Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1886-04-29
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, April 26, 1886.

| Congress differ widely in their opinions
| of the Presidents Labor message. The
Republican Senators and Represen-
tatives see in it a bid for the working
men to support the Democratic party.
The Democrats, while they are com
PEELED TO admit that it can be made an
effective campaign document, and that
it is shrewd and was brought out just
at the time to serve such IL purpose,
deny that it was written with any
partisan intent.
The Republicans do not find fault
with the general tenor of Mr.. Cleve-
land Recommendations as toa national
commission to conduct arbitrations,
but confine their criticisms to the point
that it was designed to catch votes.
Representative Butterworth, of Ohio,
made a speech just otter the message
had been read to the House in which
he referred to the recently introduced
Arbitration bill as a hollow mockery
and sham 1t is not intended to do
anything for the laboring men; it is a
mere tub to whale-a deliberate trap
to catch votes He criticised the want
of consideration given. to it by the
committee on labor saying, IF a
member secured fifteen minutes to
speak on the bill, he devoted eight
minutes to abusing Jay Gould, six
minutes to abusing corporations, and
then surrendered his other minute,
being unequal to the task of suggest
ing any remedy" Mr.. O'Neill, of
Missouri, one of the assailed committee
men, asked, why didn't you suggest
a remedy p Because you would not
give me time even to open my mouth
replied Mr.. Butterworth. Mr.. Bland
of silver notoriety, wanted to know
then how the gentleman from Ohio
had voted a few days before on the
bill that proposed to set the laborers
of the country at work, remarking
further, that the contraction of the
currency was what was ifnpoverishing
the people to-day
''Still harping on my daughter"
quoted Mr.. Butterworth in reply. If
we were discussing infant baptism
here, the gentleman from Missouri
would stand up and want to have the
baptismal basin purchased with stand
ard silver dollars
Since I last wrote you, Jay Gould,
Grand Master Workman Powderly,
and others have come, testified as to
strikes before the Congressional Com
mittee, and departed. 1t is admitted
on all sides that the Railway King pre-
sented the Capitalists side of the con-
troversy in a clear and strong light.
According to him, the time for arbitra-
ton is before workmen have stopped
work, and he held that employers
would always listen to grievances at
such time In the instances where
it might be found that they would not,
he limited that they could be made to.
| The committee room in which the
Strike investigation was conducted
could not accommodate the crowds who
wanted to see these distinguished wit
nesses, and many were refused admit
ance. Mr.. Powderly attracted more
curious attention than Jay Gould, and
it was noticed that he wore better
clothes.
AS to what Congress is doing, | may
say it is chiefly spending money. The
House of Representatives has the River
and Harbor bill under consideration,
and has been voting appropriations
for the improvement of hundreds of
rivers throughout the country. The
Senate has been passing pension bills
by the hundreds, as we'll as other meas
ures involving the expenditure OF
money.
1t is thought it will take five years
to complete the new National library
which is to be erected East of the Cap
itol. Mr.. Spofford, who has been the
Congressional librarian for over twenty
years, is overjoyed at the passage
of the bill, and his whole sou
| is wrapped up III WIS SiNe'o III
provement. Few people have any idea
of the magnitude of the literary collec
ton that is to be stored away, finally
in the new building. Away down un
der the Capitol there are caverns like
rooms into which light never comes.
They are filled with thousands of bounC
volumes of daily newspapers IN half s
dozen different languages, of all the
years back almost to the Declaration
of Independence. Here also are 9,00(
valuable maps, and innumerable en-
cravings and drawings. Some of the
maps were made by the generals of the
Revolution ON the field of battle. In
deed the Congressional library has
everything of value that has ever beer
printed Everything in literature
music or art that is copyrighted, has