The Green Forest tribune., 1900-12-15

the sort of man to indulge in idle threats.
 The economically inclined Senators and Representatives feel thankful to the President for calling attention so pointedly to the danger of being tempted to make extravagant appropriations because there is a big surplus in the Treasury. The warning was never more needed, for at no ses- sion of Congress ever held has there been more clamorous de- mand for all sorts of big appropri- ations. The leaders have a hard job to keep the appropriations within bounds.
 It has been more than once as- serted that a fraudulent claim against the government with strong backing was more likely to be paid than a good claim with weak backing. Be that as it may, there is no doubt that the present system has many faults. Representative Rixey of Virginia a member of the house committee on claims, has introduced a bill reversing the present practice, by requiring that claims, instead of going first to Congress, shall be first asserted in the court of claims, and defended by the At torney General and his assistants, and that the court shall forward to Congress at the beginning of session the facts in the cases passed upon. Speaking of. the need for the change provided for in his bill, MT. Rixey said: "The present system is favorable for large claims and for lobbyists, but works great injustice to small and honest claimants, as we'll as to the government. The govern ment is never represented before the court of claims. Generally only one side is heard; that of the claimant, and usually the claim ant who can bring the most influ- .ence to bear to secure a hearing. More than $500 bills for claims have been introduced during the present Congress and referred to the Committee. The Committee, however, have considered only a small per centum of these bills and Congress has acted on a still smaller per centum. It is not to be contended that the claims so acted on are more meritorious than others, or have the merit necessarily of being first intro duced. Such uneven, halting justice is not a credit to the gov ernment. Bills unacted on in one Congress are reintroduced in suc- ceeding Congresses, again refer red and again printed, many of them going this tedious routine and getting no farther for de- cades. Such delays amount to a denial of justice. If redress can be offered, common justice re- quires that it should be-
 Senator Stewart has introduced bill for the creation of Su- preme Court of the Philippines, to be composed of five judges, appointed for life, with salaries at S20,O00 a year. He says he placed the salaries at double what is paid members of the United States Supreme Court for the purpose of tempting able lawyers into accepting the positions.
 There has been some talk of an omnibus bill for the admission as States of the territories of Okla homa, New Mexico and Arizona but the introduction by Senator Fairbanks of 8 separate bill fol the admission of Oklahoma indi. cates that it will not be carried out. It is very doubtful whether any legislation of this sort will gel through at this session, owing te lack of time.
 The so-called anti clause of the Army bill reported to the House this week really has not a word against the continu- ance of. the army canteen. Il merely provides that no officer ol enlisted man in the army shall sell intoxicants.
 It is now believed that the brewers have won their fight fol