The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-07-14
COMMUNICATIONS.
potts and COnemaugh County

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Potts and Conepnaugh County.
go long ago as 1851. he Potts) was prominent
ug the project Of new eSGnfy to 6v be sn eaen ets
zens to go to Harrisburg with their petlt1ons
and to represent them before the Leg1siature
on this important subject. he remained tnere
ak weeks, using his efforts Tor that Iandapie
measure. He had influence enough to have the
bill reported favorn6ly end pass thr9ugn I me ne
representing Cambria county, (Dr. william q;
SMITH who resided in Ebensburg, rad the OH
defeated or second reading
The above paragraph is taken from
long editorial article in the JUhnstown 1rt-
bune of July 1st Now mark how a plain
statement of facts viii dispose of each and
every one of the foregoing allegations. OF
course do not pretend to hold the ostensl-
bic editor Of the Tribune esponsible for ut
teriug so many falsehoods in SO brief a space.
He is simply the victim Of misp laced conf
dence. The writer of tiiS article represented
Armstrong county in the House Of Repre-
sentatives during the sessions Of 1850, 1851
and 1862, and what he now proposes to say,
in denia! of the above statement, is as fresh
and vivid in his memory as thrice told tale,
and is brief review of legislative proved
ings in I851-"all OF y bich he saw and part
of which he was"
1t is not true, but an unqualified false
| IL.
sentative from Cambria county during the
session of 1851, bat it is true that he 1raS
the member from this county during the
Ssession Of 1850. The gentleman who rrpFe-
sented Cambria county during the legislative
session Of 1851 was Maj John Linton, then a
resident of Johnstown, but now citizen OF
Rochester. Beaver c, Nty, and as true and
honest man as ever represented this county
in the Assembly. He (Linton) defeated DIR.
Smith in October. 1850. the district being
then composed of Cam bria, Bedford and Full
| ton counties, with flcO members-Jphn Cess
| ma, then democrat. being Linton's col
| league. On the 18th of February, 1851
! Major Linton presented the bill then and
| afterwards known MS the 'Conemaugh coun-
| typ bill. and on his motion the bill was re-
! ferred to select committee consisting Of
| MeSsrs. Linton, Divine. O'Neill, Ross and
| Fife. On the 14th of the same mouth. Mr.
! O'Neill. one of the members of the commit
| tee aud at present Republican member oi
| Congress from Philadelphia, reported the bill
as committed. Subsequently to this, petit
tions in favor of the passage Of the bill, as
| well as remonstrances against 1t, were pre-
scented at different times during the session
gather these facts in connection with
"Conemaugk county" from the official Jour
nal Of the House for the session Of 1851
which is before me as l write. No rGte aoGt
erer taken on the bin during that session
Major Linton himself permitting it to die ar
gnominiuus legislative death. -Four or fiv'
years afterwards this same "Conemaugl
county" project was resurrccted by Georg.
S. King. of Johnstown, who then represent
ed this county 1t passed the House, but i
was defeated in the Senate thrcugh the pc
cultdr tactics and skill Of Majlr Thomas A
Mcguire, then OF this county, who vas a
the time clerk Of that body.
II james Potts spent SIC ,ceeks at Harris
burg in 1851, as The Tribune say5 he did
using his effIrts i'll favor of the "Conemaugl
county" bill. the statement Of the simpl
fact, that it tras nerer brought to rote i
conclusive evidence that Potts had as ltttl
influer ce then in furtherirg the passage e
the "Conemaugh county" bill as he wou'
have during the neat session in his iaudabi
efforts to procure the removal of the count
seat from Ebensburg to Johnstown-
Hereafter, when the editor Of the 1ribun
undertakes to write eulogium on his dea
friend Potts, demand Of him that he sha
state facts and rot .tdlSehoods. Let his
''tell the truth and shame the devil" Il
wholesome maxim and one that is worth
of all acceptatlon. Truth.