The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1894-06-21

duced-to surrender It, and take sec
ond mortgage in it's place. The Gov
eminent has had TO pay the interest
on the bonds, and is bound for The
principal, and its second mortgage is
almost, II not quite, worthless. Mean
time, four men got forty millions OF
dollars out Of the transaction, which
they put into their pockets. They have
never exhibited shy sympathy with
the Government for having made an
improvident bargain which enriched
them. They stood simply for their
bond.
Stanford was one of these four men.
Recently Attorney General Olney has
discovered, or thinks he has discov
cred, that the estates of the benelici
aries of the Pacific railroad manipula.
ton are responsible to the Govern
ment for the sums they realized, and
has file 1 a claim for fifteen millions
against the Stanford estate. Now, Mr..
0lney is the member of the Cabinet
whom the Republicans have been de-
rouncing ever since his appointment
as a corporation lawyer, the friend and
hacker OF trusts, and all that. AS soon,
however, as this claim against the
Stanford estate was filed there was
profound sensation on the Republican
side OF the Senate, Mr.. Hoar offered
resolution instructing the Judiciary
Committee, Of which he is a member,
to inquire into the equity of the claim
and whether il ought not 10 be relin.
pushed. The animus OF this motion
was plain from Mr.. HOsr's speech. In
the first place he said that he supposed
nobody seriously believed the Govern.
ment had any claim. If it did have a
! it did not amount to more than TWEEN
ty cents apiece for the citizens OF the
United States. Then he eulogized the
late Senator Stanford, and said that he
had consecrated his vast estate TO the
university that bears his name, though
it seems there is still trifle OF sew, n
teen millions for the childless widow.
These arguments convinced all the
Republicans in the Senate and Mr..
, Voorhees,, and they supported the res
! olution. Now, why did every Repub-
: lican present support Mr.. Hoar's mo-
I ton? If the Governments claim is in-
valid, lady with seventeen millions
is probably able to take care Of herself
without the help of tie United States
; Senate. The argument that the sum
at issue amounts to only twenty cents
e for each inhabitant, if it proves any,
1 thing, proves that any attempt to de
e fraud the Governh ent OF a sum moi
6 exceeding fifteen millions ought not
to be resisted. Mr.. Hoar would hest
tate to formulate his meaning in that
way, but that is the Logic Of it,
1t is peculiar fact that in all ques
i tions involving claims the Republican
: Senators like the Irishman in the ia
t miliar but slanderous story, are "agir
q the Government Whenever there
is a "grab" for the benefit OF smillion
aire, trust or other rich corporation
the Republicans favor it. Whenever
Il there is an effort to recover money
o which such persons or corporation
have improperly obtained, the Repub
licans are "agin" that They take thu
n money of the United States for thei
G services, but their services are rem
dered to cormorants who desire to de
fraud the Government or TO tax tn,
p" people for private purposes. So loni
9 as there was surplus in the Tieasur,
their action was Ineligible, for tn
g surplus was an argument in favor OF
e reduction OF the tariff; but since tn
surplus has given place to dtlici
:, their conduct has not changed. The.
:. are all "agin" the Government, AM
" favorable to all sorts OF schemes TO de
J. plete the Treasury. Their rage to Civ
s away the money OF the Government t.
s individuals or corporations is unabat
: ed.
n There seems no doubt that thu fiftee
> millions claimed are justly due t" tn
Government from the Stanford estate
Whether the Government will get tn
. money or not, is another question, bu
: certainly no effort should be spare
IS to that end.-Courier.Jourpdl