Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-27
HAUNTING THE LOBBY
The Melancholy Career OF CIaimants-
Garfield's Client.

ana tragedies are continually DelnB en-"
acted IN the lobby! II the history Of only
small number of the claimants who
yearly besiege the doors Of Congress were
known, what interesting reading it would
make; what a record it would be Of ras-
cality and intrigue; what tales it would
tell Of justice denied, hopes deferred,
Affections, wretchedness and despair But
Of the thousands OF claimants who apply
to Congress at every session, not more
than ten, perhaps. get relief; yet their
number never diminishes. Hope
springs eternal in the human breast"
The claimant is ever present. lie never
retires from the field. Death only nds
his career. He comes TO Washington
iull OF hopes and with firm belief
ia the justice OF tie government.
he thinks that all he has TO do to
secure recognition is TO present his case.
He finds that he has to reduce his claim
to writing. He does so and be sees 1t dis
appear behind the doors OF committee
room TO which admittance Is denied him.
he begins 10 talk TO COngress men in the
lobby, in the strests. at their homes. he
becomes known. He is a marked man.
Every body avoids bin. He is voted
bore; nuisance. Punhc l EN- dodge him
as they see him approach. They dat
scure passages when they hear his foot
step. He is summed as If the mark OF
some dreadful disease were upon him.
BewIldered, be turns to other claimants
for advice. he is told TO employ counsel.
With heavy heart and grim fOrebodings
as TO the result be hands over to some
shark portion of his slender means as
r. tainer. He might as well have thrown
his money in the sea.
Now he begins to live on promises.
From day to day he is told that his case
Is making progress. eve are getting on.
sir" the counsel saws; "we are getting
on" The unfortunate claimant wonders
when the end will be reached and moves
into less expensive quarters. for his
money is beginning II give out. He
still haunts the lobb es of the capitol ard
fingers about the door Of the committee
room. His spirits are less buOyant than
when he rrst came here. His cheeks
have lost their color. His face beglus 10
reveal the traces of suffering and want.
Stiil the counsel bids him TO hope. But
more money is wanted. He cannot ex-
pect counsel to work tor nothing. He,
therefore, borrOws money from friends.
Relatives are called upon TO contribute.
They grant his request at first.
They know the claim to be
just. 1t is not possible, they
argue, that this great government will re-
fuse to settle it as soon as its attention Is
drawn TO it in the proper manner. They
believe in his honesty, at least, and make
advances upon advances. New fire, new
energy is put into the claimants case. In
some mysterious way il comes up before
the committee. 1t is even tavoTably re-
ported to the House. The outlook is de-
cidedly bright, aud the spirits of. the
claimant rise. Yet now soon are the
claimants hopes doomed to dsanpoint-
ment. The bill is buried under a mass OF
others which have pre- edence. Ii cannot
be- reached. Counsel says he is moving
heaven ana earth to bring it up
for consideration. More money -
required. By some freak of good
lucS it is forthcoming. Where 1t goes to.
counsel only can tell. Bills are passed
daily, other measures are making prog
ress, hut the claimants case remains
where it is. The money evidently had
not the desired effect. Aud now be final
day OF the session Is approaching. The
anxiety and suspense of the claimant in.
crease. From early dawn till late al
night be haunts the lobby. He sees his
bill advancing on the cali ndar. He knows
II can be reached. He feels it ought to
pass. He makes one supreme effort and
sees success within his reach almost,
when the gavel OF he Speaker falls and
the session OF Congress cHmes to a close.
This 10 only the beginning of his career.
Henceforth the claimant devotes his exist
ence to ths prosecution Of his claim. IL
becomes the one absorbing passion of mis-
life. He lives upon IT. He does nothing
else. IL is uppermost in his thoughts
He constantly carries 1t about with him.
/ He loses his friends. His money has gone
| long before. How be MANAGES to exist is
mystery. His lodgings are nowhere,
and yet he is known all over town. AS
/ Congress after Congress meets he is at
/ hand with his claim. Rope still bears
/ him up. He is always confident OF sue
/ cess. He still prattles artlessly about the
I justice Of bis claim. He still pursues
/ congressman with his talk. He still con-
/ fronts the d0Orkeeper OF the committee
/ room with his papers. AS year after year
/ passes he grows seedy. Dissipation per-
/ haps does its work. He becomes an OBJ
| iect OF contempt as he was formerly OF
consideration. People have forgotten who
this old man Is and what his daily errand
was. His claim becomes myth, himself
a fraud. To the new men he Is only an
| interesting relic of the past. The end is
at hand. A paragraph in the local papers
announcing the death OF "a well known
character" forms the final chapter. The
history of the claim Ia revived L. even
excites languid discussions for time,
and there VIII be some wonder expressed
why that clam was never paid BY this
great aud generous government.
The attention OF Congress is yearly
draw to cases of which the foregoing il
only type. They VIII continue to exist
as long as Congress is asked TO sit as a
judicial body for passing upon the claims
0i citizens against the government. The
Injustice of this system has been recog-
nized by many. IL was this which made
Charles Sumner exclaim, after be had
made two hours eloquent and able ar
gument before the Senate in behalf OF
French spohation claims and when he
saw that bis plea had no more effect upon
the dignited Senators than the wind that
roars about the statue OF Liberty ON
top of the dome: 81 believe we have the
meanest and most dishonest government
on earth.' With President Gar.
field this subject, too, was one winch
called TOR prompt remedy aud in illus
tration OF which he told Dom Piatt a
story OF bis own experience. Ii WAS OF
an old woman who came 10 Washington.
with a claim dating back 70 the Revolu.
ton. The amount asked for was too
small TO tempt the lobby, and she follow
ed IL up herself. The simple minded old
lady could not understand why her lust
demand should not At once be recognized
and settled. But years passed, and years
with her were few and precious. Some
kind hearted people, learning Of her dis
trcss. for she was very poor, interested
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