Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-05-13

its treaties with them continued, the
savages plundered and murdered
these frontiersmen who stood between
them and "civiliz alton" Afterward Q
statute was passed empowering the
Interior Department to examine each
case and report it to Congress with
recommendations IS to tho amount
due. At great expense these sufferers
then filed the evidence 10 establish
their losses, and % a rule the departs
ment recommended payment Of about
one.hslf the actual loss sustained.
Finally these claims were referred to
the Court OF Claims by the act Of
March 3, 1891, which declares that
they shall be q charge upon the
Treasury, and shall be paid out of the
funds due under the treaties to tho
tribes which committed the ,depreda.
tions. Additional evidence was taken
at heavy expense; the cases were reg.
ularly tried before the court, and decis.
ions have been rendered that . few
hundred thousand dollars are due on
these claims. But tho sufferers OBJ.
tanned their judgments only to have
them repudiated by Congress.
Under 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, aud uponofulI trial,
with the question Of loyalty A. q jur.
isdiotional issue, the court has judi
cially determined that they arc valid
obligations Of the United States to
the extent of some hundred tbousands
of dollars.
All Of these obligations were repu-
dated BY the last House, which re-
fused to appropriate tho 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 thoughtful
citizen as to where the line is to DO
drawn between the judgment OF q
Federal court, under jurisdiction by
act OF Congress, that a claim is valid
obligation of the United States
and the bonded debt of the
county. Is not the loyal man
in the South whose subsistence
was used by our army thirty years
ago, when asoe1tained by the court
and without one cent of interest, as
much entitled to his money as the
bondholdcr who has been getting his
semi>annual interest in gold during
that period? Is not the adjudicsted
claim of the American shipper and
insurer, which was acknowledged by
France and used by our Government
to pay the price of American indie.
pendencc, the use Of which has been
enjoyed without interest for ninety
three years, just as sacred an obliga-
ton as gold bonds bought with green.
backs when gold was at q premium
Of over 100 per centum? The United
States made treaties with the Indian
tribes, but failed to furnish the sup
plies, and the savages, by way Of re-
prisal. deprecated on the citizens.
Under the act OF Congress some o!
these claims have been tried and al
lowed by the court. Are not these
legal rights OF tho sufferer on the
frontier to be held as obligatory on
the Congress representing the people
as those Of the capitalist?
1t is about time that those Wanted
economists and statesmen, Messrs
Holman, OF Indiana; Dockery, Of
Missouri; and Savers, of Texas, who
IS rulers of the Committee on Ap.
propriations, dominate the House,
should see where they are drifting. Is
it reputation and anarchy, or is i.
law and the protection of the sacred
obligation Of private rights? "Spesk
or de-"
JOHN WEDDERBURN.