The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-10-17
Pour OLD UNCLE SAM.
Almost Everybody Tries to Loot
His Treasury.
Big Thieves and Little Thieves by shO
Score Steal Money from the Gov
ernment-How They Work
TheIr Schemes.
[speeial washington Letter.l

Especial Washington letter.
Men who call themselves respectable,
and who are sometimes called honor
able, often try to loot the national treas
Jury; and they do not seem to nave any
twangs of conscience.
The protection afforded the treasury
by the senators and representatives in
congress-, and particularly the chair
men of the committees on a%ppropria-
tions, guarantees safety of the public
funds. There are more honest men
than dishonest men in congress-; or else
they are compelled to be good for fear
of consequences. II is mostlikely hat
their moral sense, IN a majority of cases,
carefully scanned before being passed
in committee, or in the forum of de-
bate.
President Cleveland, however, found
it necessary to veto the river and har-
Dor appropriation bill, and also the
general deficiency bill. There was an
immense amour of jobbery in the
river and harbor bill, but nearly every
member of the house of representatives
had a slice of the steal, and hence the
bill was passed by a two-thirds major
ity over the Veto. and the money vas
thus appropriated. Fortunately large
sums ARE left to the discretion of the
secretary of wal for disbursement; and
the secretary is in no hurry to expend
the public funds needlessly.
The general deficiency bill contained
two rank steals, and everybody in
Washington knew that the veto was
right. The bill was killed by the veto,
and could not be passed by a two-thirds
vote, as the river and harbor bill had
been. -Four years ago a certain sen
ator, who occupied a position of prom
inence and power, inserted an appro-
priation of ST. soc 900 for the French
spoliation claimants, as an amendment
to the general deficiency bill. The bill
carried so many important items that
President Harrison did not veto it, and
hence the treasury was looted to that
amount. During the past session of
congress the same senator championed
the French spoliations claimants again,
in the secret of a committee room; but
did not do so on the floor of the senate.
On the contrary, he intrusted the work
to another senator, who proposed the
amendment providing $~1,000,000 for
French spoliation claims, while the
principal senator was absent from the
senate chamber for a few minutes.
That enabled the chief manager to say,
if ever accused of jobbery: Thou canst
not say ] did it."
The same appropriation bill opened
the way for rmo appropriations
{ under what is known as the Bowman
act. If the bill had become a law, there
would have been fully 100000
/ 600 drawn from the treasury in
side of ten years, for the payment o
obsolete and unworthy claims. Blu
{ the president vetoed the bill, and *here
=. by rendered his country a great service
Senators and representatives who voted
/ for the big steals referred to would no
listen to the demands of smaller ant
, more deserving claimants.
F. But not only during the sessions o
: congress are the cormorants here. They
are. with us all the time, trying ant
scheming to get their hands into tn,
i treasury. There are schemers and plot
tiers of every description, and not one o
: them seems to think that it is wrong t.
swindle the federal government.
Fifteen yearsago appropriations wer
made for the purpose OF constructing
t tunnel a mile long, 20 carry water t.
c a section of this city which was not vel
supplied. Tie tunnel vas constructe,
under the direction of engineers of tn
e army, and when it was completed tn