The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-12-22
ALL OVER A CLAIM

Enough to Bring his COL.
leagues from Cloak Rooms
Washington, D. C.-senator Craw.
ford of South Dakota and Senator
Bristow OF Kansas, the latter an IN
surgent OF the bulldog type, came
together and oratoricaIly "chewed'
each other during the debate on the
Omnibus claims bill. Bristow had
for three days spoken against the
item in it allowing 100000 to pay
alleged losses OF American seamen
at the hands of the French in 1887.
1893.
Senator Bristow was summing up
his arguments against the inclusion
Of the French claims in the bill when
Senator Cummins entered the cham
ber and took his seat After listen
ing to the senator from Kansas a few
minutes he rose and interrupted him.
A Freight Claim a Gentry Old.
DO I understand the senator to
make the statement" he asked, in a
tone of surprise, that the owners Of
the vessel Venus also owned the car
30 it was carrying at the time it was
captured?"
THAT is correct said Senator
Bristow.
And that it is proposed In this
bill to repay them freight charges on
their own property?" pursued Sena-
tor Cummins, in tone of greater
surprise.
THAT is what the bill provides"
JnN
'And do understand" continued
sci was armed; that 1t carried a crew
had taken out insurance on the ves-
sci and cargo, paying therefor a big
premium, and that the underwriters
made good their loss?''
Those are the facts said Sena-
tor Bristow..
Why. Mr.. President said the as
tonished senator from Iowa, "it isl
inconceivable to me that, on basis
of such facts, 1t should seriously be
proposed that the government of thel
United States shoNld consider this
claim for a moment.
Wouldn't Have Oratory Nlistreated.
But there was one spirited discus
sion over the bill that had not been
rehearsed. Senator Crawford under
took to reply to Senator Bristow on
behalf of the committee on claims,
and treated the Senate to a burst OF
oratory that Senator Bristow said re-
minded him of the kind he used to
hear when he father was a justice of
the peace back in Kansas. The sem
ator from South Dakota admitted
that he spoke with feeling, and none
who heard him could doubt it. Hei
charged Senator Bristow with being
Puritan, who wanted to burn every
body at the at the stake who didn't
agree with him. Senator Bristow at
tempted to reply, but Senator Craw-
ford waved him down.
"I will not be interrupted" he ex-i
claimed. II object to having my
speech chopped up in small pieces.
The senator is posing here as hero,
he wants to set the Kansas prairies on
fire. He is trying to get roll call
on this motion of his to strike out
Kansas and tell his people senator's |
have sold out to the interests because
they didn't vote as he did"
Senator Crawford pounded his
desk and raised his voice to a pitch
that brought senators from the cloak
rooms to see what was going on.
Neither Hero Nor Puritan.
Senator Bristow, as soon as he
could get the floor, earnestly dis
claimde being either a Puritan or>a
hero.
''My idea of hero" he said, sis
of man who is hailed with some ac-
claim. Nobody has acclaimed me
since attacked this bill. Neither am
I a Puritan. My ancestors came from
Virginia and my father went to Kan
sas and became justice of the peace,
where. l may say, heard the first
sample of the style of oratory with
which the senator from South Da-
kota has just entertained the Sen
ate."
Senator Bristow read a letter
which, he said, expressed the. mistak-
en- view of a great many people. The
writer was under the impression that
there was a large sum of money in
the United States treasury paid over
by France to satisfy the spoliation
claims and that the government was /,
it from the claimants.
'"rhat belief seems to have been in
dustriously fostered," he said, "but
It is mistaken one. Not dollar
aver was TecclVeu NY IA0 government
Tor the satisfaction Of these claims, !,
and the claims have been pronounc-
I'd without merit many times r.
body and by three Presidents of the
United States"
A Cargo Of Silk Stockings.
Wnat seemed to hurt Senator
Crawford more than anything else IS
vas Senator Bristow's intimation 8
hat some of the vessels for which I
claims were made were pirates. z
Crawford drew glowing picture of e
he early New England mariner ven- n
uring out on the stormy ocean in his a
lardy craft with his little cargo and t
,eing pounced on by French cruis- S
r and destroyed. Senator Cummins i
aused laughter by inquiring how i
me of these vessels came to be load j
ID with Spanish dollars and silk q
tockings and armed with twelve q
,uns, adding that Venus was rather a
strange name for craft SO equip
'ed. s
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