Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-02-12
National Capital
News and Gossip
By Ralph Smith
BY Ralph Smith


WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. s.-The ON
nibus claims bill is dead as a doornail
although there are a few members and
senators who believe there is a chance
that 1t will pass. The senate killed the bill
with amendments. The house passed a
bill which authorized the payment OF
about $4,000 of claims of varied char
acter, including many for property used
by the United States government in the
south after the war between the states.
But the senate, with characteristic lib
crafty, increased this total to about So
100000, adding claims that had been for
gotten for years. It is believed that the
great bulk of these claims are entirely
just but the general increases which
are being made in salaries at this ses-
sion, in addition to the per cent in
crease which senators and members made
in their own three years ago the large
number of pending bills, which must be
passed, increasing the pensions of Union
soldiers, or giving pensions to those who
could not get them under the general
law; the deficit in the treasury, which will
grow TO $3.50 10000 by the end of the pres
ent fiscal year-all these considerations
prevent congress considering seriously the
payment of claims of any considerable
amount, no matter how just they may be.
How the Trick Was Turned.
In the house bill, Massachusetts had
four claims, representing about $500.
But Senators Lodge and Crane, of that
state got busy and had inserted in the
bill in the senate thirty-one claims, repre-
senting total of nearly 100000. This one
instance alone would make 1t appear al
most .conclusively that the Republican side
of the senate deliberately planned to kill
the bill.
1t is presumed that the bill will be rein
| trOduced next winter. 1t is not likely
| that it will be offered at the extra ses-
| sion The house will probably enact
bill somewhat more liberal than the one
| passed last year. and which passed the
senate this year. But it will be many
day before both houses agree to a claims
/ bill carrying three million dollars for
payments of debts of the government,
even though the debtors have every con-
slderation of equity on their side. The
Were Democrats Trapped?
| There is a sneaSing impression that
| the Democratic members of the senate
| fell into a trap set for them by senator's
on the Republican side, who did not want
the claims bill to pass. There has been
more or less encouragement given Demo-
cratic senator's to add southern war
claims to the omnibus bill, and they have
responded to the Establishments of the
majority Of the senate in a manner,
which, if the Republican senators were
really trying to kill the bill, must have
been extremely gratifying to them.
The house will not consider for one mo-
ment the passage of the bill with so many
| amendments added. 1t has been suggested
| that the house committee of conference
might strik out certain items in the
amended act But the senate was
/ sharp"
The hundreds of items added to the
measure in the senate form one single
amendment. The joint committee on con-
| ference cannot strike out a single item.
| 1t must report every one Of them, or re-
port disagreement on the whole bill.
The senate struck out the entire bill
| which came from the house, with the ex-
ception of the enacting clause, and sub
stituted an entirely new bill, embracing
all the items to which the house agreed
and adding others representing millions
of dollars.
The GeOrgians Who Lose.
The names of the Georgians whose
claims are incorporated in the omnibus
bill have been published in these dis
patches heretofore, but they are append
| ed that their friends may condole with
them in the disappointment in store for
| them:
G. w. Aycock. adm, of Walton county,
s515.
Fannie Crow, admx., of Paulding coun-
! ty, $40.
Julia A. Crusells, admx, of Fulton
county, $3.50
Plymouth Frazier, Jr., of Liberty coun-
ty, $122.
Abraham Greeson, of Gordon county.
S4O5.
Catharine Kelton, of Fulton county,
$500.
Joe M Moon, adm, of Barlow county,
sizes.
| Powder Springs, $3.50.
Village of Graysville, Catoosa county,
$3.50
Trustees Methodist Episcopal church,
Powder Springs, $500.
Trustees Pleasant Grove Baptist church,
Ringgold, Catoosa county, $500.
Sabina Jones, of Pike county, $215.
| Matilda Smith, Whitfield county, $685.
| s. Inman, adm, Catoosa county, $3,4O
w. c. Waldrop adm, Paulding county,
s641
Mary NJ. Banks, heir of Henry Banks,
s15,375
| A. A. Griggs, adm. Cobb county $780,
st. Philips Episcopal church, Atlanta,
$780,
African Methodist church. Marietta
$780,
| Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran church,
| Ebenezer, $225.
Clementine Vaughan, admx., Putnam
| sounty, Sl,901.
Sarah Jane Bellah, admx., $3.50.
| WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 1O.-Con-
| gress is afraid to try to pass the census
| bill over the veto of President Roose-
velt This has been apparent for some
| days, but the presidents veto message
| and his position has nevertheless been
| the subject of severe criticism and there
are few who are familiar with all the
| facts who undertake to defend him.
The position which Mr.. Roosevelt took
in his message, in opposition to the at
tempt to take from the civil service COM
mission any part in selecting the en-
ployes who are to take the thirteenth
census, is admittedly strongly stated,
and the country, outside of those who are
| clamoring to senators and representatives
for appointments as enumerators and
to other positions, will probably approve
| of it.
But it should be said in fairness to all
sides that the record of the president In
the matter of appointments is such that
his lecturing congress for its attempt to
control the census appointments comes
| with bad grace.
| Mr. Roosevelt champion of the civil
| service the great advocate of the merit