Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-04-11

improving American photography
The National Farmers Alliance-Senator
Pettigrew's Pluck-SenatOr Blair Still
Hopeful.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
WASHINGTON, D. c., April l.
Probably the hardest worked and most
pestered committee in Congress is that
having in charge the claims against the
Government. II all the claims now pend
ing before that body were allowed it
would take a round 800, 600, 900 out of
the Treasury. In variety and gall" rep
resented i'll some of them they would
stagger the most vivid imagination.
Many of them have been before Congress
for half a century and are still being Wig
orously pushed by the grandchildren Of
the original claimant.
The records of this committee would
furnish the foundation for some very in
teresting romances, and it is a wonder
that enterprising novelists have not ono
since taken advantage of the strange
tales contained in the immense mass Of
documents on file here. The most thrill
ing romancer would find his creative
genius feirly distanced in the tales Of
woe" girdled with red tape and pigeons
holed in this committee room.
10 those unfortunate beings who NAV
have claims before this body it will not
be a very cheering statement when l say
That not more than one in every II hum
dred appeals for relief made to Congress
ever succeed in getting even outside of
the committee-room, to say nothing of
consideration directly from the hands of
either branch of Congress-. Beyond this
it is fair to state also that only about
this proportion are entitled to considera-
ton. The fact is, there are some most
ridiculous as we'll as infamous efforts
being made every minute in the day to
pick Uncle Sans capacious pockets.
Illustrations of this fact afford interest
ing reading.
During the recent war a well-known
steamboat captain on the Mississippi
was plying his vocation up and down the
river, and while pretending to be loyal
to the Union. secretly carried provisions
and arms to the Southern army. Caught
in the act finally, his boat and cargo we're
contscated by the Government troops,
or rather were destroyed in attempting
to pass a Union fort. Twenty Years
afterward, backed up by afidavits and
other proofs. he applied to Congress for
relief, and placed his damages at $780,
OO0. So we'll supplied was he with sworn
statements that went to show that he was
an innocent sufferer that he enlisted the
services Of eminent statesmen in his be-
half, and the bill passed ono branch of
Congress, but failed of being reached in
the other during the session. The next
Congress took the matter up but in the
discussion the true status of the claim
came to light, and it was ignominiously
kicked out. Notwithstanding these dis
co~uragements, the original claimant is
still in Washington trying to get his bill
through.
The most persistent class of claimants
VINO hang about the committee DON are
those persons who during the war lived in
and around the dividing line between the
North and South, and who allege to have
been losers OF property on account of the
war. They invariably claim to have SYM
pathized with and aided the Northern
troops and consequently think the Gov
eminent should reimburse them for losses.
About as cheeky a set of claimants as have
pushed to the front of late years are men
who have gone West and settled upon
Indian lands. With O full knowledge that
they had no legal rights there they have
gone into the Indian country and reserva-
tions, and made in many instances extern
slve Improvements. AS might have been
expected they were driven off, and now
they are asking the Government to pay
SAS " iO AOSoOS. lIultlouS " Dlll
of this nature have been introduced this
session.
A pathetic story relating to one claim
now before Congress goes far to illus
trate how difficult it is to get ever a mer.
itorious measure through that body. Way
back in 1870 wealthy Illinois Spectator
contracted to furnish the Government
with a very large quantity of grain, and
was to deliver it on the railroad some
where in Kansas. The grain was deliv-
cred, as specified in the contract, but
while stored in a warehouse along the
road was burned up, together with all
the papers, and among them the way-bill.
The Government refused to pay for the
grain without a special act of Congress-,
aud the man undertook to get it. The
loss he sustained completely ruined him,
both financially and physically. In 1878
he visited Washington and tried to
lobby his bill through. But, while
every one conceded his Just claim, the
bill failed owing to the press of other
business. In the meantime the unfortu-
nate contractors family were subjected
to the pangs of abject poverty, rendered
more pitiful from the fact that their
former condition in life untitled them for
struggling with the world. A year or so
later the contractor died, leaving his
WIDOW anu Tires culluron, al girls, 10 40
battle for an existence. The mother has
visited Washington several times to push
the claim of her dead husband, as vet
with poor success. She hopes on, how
ever, and should she get her dues, which,
by the powers above, I hope she may, she
will no longer be in want and may rest
in peace and comfort during the balance
of her life.
The Harvey Peak Tin Mining and Mill
ing Company, with mines in the Black
Hills, South Dakota, through its Presi-
dent, Samuel Untermeyer Of New York,
is pushing Congress with all it's power to
place a duty on block tin. The company
claims that with sufficient protection this
eg;on will soon be able to supply this
country with all the tin necess, ry in the
United States. Since the agitation of
this question remonstrances have been
coming in from all parts of the country,
principally from manufacturers in can
ned goods. The tin people ask for a
duty OF two cents per pound.
The National Farmers Alliance has
established headquarters in Washington.
The President, Mr.. Polk Of North Caro-
lima, is now here and makes a good i'm
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