The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-09-13
TARDY JUSTICE
TO COL. WALES.
Facts Concerning ms Claim Against
The State Fully and Freely
Admitted.

In letter to the Pensacola Journal
of September 4, ]. II Reese, its Talla-
hassee correspondent, and the associate
editor of the Tallahassee Sun, writes
interestingly of the approaching meet
ing of fhe commission to examine claims
for Subsistence. etc, in the Seminole
wars, and the Wales claim, the same
matter appearing in the Pensacola
News of the 5th and the Jacksonville
Metropolis. Mr.. Reese writes as fol-
lows:
The commission, Of which Mr.. Knight
is u member, will have to do only with
the approval of claims for subsistence
and service in the Seminole Indian
troubles from l949 to 1867 inclusive,
and the act specially provides that the
Wales claim is not TO be considered.
Yet the testimony Of Col Wales be-
fore the Investigating commission and
the near possibility of the settlement
OF other claims growing out of the In
dian troubles are coincident happenings
worthy of notice.
Col. Wales requested the opportunity
of going before the commission. IL is
understood, because of certain testimo-
ny that mad been given the commission
by former Governor jennings, j is not
known now much of the testimony of
these two we'll known wltnes SEES will be
admitted 10 the record of the invesigat-
ing commission, AS the acts and doings
of the internal Improvement trustees
have no emphatlcaiiy apparent bearing
on the Indian war claims
NO DENIAL or CLAIM
1t is a matter of record that every
governor from 1877 TO the Jennings ad-
mnistration reaflirmed The contract
made with Col Wales fora fee Of ff-
teen per cent. of the amounts collected
from the government, and that the
CLAIMS were not poId until 1902 during
the Jennings administration, and that
the State has practically fepudllted the
contract while admitting the
obligation, the legislature of 1903 voting
an appropriation OF $2j, 600 for the set
Element of the claim, half OF the
amount to go 10 Col Wales and the
other TO the estate of w X. Beard,
who was associattd with the principal
in che URlertakil - s...b
Tvs amount has Acvcr neen collected
by the benefcaries. and the presence
Of Col Wales at tn State House pre-
sented the Grure of one who has been
dealt with unjuSty by the common
wealth which he served for more than
twenty years, the result of whose work
was the realization 10y the State of 81.
069, 1853. Ga, The amount representing the
prilcIIa al and interest Of the sum due
the State by the government and out Of
which will come the amounts TO be paid
for service and supplies furnished dur
ing the period referred to, the payment
Of which was authorized by the last
session. The compens alton claimed by
Col. Wales Is 1853, 373 -
sINGURLARLY HARD.
While the matter is now grown an
cient through age and much recital, it
will stand again. the State until it is
set led in full. Col Wales is now old,
and well nigh impoverished, and it is
not PROBABLE thing that he will live TO
reap the rewards Of his labor. But his
may, The spectacle is pre-
sented of a man VIII was successful
after many years Of constant and dis
labor in forcing the govern
ment to recognize the Righteousness Of
the States claim, proving the claim and
the money for the State, who
mas as yet been unable TO collect his
pro rata of the amount with the aid of
a specific contract and the unfettered
and hearty endorsement of the States
highest officials during the period when
the work was being accomplis,hd