Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1893-06-02
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Ndu DuSlueS1 men anu OF EihtIlNtI
people generally is strongly in favor
pf tue payments Of bebts, but the last
Congress has flown squarely in the
face of this honorable sense Of moral
dutyih repudiating obligations Of the
Government which are of even higher
weight and sanction than its bonded
debt.
Under the act Of Congress OF Janu-
ary 20, 1885, the French spOliatlon
claims were referred to the Court Of
Claims in order to determine whether
or not the Government was. FespOnsi-
BILE for their payment After the
fullest argument and reargunfent by
the solicitorgeneral the court deci-
ded that certain of these claims were
released to France by the treaty Of
1900 Ia settlement of the demands of
France upon the Government Of ths
United States for its failure to keep
the treaty of 177s, under which France
secured to us our independence; that
the release of these claims, which
were always acknowledged by France,
was a use Of private property for pub
lie purposes, and that under the pro-
vision Of the Constitution giving just
compensation for private property so
used such of the claims as have been
tried and allowed are valid obliga-
tions Of the United States.
For number Of years, especially
when the Governmant was e6relict in
furnishing supplies as stipulated IN
der treaties, the indians committed
depredations on the settlers in the
west and south. Year after year, as
the neglect Of the Government to
keep its treaties with them continu-
ed, the savages plundered and mur-
dered these frontiersmen who stood
between them and 'ciYiliZation." 4"
Afterward a statue was passed en-
towering the Interior Department
to examine each case and report it to
Congress with recommendation as to
the amount due. At great expense
these sufferers then filed the evidence
to establish their losses, and as rule
the department recommended pay
ment Of about one-half the actual loss
sustained. Finally these claims were
referred to the Court of Claims by
the act of March 3, 1891, which de-
olaroc That than pIo11 1,a a rfapfro t,r
on the treasury, and shall be paid out
of the funds due under the treaties to
the tribes which committed the dep
relations. Additional evidence was
taken at heavy expense; the cases
were regularly tried before the court
and decisions have been rendered
that a few hundred thousand dollars
are due on these claims. But the
sufferers obtained their judgments
only to have them repudiated by Con-
gress.
Under the different acts OF Congress
the claims of loyal citizens in the
south for stores and supplies taken
and used by the Union forces for their
subsistence have been referred to the
Court of Claims, and upon full trial,
with the question Of loyalty as jurs-
dicti0nal issue, the court has judicial
ly determined that they are valid OBJ
legations of the United States to the
extent of some hundred thousands Of
dollars.
All of these obligations were repudi-
ated by the last House, which refused
to appropriate the necessary funds to
pay them.
In addition two judgments Of the
Supreme Court Of the United States.
were repudiated with unblushing ef-
frontery.
Now, the grave question comes
home to every patriotic and thought
full citizen as to where the line is to
be drawn between the judgment Of
Federal court, under jurisdiction by
act Of Congress, that a claim is a valid
obligation to the United States and
the bonded debt of the country. Is
not the loyal man in the south whose
subsistence was used by our army
thirty years ago, when ascertained by
the court and without one cent of in
terest, as much entitled to his money
as the bondholder who has been get
ting his semi-annual interest in gold
during that period? Is not the ad-
juciated claim of the American ship
per and insurer, which was acknow-
lodged by France and used by our Gov
ernment to pay the price Of American
independence, the use Of which has
been enjoyed without interest for
ninety-threS years, just as sacred an
obligation as gold bonds bought with
greenbacks when geld was at a pre-
MUM of over 100 per centum? The
United States made treaties with the
Indian tribes, but failed to furnish
the supplies, and the sayages, by way
Of reprlsal. deprecated on the citi-
zens. Under the act Of Congress
some Of these claims have been tried
and allowed by the court Are not
thaea 1o0aI riOhts of the sufferer on