Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1892-08-18

have no energy of characterization.
Abusing, as the Democrats have in the
widest language the appropriate" of
$492, 100000 and then approprating
$50 100000 themselves means two
things. 1t means that in the last cam
paign the Democracy was inaccurate,
and that in the present house they have
been detected. If we were in their
place and they in ours, | fear their Ian
guage would be more adequate. But if
the Democrats have adopted what one of
their own men calls a "popgun sys
tenn of tariff reform, their committee on
war claims have started gatling gun
system of war claims. 1t is true that
the house itself has so far acted on but
few of them, but these few
show how the many will
finally be treated. A house which has
voted to lift the incubus of the statute
of limitations from the Sibley case so as
to allow the heirs of an officer who left
the United States army to Join the con-
federates to collect ROYALTY on tents
used in the very war he helped to wage
has shown itself capable of infinite
power of sapping the treasury.
The committee on war claims have re-
Poi oSo III 1dNol VI lIOl z tIIdu PtUsOOOSOOO
worth of claims for damages caused by
devastation of the war. If there is any
thing settled in law it is that no nation
ever undertakes to repair the damages of
war. Where the accident of destruc-
ton falls, there it rests. But there is
grave danger at this very moment that
we shall at this late day be csjoled into
vast payments on that behalf. These
claims come to US under the sanction of
religious societies, to pay for rent of
churches, to pay for damages to schools
and colleges. Each is for small amount
but the aggregate will appal the 'untry.
In the 10th congress, after pitched
battle over William and Mary college,
such claims were sent to the rear. To-
day in addition to the $40, 900 900 already
reported by The committee on war
claims, $4OO 100000 and perhaps SEQ SEQ, :
O0o,o 900 of such claims have been re-
ferred to the court of claims. If Mr..
Holman and his band of economists had
given half as much attention to this pro-
posed drain on the treasury as they have
to the refusing of what they knew they
must consent to, we should to-day have
safer surplus in the treasury even if
we had less campaign talk.
The close of this session of the house
seems likely to be worthy of its begin
ming. Alter full and free debate, the
house by majority of dozen, deter
mined to agree with the senate to make
the appropriation for the Chicago expo
sition, which it needed. Then com
menced the extraordinary spectacle of a
filibuster begun by the chairman of the
committee on appropriations, in house
where his own partisans had majority
of l4O votes. such scene is unusual, /
think unique, in our history. La order
to heighten the spectacular effect Gen.
Wheeler was allowed to drag into the
house characterization of the house by
Tom Watson of Georgia. characterize
ton which could be made of no other
house and which Mr.. Watson wa:
allowed without punishment to reiterate
and reaffirm. Mr.. Watson, though now
of the alliance party, was chosen as a
Georgia Democrat. A part of thatchar-
acterization has been made the subject
OF investigation and must speak for tseli
All the rest seems to be true bill. Here
Is the description, emitting the part un-
der investigation:
"The Congress now sitting is one illus
tration. Pledged to reform, they have
nave not reformed. Pledged to economy,
why hoNO hob u. IlGQg6Q
to legislate, they have not legislated
Extravaganza has been the order of the
day. Absenteeism was never so pro-
nounced. Lack of purpose was never so
clear. Lack of common business pru-
dence never more glaring. Useless en-
ployees crowd every corridor. Useless
expenditures pervade every department"
Such, in brief, have been the character
lstic acts of the house of repre- sentatives
where the Democracy dominated in the
proportion of three to one. Its last days
nave been but the browning example of
the rlotous control of the few which was
delioerately made possible when the
BODY adopted its rules. While but a
small number are visible as leaders and
workers in this new attempt to establish
the rule of the few over the MANY. the
whole Democratic party is responsible
Tor their actions, for it put into their
hands the very power they are now US
Ing. against the people and against the
majority Remember also that this was
In house Immediately preceding a
presidential election, where the member;
were ON their good behavior. Suppose
the party to which these men belong
are victorious all along the line next No
vember, what ought we to expect?
LII they act thus when they try to be
good, how will they act when they &C
like themselves?