carriages, and its officers walk down the
streets of Washington instead OF riding Again
| they throw UP their hands and cry statesman
| Ship Grover Cleveland gets up at in the
morning and at he is working at his desk He
does no more than the President before him, and
| his duties as chief magistrate are no greater.
But the people, accustomed TO judge only by the
| outside, accustomed to save at the spigot and
| waste at the bung, bulges out its eyes, throws
| up its hands, and worships the statesmanlike
| habits of the ruler. Ii is small kind OF great
! ness, don't you Think