The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1886-05-01
wAsWTNGTON LETTER.
wAsn1NeroN, April %, 1886.

WASHINGTON, April %, 1886.
From our Regular Correspondent.
Such distinguished witnesses on
the stand as the Attorney General
Law Gould and Grand Master Work
man Powdcrly; The first in connection
with the Pan Electric, and the two lat
fer with the strike investigation, have
made these proceedings particularly
interesting. -,
The announcement that Mr.. Garland
would testify before the Telephone
Committee of Inquiry, drew an unusu-
ally large crowd to the crypt-like room
away down under the Capitol. de
made his appearance looking pale and
feeble from his recent sickness, and
after a courteous salute to the com
mittee, dropped into the witness CHAIR
in his careless languid way, and pro-
ceeded to give clear, simple and I'M =
reserved statement of the telephone
affair. He had nothing to conceal and
was anxious to tell all he knew. he
said the Pan Electric scheme was sim
ply an organization Of several impecu-
mons gentlemen who wanted to better
their condition. He was willing to go
into it if 1t offered any inducements.
In the course of his statements he told
the committee that he had never IN
any way used his official position to
advance the interest of the Pan Elec-
trio Telephone Company,that ne would
as soon thought of jumping into the
Potomac with milestone about his
neck as to have done so. He had
never made a penny out Of Pan Elec-
tricity, but on the contrary, was S4OO
ont on that account, and he declared
positively that he had no connection
whatever with the bringing of the
Government suit, and that his stock
was not gift.
During the examination OF Mr.. Hum
phreys, who is counsel for the Globe
Telephone Company, and in politics
an Ohio Republican, this gentleman
stated that Mr.. Garland positively re-
fused to talk to him on the subject OF
instituting a government suit. CHE
convinced me-" said the witness, "that
he was incorruptibIe." "Did you try
to corrupt him ?'' inquired Congress
man Ranney, of Massachusetts. 81
did not" responded the witness, "but
l may have had suspicion regarding
the reform pretensions of the Demo
cratic administration" "You think
better of it now?" asked Chairman
Boyle. 81 found that some Democrats
were honest" replied Mr.. Humphrey,
land ] think if two honest men live,
they are Mr.. Garland and Secretary
Lamar"
The room in which the strike inves.
LEGATION is being conducted was sc
overcrowed during the examination Of
Mr.. Powderly and Others, that only
members of Congress and newspaper
correspondents were admitted during
the examination of the great railroad
magnate, Jay Could Mr. PowderIy
was very much gazed at, and does mo-
look in the least like son of toll
He is refined and delicate looking, anC
wears long moustachG and spectacles
When asked to tell the whole story
of the strike, he replied that he pre-
ferred to answer specific questions
During the course of his examination
he said that the labor organization wal
perfectly peaceful. Sometimes its OWL
members misunderstood the organiza
ton. 1t was sometimes impossible tt
control a man by any law when he hat
been wronged. One point Mr.. Pow
derry said he wanted perfectly under
stood. 1t was that if any of tn,
Knights had violated the law, the or
ganization would help to punish them
The law of the land was supreme allow
the laws of organizations. He becam,
impassioned on this subject and dc
clared that all violators, whethe
Knights of Labor or Capitalists, Should
be punished. The millionaire violate
should suffer the same as the poor. "
have made this statement before" sait
Mr.. Powderly, Sand people have seer
fit to see in it an invitation to anarchy
If that is anarch, in the name of God
what is law~
1t is an open question whether tht
Senate or the House has been NOR
Commercially employed this week
The latter has not done much at any
thing, and the Senate has done littl,
but vote away the peoples money, On
one day it passed between four ant
five hundred private pension bills
This is the largest number of bills eve
passed in one day by either house o
Congress since the establishment o
the Government. The first thing tn,
Senate did this week was to votl
100000 for the erection of fir,
proof hall for records in this city, anC
Senator Hoar provoked Senatorial
laugh by asking If the proposed bnild
ing twas for the keeping Of the Pres
ident's private papersG"