Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-05-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, April 26, 1886.

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opinions of the Presidents Labor
message. The Republican Senators
and Representatives see in it q bid
for the workingmen to support the
Democratic party. The Democrats,
while they are compelled 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 a purpose,
deny that it was written with any
partisan intend.
The Republicans do not find fault
with the general tenor of Mr.. Cleve-
lands recommendations as to a ma
tional commission to conduct arbi-
tratiohs, but confine their criticisms
to the point that it was designed
to catch votes. Representative
Butterworth, of Ohio, made speech
just after the message had been
read to the House in which he re-
ferred to the recently introduced
Arbitration bill as a hollow mockery
and sham. 1t was not intended to
do anything for the laboring men :
it was a mere tub to a whale-a de-
liberate trap to catch votes. He
criticised the want Of consideration
given to it by the committee on Ia
Dor, saying, If member secured
fifteen minutes to speak on the bill,
he devoted eight minutes to abus-
ing Jay Gould, six minutes to abus-
ing corporations, and then surren-
dered his other minute, being un-
equal to the task of suggesting any
remedy. Mr.. O'Neill, of Missouri,
one of the assailed committeeman,
asked, "Why didn't you suggest a
remedyg" "Because you would not
give me time even to open my
mouth" replied Mr.. Butterworth.
Mr.. Bland, of silver notoriety, wan
ted to know then how the gentle.
man from Ohio had voted a few
days before on the bill that propos
ed to set the laborers of the country
at work, remarking further, that
the contraction of the currency was
what was impoverishing the people
today.
"Still harping on my daughter"
quoted Mr.. Butterworth in reply.
eff we were discussing infant bap-
tism here, the gentleman from Mis-.
souri, would stand up and want to
have the baptismal basin purchased
with standard silver dollars"
Since l last wrote you, Jay Gould,
Grand Master Workmen Powderly,
and others have come, testified as
to strikes before the Congressional
Committee, aud departed. 1t is ad-
mitted on all sides that the Railway
King presented the Capitalists side
of the controversy in clear and
strong light. According to him, the
time for arbitration is before work
men have stopped work, and he held
that employers would always listen
to grievances at such a time. liz
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
witnesses, and many were refused
admittance. Mr.. Powderly attrac
ted more curious attention than Jay
Gould, and it was noticed that he
had the best side.
As to what Congress is doing, ]
may say it is chiefly spending mon
ey. The House of Representatives
has the River and Harbor bill un.
der consideration, and has been
voting appropriations for the i'm.
provement OF hundreds of rivers
throughout the country. The Sen.
ate has been passing pension bills
by the hundred, as well as other
measures involving the expenditure
of money.
1t is thought it will take five years
to complete the new National Ii.
brary, which is to be erected East OF
the Capitol. Mr.. Spofford, who has
been the Congressional librarian for
over twenty years, is overjoyed at
the passage of the bill, and his whole
soul is wrapped up.in this great i'm
provement. Few people have any
idea of the magnitude of the literary
collection that is to be stored away,
finally, in the new building. Away
down under the Capitol there are
cavern like rooms into which the
light never comes. They are filed
with thousands of bound volumes of
daily newspapers in half a dozen
different languages, of all the years
back almost to the Declaration of
Independence. Here also are 5000
valuable maps, and innumerable en-
cravings and drawings. Some of
the maps were made by the generals
of the Revolution on the field of bat
tie. Indeed the Congressional Lii