Evening star., 1896-12-22
The Joint Committee on Library
Defeated in the House.
REGULAR APPROPRIATIONS ADOPTED
Speeches Made by Messrs. Cum
mings and Cannon.
SOME LIVELY COLLOQUIES

The House yesterday afternoon. after a
lengthy debate, defeated the substitute
offered by the joint committee on library
for the appropriations committees pro-
visions in relation to the new Congressionai
Library. A number Of amendments were
offered to the bill. but only two were adopt
ed. one by Mr.. Shafroth of Colorado. re-
ducing the salary of the librarian to $4,000
and one by Mr.. Mccormick of New York
providing That all persons employed In
the said Library of Congress shall be ap-
pointed solely with reference to their fit
ness for the particular duty, and without
reference to their political party affilia-
tons. and shall be removed for cause only"
With these amendments the appropria-
ions committees provisions were adopted
by the House
Mr.. CummfnEs' Remarks.
In the course of the debate yesterday
afternoon Mr. Cummings of New York, a
| member of the joint committee on the IL
| brary, said:
Why is it that the committee on appro-
| priations is anxious to run the library
| in the same way that 1t has been run in
years past? / noticed that when the gen
tleman from New York tMr. Quigg) was
making his mastery argument the other
day on behalf Of the bill reported from the
| joint committee all the members of what
You gentlemen on the other side call the
hog combine were on their feet deviling
him and asking him questions. U.aughterD
The combine was there in full feather. One
| big chief said that if the proposition of the
joint committee was passed by the House
he wanted to be put on the committee on
the library Immediately. Laughter.)
Now. gentlemen, / did not vote in COM
mittee to sustain the substitute which the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Quigg) has
proposed here. That substitute was not his
substitute; it the substitute of the
| committee. The gentleman (Mr. Quigg) and
| myself supported an entirely different prop
osition. 1t was proposition that these
appointments should be made by the joint
committee on the library, upon the recon-
mendation of the librarian or director. OF
course, as a democrat, / cannot be in
terested in patronage at this time. Laugh
teri Some other time, possibly, but not
now. Politics cut no figure with me in the
\ investigation. L love books. l read books.
l cannot go past a secondhand book store
without stopping to look at the books, and
usually L buy one.
My work on the committee was con-
scientious work and work of love. L was
personally interested in the condition of the
| government library. The confusion there is
something almost indescribable, but ii is
not the fault of the librarian. No better
man ever had charge of a library, but Mr..
| Spofford, like the joint committee on the
| library is subject to pressure that the COM
mittee on appropriations places upon them y
Now, L challenge the truth of that state
ment," said Mr.. Cannon.
Read Mr.. Spofford's testimony and you
will not challenge it, replied Mr.. Cum
| mings.
Hampercd by Insufiicient APprOPria-
| tiOns.
! Then Mr. Cummings continued follows:
''The librarian has been hampered by an
| insufticiency of appropriations, and that
| insufficiency. and not the librarian, is re-
| sponsible for the condition of the Congress.
sional Library. Spofford has done mag
| nificently hampered as he has been. 1 car
/ go to Kim today and get any book or doc
| ument in a surprisingly short time. Five
| years ago there was a discussion on tbs
| floor of this House over the sinking Of the
| Tallapoosa- A statement made by me was
| challenged. In seven minutes l had sent
| here by Mr.. Spofford the files CT three New
| York papers bearing date of the accident
| and confirming my statement But, gentle
| men, Mr.. Srofford is not going to live for.
| ever. He says he has no shelf catalogue
| because ne never could get IN appropria-
| ton for shelf catalogue. He has a card
| catalogue. and that is all he can produce
| with scant appropriations.
| Now, / call the attention of MY friend
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Bingham). in
| charge of this BILL to a matter under dis
cussion. His bill reads: Copyright depart.
| ment-For the following under the direction
| of the librarian of Congress, necessary for
| the execution Of the copyright law, name
| ly:'
| Mr.. Spofford told the joint committee
| that he had repeatedly asked to be relieved
| from the control Of this copyright business
| 1t interfered with his duties as librarian
| He urged the joint committee in drawing ur
| Its bill to see to 1T that the librarian was
| relieved from all copyright duties. You
gentlemen of the appropriations committee
| examined him. He could not tell you any
| thing different from what he told us; and
| yet we find here that you have again bur-
dened him with the copyright load.
L in INV ind 1,rav 1or
| as the Library of Congress certainly ought
| to have some head besides the librarian and
the committee on appropriations. If there
| Is a more proper head If there is a more
| the library TO act as board of trustees for
| that institution, l would like to see them
| WHAT is the joint committee on the libary
| Why is 1t that the committee on appropria-
| tions, after absorbing at one time the du-
| ties of nearly every other committee in this
| House, now come forward with a PROPOSE
| tion which practically makes that commit
| tee the committee on the library? For If
| the librarian makes the appointments, the
committee on appropriations make the ap-
propriations, and don't you forget it,
(Laughter.)
"They always do" said Mr.. Bingham.
Of course they do. and today one Sena-
| tor-a member of the committee on appro-
priations-has. it is said, seventeen appoint
n:ents in the library"
Il suppose he has been here thirty years -
suggested Mr. Bingham
And my friend from Illinois (Ir Can
nom, as he tells us, has one. 1 am glad
| of 1t. That is more than have, although
L have been on the committee on the Ii
brary for six years." said Mr.. CUMMINGS
1t has been stated that / had fourteen.
but 1 do not think the gentleman's COM
mittee circulated that report" said Mr.
Cannon.
Mr.. Cannon Opposes the Subxtitute,
Mr.. Cannon then took the floor to talk
about Mr.. Quigg's substitute. He said:
Under the gentleman's substitute the
librarian Of Congress is to be appointed
by the President, by and with the advice
and consent Of the Senate. 1t is for the
House to determine whether in that respect
the gentlemans substitute is better than
the law rs it now stands. under which the
librarian is appointed by the President sole
ly-without reference to the advice and
consent Of the Senate. In my Judgment
the best way is to let the law in that re-
spect stand as it is.
Under the scheme embraced in the leg
islatiye bill the officers appropriated for
In this lew library are to be appointed by
the librarian of Congress, with due regard
to their capacity for the work. 1 believe
PIANOS AND ORGANS.