The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-19
CLAIMS NEVER SEEM TO LAPSE.
They Are Kept Before the Govern
ment Officials for Generations.

They Are Kept Before the Govern
ment Officials for Generations.
From the Washington Star.
1.-THE thing that interested me most when
I arrived in Washington the first time was
red tape" observed the wife of a promi-
nent senator to a Star reporter, and,
though in the many years have been in
Washington have seen red tape in many
FORMS do not know that have got over
1t since. The red tape refer to is not the
circuitous manner of transacting public
or governmental business, which has been
so often the subject of criticism and mar
ratives of official life, but the real linen
red tape itself. 1t has been the custom Of
the Senate postoffice for many years to
send senator's mail to their private resi-
dences or rooms tied up in a bundle with
a piece of red tape, though now and then
1t happens the mail comes to us tied up
with piece of string. The first piece of
red tape that ever reached me In this way
1 sent back to my home as a. souvenir Of
Washington. For several months I sent
pieces to friends in letters We get two
and three mails each day, so you can see
how 1t gathers.
II have kept up the distribution of this
red tape ever since, and in the ten or more
years of my residence in Washington. as
may be imagined, have sent off a great
deal. Besides this, 1 have plenty to tie up
all the bundles in my house My stock
keep in vase on the mantel in our sit
ting-room. The servants and the MEM
bers of my family, when they want a
string, always know where to find one I
confess that the red tape has been of value
to me In many ways. In my travels In my
own state / find that the little red tape
souvenirs I have distributed are kept by
those l have sent them to In the same
spirit that caused me to send them, and
l assure you it is very pleasant to be con-
stantly remembered by and through them
even if I am not remembered in any other
way. l have, however, seen enough OF
the other kind-the how -not-to-do-it kind
of red tape of official life, and am not
so much enamored with It. The red linen
tape will do what is required of it, and in
positive and prompt way, which, l am
sorry to say cannot be said of that which
is officially known as red tape. one IS
thing, the other is system. defend
the former while, like thousands of 9TH
ers, decry the latter.
When a girl 1 came to Washington on
a visit to my uncle, who was a department
official. spent part of a day in his room
in the treasury department. My unces
desk, I remember was piled up with the
known private claim. They were
tied up with red tape the lin
en- kind then, and have been tied
up equally as strong by red tape of the
official kind, which Is not tape, but an iron
chain, ever since. How many years ago?
That does not matter, but it is as long ago
as the ordinary lifetime as calculated by
the insurance companies. Recently l VS.
tied the same office in the treasury depart
ment. BY a coincidence the same claim
was under consideration and the same pa
cial in charge was unwrapping and read
pers were piled up on a desk. The ON
ing them. as was my uncle when / trst
visited the department as a girl. He mas
been dead over thirty years, but that claim
is apparently no nearer settlement than
1t was then. An iron chain instead OF red
linen tape has bound that claim up. Ihe
original claimants are dead and their sue
cessors are nearing their graves with oid
age"