New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-11
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
THE FRENCH CLAIMS
Il Plea for Honesty Before Genen
osity.
To the Editor of The Tribune.


Treasury. The appropriation bills have becor.
so enormous that the criticisms OF ths Rn,,.-
Dollar Congress are almost forgotten. s,,.s-
warships and single public buildings cost IN .ss
millions. These high figures cause no alarm ava
scarcely word Of comment; If there IS an,
feeling about them. 1t is one Of pride tha, ~.
nation can afford to be so lavish. In all ~,
discussion there is scarcely a suggestion thar /.
would be best. and certainly most honest IN.
the country to pay its debts before IL u,.,
money unnecessarily. and that. If there Is reapv
a surplus above the requirements for current ~
penses. at least that surplus should be deyo,.s
TO the extinction of long standing liabilities
If an individual were TO go on adding In.
provements to his house-porticoes and cupol,,
and conservatories-an laying out lakes and
parks on his grounds. while the merchants, me-
chanics and laborers who have supplied IN.
needs Of his family-the butcher baker and
grocer. the tailor and shoemaker-are unable u
obtain payment Of their moderate bills he would
soon be characterized as a dishonest man
Practically he cannot do it, because the law will
seize his property to pay his debts. But tia
national government is sovereign, and therefore
above the law. II may possess and spend MILL
Ions. and yet the smallest debt cannot be en-
forced against it without its consent Every
payment depends on IT'S own will as expressed
by Congress.
And for that very reason-because IL IS aboys
the law-it ought to be the more scrupulousv
honest never read the account Of the passage
OF an appropriation BILL especially one for soma
new expenditure. which is one of choice and nor
of obligation. that not surprised that each
member of Congress does not rise in turn and
say II cannot vote for this so long as our old
debts are unpaid" Not one Of them does 80
Tf
II the case was one personal to themselves no,
one would take the money which belongs to his
creditors and defect IL TO soma unnecessary use.
his sense Of justice would revolt at such an idea
Why is this difference? Perhaps they do not
remember the debts; perhaps 1t is carelessness;
perhaps it is simply from habit, and because
others do the same.
We all know that directors will do acts as
board which OF them would be guilty
of performing individually. Perhaps this lack
of personal responsibility is even stronger in
large legislative body.
The French Spoliation claims constitute the
oldest debt OF the nation. Every one OF them
has existed for over a hundred years They
have come down TO the third or even the fourth
generation In most families in which they ex-
ist. they have become kind OF tradition learned
as child. and carried with alienation of hope
comes and another takes it up.
These claims. except in rare cases have never
been assigned; they are not In the hands OF
spectators or purchasers. but are sacredly
kept as heirlOOms by the descendants OF ths
original creditors. waiting and waiting as the
years pass. In many cases where the original
owner OF the vessels or freight destroyed was
wealthy, in the course OF events the descend
ants have become poor and sorely need ths
little sum so long due and still unpaid. Two
cases existing now and within my own init
mate acquaintance are such vivid illustrations
that wish TO narrate them as stronger than
any argument. Both are women ard both in
families distinguished for generations In their
respective States
One comes by direct descent from ths best
known member OF the Naydower Pilgrims, and
her ancestors stood at the head OF patriotic
movement in their State in New England in the
days Of the Revolution. She was born TO wealth
but the vicissitudes Of life have deprived her
of all but a bare subsistence. An invalid for
many years and now past the threescore and
ten in age. she is forced to live among strangers
In distant cline. The little SO long owed
20 her by the government would now be OF the
greatest Importance. and would aid in making
her declining years more comfortable. There is
not q shadow of question about the case; the
owner OF the little vessel that was seized was
one OF the most hOnOrSd men OF his State, and
the testimony on nIe IS that OF his most inti-
mate neighbOr. who was once President OF thet
United States Senate; there has never been q
syllable or objection 70 the claim in any way
and yet this great government, which spends
millions as II they were farthings, by mere de-
lay and indifference fails TO pay this century
old debt not only of justice but of honor and is
letting its creditor go down TO her grave in
need of the few hundred dollars that it owes
The other case is even more pitifuL This
lady-bOrn a lady If ever one was-came
from Virginia family OF highest standing and
liberal means. Her life has been one of mis-
fortune. Her father died while she was q child
The family fortune vanished She was early
widowed and left with one little deforned cir.
10 whom she devoted herself with all a mothers
love. Every offer of remarTiags was rejected
Every dollar that came from relatives was used
in vain attempts to cure the suffering child. Il
lived for twenty years, long enough to exhaust
every resource and isolate the secluded mother
from all friends. Since then has come extreme
poverty. She has no resource but the needle.
and that is SC5nty and uncertain enough. one
lodging was left after another for one cheaper
and poorer. and she has been thrust out from
them for failure to earn even the little pit
lance of rent required. For days al time she
has been without food. I saw her not long ago,
in little upper room. under a slanting roof
much too low for any 10 stand in upright
v;th no fire, and with the sight of one eve
nearly gone from striving 10 90 fine needle
work at night. Last ThankSSiving-CiO save
the mark, IN this rich land-she spent without
mouthfui of food. in the waiting room OF the
Brooklyn Bridge. because she had no other place
70 which 10 go
The vesse! Of her grandfather sailed out Of q
Southern port over a century ago and was capt
ured. our government solemnly promised 70
pay for il before General Washington was dead
And vet even now, in these days Of boosted
prosperity, when Congress talks of the surplus
in the Treasury and how best TO dispose Of H.
it does not pay its debt TO this poor woman VINO
asks no charity. but simply justice ard honesty.
and To whom $1,000 would bring comfort and
relief from the misery and pitts bic poverty
which makes life worse than death. IL MAKES
one feel shame instead Of pride in his country
hat rob ba