The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-04-29
WASHINGTON LETTER,
From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, d C., }
APRIL, 26, 1885. (

APRIL, 26, 1856.
Such distinguished witnesses on
the stand as the Attorney General,
Jay Gould and Grand Master Work
man Powderly, the first in connec-
ton with the Pan Electric, and the
two latter with the strike investi-
CATION, have made these proceed
ings particularly interesting.
The announcement that Mr.. Gar
land would testify before the Tele-
phonic committee of inquiry, drew
an unusually large crowd to the
crypt like room away down under
the Capitol. He made his appear
ance looking pale and feeble from
his recent sickness, and after a
courteous salute to the committee,
dropped into the witness chair, in
his careless languid way, and pro-
ceeded to give a clear, simple and
%unreserved statement of the Tele-
phone affair. He had nothing to
conceal and was anxious to tell all
he knew. He said the Pan Electric
scheme was simply an organization
of several impecunious gentlemen
who wanted to better their condi-
ton. He was willing to go into it
if it offered any inducements.
Attorney General Garland in the
course of his statement, told the
committee that he never, in any
way, used his official position to
advance the interest of the Pan
Electric Telephone company, that
he would as soon thought ofjump-
ing into the Potomac with a mill
stone about his neck as to have
done so. He had never made a
penny out of Pan Electricity, but
on the contrary, was $500 out on
that account, and he declared pos
itively that he had no connection
whatever with the bringing of the
Government suit, and that his stock
was not a gift.
During the examination of Mr.
Humphreys, who is counsel for the
Globe Telephone Company, and in
politics an Ohio Republican, this
gentleman stated that Mr.. Garland
positively refused to talk to him
on the subject of instituting a Gov
eminent suit. "He convinced me-
said the witness, "that he was. in.
corruptible." Odd you try to cor
rupt him?" inquired CONGRESSMAN
Ranney of Mass. ~ did not" re-
sponded the witness, "but I may
have had a suspicion regarding the
reform pretensions of the Demo.
cratic Administration" "You think
better of it now?" asked Chairman
Boyle. II found that some Demo
Gratis were honest" replied Mr.
Humphrey, "and 1 think if two
honest men live they are Nh. Gar
land and Secretary Lamar"
The room in which the strike in.
vestigation is being conducted was
so overcrowded during the exami
nation of Mr.. Powderly and others
that only members of Congress ant
newspaper correspondents were ad
mitted during the examination O
the great railroad magnate, Jay
Gould. Mr.. Powderly was very
much gazed at, and does not lool
in the least like a Sol of toll. HI
is refined and delicate looking, anC
wears a long mustache and spec
%tacles.
When asked to tell the Who'll,
story of the strike, he replied tina.
he preferred to answer specific
questions. During the course o
his examination he said that the la
Dor organization was perfectly
peaceful. Sometimes its own mem
bers misunderstood the organiza
ton. l twas sometimesimpossiblt
to control a man by any law wher
he had been wronged. One point
Mr.. -Powderly said he wanted per
fectly understood. 1t was that i
any of the Knights had violated the
law, the organization wouldhelp tc
punish them. The law of the land
was supreme above the laws of or
CARNATIONS. He became impas.
stoned on this subject and declared
that all violators, whether Knights
of Labor Or Capitalists, should be
punished. The millionaire viola.
tor should suffer the same as the
poor man. II have made this state.
mcnt BEFORE" said Mr.. Powderly.
and people have see fit to see in il
an invitation to anarchy. If that
is anarchy, in the name of God,
what is law?"
1t is an open question whether
the Senate or the House has been
more commercially employed this
week. The latter has not done
much at anything, and the Senate
has done little but vote away the
peoples money. On one day it
passed between four and five hun
bred private pension bills. Thisis
the largest number of bills ever
passed in day by either house
ofCongress since the establishment
of the Government. The first thing
the Senate did this week was to
vote 100000 for the erection of a
fire proof hall Of records in this
city, and Senator Hoar provoked a
Senatorial laugh by asking if the
proposed building "was for the
keeping of the Presidents private
papers?" Juno.