New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-05-05
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, May l, 1886
| The Republicans and Democrats ii
Congress differ widely in their opinions
of the Presidents Labor message. The
Republican Senators and Representa-.
tives see in it bid for the workingmen
to support the Democratic party. The
Democrats, while they are compelled
to admit that it can be made an effect
i've campaign document, and that it is
shrewd and was brought out just at the
time to serve such purpose, deny that
it was written with any partisan intent.
| The Republicans do not find fault
with the general tenor of Mr.. Cleve-
lands recommendations as to nation
al commission to conduct arbitrations,
J but confine their criticism 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 referred to the recently introduced
Arbitration bill as hollow mockery
and sham. It was not intended to do
anything for the laboring men; it was a
mere tub to whale-a deliberate trap
to catch votes. He criticised the want
of consideration given to i: by the COM
mittee on labor, saying: eff member
secured fifteen minutes to speak on the
bill, he devoted eight minutes to abus-
ing Jay Gould, six minutes to abusing
corporations, and then surrendered his
other minute, being unequal to the task
ofsugge sting any remedy" Mr.. O'Neill,
of Missouri, one of the assailed commit.
teemen, asked, "Why didn't you sug-
gest remedy?" Because you would
not give me time even to open my
mouth replied Mr.. Butterworth. Mr..
Bland, of silver notority, wanted to
know then how the gentleman from
Ohio had voted q few days before on
the bill that proposed to set the labor
ers of the country at work, marking
further, that the contraction of the cur
rency was what was impoverishing the
people to-day.
'Still harping on my daughter, "
quoted Mr.. Butterworth in reply. eff
we were discussing infant baptism here,
the gentleman from Missouri would
stand up and want to have the baptis-
NAL basin purchased with standard sill
yer dollars
Since | last wrote you, Jay Gould,
Grand Master Workman Powderly, and
others have come, testified as to strikes
before the Congressional Committee,
and departed. It is admitted 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 be-
fore 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 witnesses, and many were.
refused admittance. Mr.. Powderly at
tracted more. curious attention than
Jay Gould, and it was noticed that he
wore better clothes.
AS to what Congress is doing, I may
say that it is chiefly spending money.
The House of Representatives has the
River and harbor bills under considera-
ton, and hundreds of rivers throughout
the country. Tie Senate has been pass
ing pension bills by the hundred, as
we'll as other measures involving the
expenditure Of money.
It is thought it will take five years to
complete the new national library,
which is to be erected east of the Capt.
toll. Mr., Spofard, who has been the
Congressional librariap for over twenty
years, is overjoyed at the passage Of
the bill, and his whole soul is wrapped
up in this great improvement. Few
people have any idea of the magnitude
of the literary collection that is to be
stored away, finally, in the new build
ing. Away down under the Capitol
there are cavernlike rooms into which
the light never comes. They are filled
with thousands Of bound volumns Of
daily newspapers in half dozen differ
ent languages, of all the years back al
most to the Declaration of Independ
ence. Here also are $1,000 valuable
maps, and innnmerable engravings