Arizona silver belt., 1890-04-05
INDIAN DsrREDAr,oS CLAIMS

ton of duty on the part of Congress
 or exemplifying the abuse of power
 following the use of "red tape" the
 delay in disposing of claims for Indian
 depredations now pending before the
 Department, IS lamentable, and fur
 ther dllatory measures should be sue.
 ceeded by prompt action. Considered
 as matter of policy, or justice, some
 disposition should be made of these
 claims. Appropriations, enormous, and
 not untrequently prodigal and unnec-
 essary, can be secured without strug-
 gle. for almost any other purpose,
 project, or person, while these unfor-
 tunates are passed unnotlced, left
 neglected and suffering from poverty
 inflicted by the wards of the Govern
 ment. Meritorious claims arc denied
 a.iust consideration. Even the anxiety
 to exhaust the surplus" by legisla-
 tion far or foul, brings no relief
 Claims have been pending for a
 number of years. For long time
 past, Whenever the question of appro.
 priations came up, Congress would
 listen to the proposition to establish a
 special Court of Claims invested with jurisdiction to try these cases, and then the matter would rest until the succeeding session-claimants waiting and suffering. The present movement IS only a renewal of the agitation con. corning the oft proposed court and will be readily disposed of in the same manner. If this is the best that can be done, adopt it at once and end the long anxiety of the claimants. But inasmuch as the testimony in support of these claims was taken years ago, to be used before the department authorized to decide as to its sufficien. cy, and as many of the witnesses and seme of the claimants are dead, or beyond the seas with small pros poets of supplying tLeir evidence, to meet the ends of justice, 1t would seem preferable that the department should still be tue tribunal to examine the testimony submitted and deter mine the amounts, to be followed by necessary appropriations.
 If this is not practicable, instead of creating a new court, confer jurlsdic- ton on the Federal District Courts held within the Territory, to hear such | cases in each county, or at least with in the district, and at such hearing, | accept the testimony already taken with such additional proof as might be required. Impartial justice could thus be obtained. Heard in the vicln- ity of where the depreciation was com mitted, both the government and the claimant would have better opportu- mites to ascertain the fraud or merit of the claim, If, however, the nation al capitol longeth 10 become the abid- ing place of some seedy aspirant, for whom no other vacancy can be found, let the new court be created, provided always, that the testimony now on file shall be accepted as proof subject only to rebuttal. Without such a pro- vision, with witnesses scattered, some claimants dead, proof lost, evidence forgotten, papers plgeon-holed, the court far distant, and attorneys not familiar with the facts, it would be extreme folly for the old and impov- erished claimant. to expect anything.
 It would be preferable and more honorable for the government to plead the statute of limitation and at ! once make final disposition of the cases. In addition to the loss of life, abandonment of homes, etc., the ac- tual loss within the Territory has been serious, especially so Tn the counties adjacent to the reservations and those | trayersed by the bloody trails of the hostiles. The aggregate of claims of residents of Glla county approximate , $40, ,OOO-small compensation to suffer- { CTS who have presented demands, and [ falls far short of the actual loss, if any estimate is to be made for those who declined 10 make any demand on ac- f count of the slow process, and improb- ; ability of collection. This matter de- { serves serious consideration and speedy i action.
 In Wnstnhastar Damn tharn 1. Q