The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-07-25
VIRGINIA COMING
into HER own
NOW RECEIVING RESTITUTION
FOR DAMAGES DONE HER
CHURCHES IN CIVIL WAR.

the deepest interest to virginians Is
before congress.
Senator Martin, of all the members
of the United States senate, has done
more to secure justice for these South
ator. One must be thoroughly familiar
with the routine stages through which
these war claims must pass and the
difficulties and obstacles in the way of
Hnal SUCCESS before he can fully APP
preciate the fight through period Of
many years which the senior senator
from Virginia has made to have the
claims paid. Up until the recent
change Of administration the Repub-
Leans had dominated the senate COM
mittee on claims. of which Senator
Martin has been a member for years,
and the disposition Of the senate was
unfavorable to the payment Of these
Southern war claims, yet that did not
discourage the Virginia senator. Con-
gress after congress he fought for the
claims in which his State was so
deeply Interested and many of them
were paid from time to time This
was not accomplished without strug
giles In each instance, which often re-
solved itself into a question of endur-
ance. In many cases the fighting Vir-
ginia senator emerged victor simply
by "outgaming' his opponents. The
Virginia people know that Tom Mar
tin" Is fighter and the expression:
He gets what he goes after" applied
to him is often heard in the capitol
where even his political opponents
q Irr,yra eyIaO5i5 ability.
For the benefit of those who may
not know the nature OF the so called
omnibus claims bill 1t may be we'll to
state here that this measure is one
which contains the claims Of individ-
uals against the government for dam
age to property and losses during the
Civil War. In a private or individual
claim 1t Is necessary for It to be af-
firmatively proven that the claimant
was loyal to the federalsgovernmen
during the war. before his claim will
be considered for Incorporation in an
omnibus claim bill, even IL all the
other exacting requirements are met.
While Senator Martin has done every
thing 1t was possible for him to do for
these private claims of yirginians, his
hobby Cf It may be termed as suchl
has been the church claims At the
time Of the recent change OF admin
istration when a new list of committee
assignments was being made up
and q few Of his enviQus colleagues
thought that Senator Martin was
member of too many large commit
tees. besides being chairman of tbs
most powerful senate committee--ap-
propriations--h found 1t necessary to
choose between the committe on
claims and another far more attrac
a A-5v- III = 4 10
undecided as to which he should re7
tain? Not he, for he saw a claims
committee OF which Democrats would
be the dominant members and az
member OF which O broader field
would be opened up 20 him for his ef-
forts In behalf OF the Virginia
churches. In sight was the goal OF
his endeavors. extending over period
of many years. He realized that the
claims committee would entail upon
him ten times as much labor as the
committee he relinauished. but Sena-
tor Martin seems to thrive on work
He chose the com mittee on claims,
and as a result the following facts
will show that Virginia has cause to
congratulate herself that he made the
choice he did. If the pending ON
nihus claims bill becomes a law it
will provide for the payment of for
ty-nine individual Virginia claims. to-
falling s110.163.75; and 126 claims OF
Virginia churches of all denomina-
tions, and other Institutions aggre-
eating $12s,61e. Next to Tennessee,
Virginia has the largest pecuniary in
terest in the omnibus measure of any
State Think of what these sums,
ranging from SIS to s1S,475 each,
would mean to struggling churches in
-..~sz Ia ~ ~
that. He keeps book with all of
these. figures and claims in II and he
knew better than anyone else what
the payment of these claims would
mean TO the Virginia churches. SO he
chose the committee on claims.
In the last congress when the
house claims committee was Demo-
cratic and the senate committee still
Republican, an omnibus bill was franz
framed and when 1t .ameto the senate
the committee dominated by Repub-
licans struck out 1873 of the 165 Vir-
g,nia claims. which had been incorpo-
rated In the measure by the house
That bill died In conference between
the two houses. This congress, how
ever, with majority of the members
of both committees Democratic, the
present omnibus bill was prepared and
passed by the house. That bill con-
tanned 172 Virginia Chains and only
three failed of retention In the bill
by the senate committee on claims.
while Senator Martin. who is "A poten-
tial member of the committee, sue
ceeded In having seven new claims
added These figures speak for them
selves.
Those who know the senior senator
will wonder how he aecomplishes so
much. The great majority of the peo
pie have no means Of knowing really
how much he does accomplish, be-
cause Martin Is poor advertiser"
The writer is going to tell you how
this quiet. unassuming man, does
things. He never makes set speech
on the floor Of the senate: he does not
play to the galleries; he shuns the
"limelight" and cares nothing for
publicity; but his works speak most
eloquently for him. 1t will not he out
of place here to recite recent illus
tratiar of Martins way"
The Virginia Military institute.
THE West Point of the South" has
one of these war claims against the
government for damage to it's prop
erty In 1864 by the military authority
OF the United States. 1t is of rather
unusual character and for such
large amount, $214,723.62, 1t was not
considered in connection with the
omnibus bill. but was taken up sep