Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-09-07

and closing, he implored has Republican COL
leogues TO stand by him, and pass this bill
as it came from the committee, cutting off
the amendments put upon it to kill it, by
the creatures of the lobby. The effect was
electrical. That shrewd and far sighted
politician, VIM. A Wallace, was yet in
command. He moved about among the
Democratic Senators, and in q few mo-
ments forced tbem-all but Randall-to
withdraw the hurtful amendments, and
suffer the bill to pass. Randall clung to
one amendment which is now in the law.
The committee left the amount of the fine
for an infraction of the law in certain sec
tions open 10 the discretion of the court.
Mr.. Randall fixed the maximum fine at
$500 The bill did not reach the Governor
from the House until March 3, when it was
approved. Instantly Il technical difficulty
was raised that the law as it was passed
could not go into effect for one year. The
phraseology on which these petty lawyers
relied was in section l of the law. The
section provides that each owner Of a mine
shall have prepared an accurate map of his
mine, and shall file, on the first days Of Jan
udry and July Of erery gear hereafter, a
copy of such map with the Inspector of
Mines whose office is created by this bill.
The bill passed and was approved March
3, aud rs the pharse first of January and
July" occurred in the law, therefore no one
could be forced to make any report or do
anything to secure the safety of the miners
until January /, 1871. The lobby were
iublant. They had won by chance !!
The very point Buckalew had aimed at
was secured And time had been gained.
The friends of the bill believed the Su-
preme Court would decide that the law
must be construed in conformity with the
intention of its trainers but, to avoid all
doubt, n short supplement was presented
in the Senate requiring the coal mine
owners to prepare their mines in accord
ance with the requirements of the law with
in four months from IFS passage. Mr..
BUCKALEw AGAIN CAME FORWARD AS
THE ENEMY OF THE MINERS When SEN
ator Howard presented the supplement Mr..
Buckalew and Mr.. Broadhead moved to
amend it as follows ''Ibdt the limitation
Of four months, contained in section of the
act to which this is supplement, as hereby
reScinded and the shafts, slopes or outlets
therein provided for shall be prosecuted and
made WITH ALL REASONABLE Dill
GENCE," SC. The supplement, loaded
down with Buckalew's directly antagonis-
tic amendment, passed the Senate. The
House refused TO pass it. A committee of
conference was ordered. BUcEGle1C lcdS on
the committee. And on the 9TH of April he
came into the Senate and moved that the
committee Of conferences existing between
the two Houses in relation to bill No. 1896,
entitled "a supplement that an act provid.
ing for the health and safety of persons
employed in coal mines, approved the Sd
day Of March, 1S70," BE DISCHARGED
FROM THE FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF
THE sUBJECT - See Senate Journal Of
1870, p, 1lS0.) The supplement was there
fore killed by being amended to death by
Charles II. Buckalew.
Thus we traced Mr.. Buckalew rs the
stealthy enemy of the miners in their effort
to procure safety from sudden and horrible
death; the creature and tool of corporate
capital and sclfishness the pettifogger 20
| discover a flaw which by technical strain
the expense, it might be, Of many lives.
| The persistent foe to the ratification OF this
flaw and the cold-hearted. pulseess thing,
who cOntemptOusly asks to be relieved from
the further consideration" of so trivial a
subject as the safety of the lives of a few
tens of thousands of coal miners Men
who work deep in the gloom of the collie,
ries to earn bread for yourselves, you,
wives, and your children! how will you
treat this heartess man