Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-12-12
aailg r. gayle
PENUkI0US UNCLE SAM
AS A DEBT PAYER HE is A PRETTY
TOUGH OLD CUSTOMER.
Rich Enough to Pay. but Not Inclined to
Do 1t Till He Is CompeHed-Nor is He
Always an Easy Man to Work For.
Some Surprising Statements.
Especial Correspondence. !

Always Easy Nan to Work For.
Some Surprising Statements.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1S-Uncle Sam has
precious little sentiment. He is known as the
most misery old curmudgeon in this coun-
try. Ii is more difficult to collect bill from
him than from any other solvent person
Uncle Sam is rich enough 70 pay his debts,
but it is a principle with him not TO pay them
as long as be can avoid it, and what he knows
about red tape and all the hooks and crooks
Of delay is all there is to know Every few
days one hears Of the payment of some claim
by the government to the heirs Of second or
third generations of the original claimant.
There was one such case not long ago. Thir-
ty-three years ago a man lost four or five
government warrants. Two of them were
found, and on being presented to the treas
ury by the finders were paid
The others never turned up, and, though
the owner proved to the satisfaction of every
body but the comptroller of the treasury
that these other warrants had met different
fate than that which befel the two which had
been presented for payment, and had indeed
been destroyed, the comptroller chung to tho
of innocent holders, and refused to order re-
issue and payment.
The decision of the comptroller in such
case is supreme. 1t cannot be reviewed by
the president or the supreme court The
president may discharge the comptroller and
appoint one to MS liking, and the new COMP
troller may review and reverse decision,
and that is the only manner in which the
tU IF first cOrl,rtr-ollnr ha
attacked.
Wen, in the case spoken of, comptroller
after comptroller upheld the decision against
the claimant The sons of tho original claim
ants, and finally their sons, pressed for set
Element, and at last, after more than third of
a century, Comptroller Matthews recognizes
the equities, reverses ali former decisions and
gives the people their money. II they could
only get interest for the full period they
would be made rich.
Mrs JOHN a. Logan is one of the most
popular women in the United States. Her
husband was the hero of thousands of sol
diers No one would think there would be
the slightest trouble about Mrs. Logan get
ting pension from the government. But
there Is Z good deal of trouble. She OWNS a
beautiful span Of coach horses, the gift of
friend, but she dare not bring them to Wash
ington tall the pension matter shall be settled
il congress Were Mrs Logan to ride
through the streets behind a pair of horses
worth thousand dollars apiece, people
would talk and ask each other what need she
had of a pension--as if the quality of
the horses her friends give her has aught
to do with the justice of her claim upon
the government and her country But
mel Go has daol
than sentiment, and Mrs. Logan does well to
be careful
Why, that most admirable lady is criticized
because she lives III fine house surrounded
by beautiful grounds, and because she smiles
and laughs and charms people if life were
still bright and good to her These critics
think an applicant for a widows pension |
should wear sackcloth and ashes and pass her |
days in weeping. The people who oppose |
Mrs Logans pension cannot forgive her for
spending money at the Halliday sale. Old |
Ben Halliday, after getting rich running the |
overland stage limo to California, filled large |
house in this city-the one now occupied by |
Secretary Noble-with the choicest furniture,
works Of art and curios that money could |
buy After his death there was sale Mrs |
Logan attended for two days and made many |
such purchases as a japanese tea set for slS5 |
The critics think that should be enough TO de |
feat her pension bill, but nobody else is able |
10 see the connection between the Halliday |
sale and pension to the widow of brave Gen
Logan.
Uncle Sam is often downright cruel and |
VI Just in his unwiilingness to pay obligations
till he is forced TO do so. a poor woman died
ia this city the other day, week or two be-
fore her clnirn was allowed. She died in pow
erty, as she had lived for twenty years Her |
claim had been pending for quarter of a cen
fury, and during the last ten or twelve years
she had dcne nothing else than press it upon
the Alteration of lawyers and officials. There
Is no good reason why it should not have
been allowed years ago, for it was a perfectly
just claim 1t was finally paid, but not till
the poor woman had ceased to need it. Tho
money came Just in time to buy beautiful
headstone for her grave.
There was discharged from tue govern
meat service the other day d man named
Barton lie was a chief of division in the
var department, and there was nothing
against him except that he did not have the
i2ht kind of politics. But two or three
years ago this gentleman, by his zeal and
adroitnssS, prevented the government being
,windled cut of $&S6,00) on a fraudulent
claim The claim had been proved TO the
satisfaction o: the officials to whom it was
referred, and appropriation for its pay
ment had been passed IN congress. when
Barton set 10 work, and fairly, at the risk Of
ais life, succeeded in securing evidence which
iefeated the conspiracy Not long afterwari
ne asked for an increase of 500 year ii his
,alary, and was refused Now he is dis
,harged.
The employee Of an individual, or even of
corporation like "A railway or steamship com
,any, could insure himself SIS employment
md a pension by saving 10 his employers
S2S6, 900. But the government Is, literally, a
corporation without soul. Il knows not
what gratitude is.
Our Uncle Samuel is pretty hard task
MASTER One would imagine that the preSi-
lent Of the United States had everything his
leart could wish for, tho most complete hap
,iness. But here is what one of the brightest
nd most observing public men of his day,
Congressman Mckinley, thinks Of the delights
4 the presidency: Nv hen the last crowd be
ore election has been seen 10y the candidate
or president" says ar. Mckinley, when for
he last time the man who is soon to become |
ruler hears the adiniring shouts OF his fol-
,wers. looks i'll a sea of faces turned toward
i'm as toward their leader, be has had all
here is in the presidency. Nothing remains
ut labor. worry. responsibility, ve1ation,
be necessity Of suppressing sentiment and
alf. wears Of the most absolute sacrifice
he man who wants To be happy does not do
,ell to aspire to the presidency" And yet |
lr. Mckinley is altogether willing 70 be
resident. though he must know whereof be