The Hartford herald., 1885-01-21

tween us as to the passage of the Con.
Wet Labor bill and my bill to Provide
for the better ventilation of coal mines
in this Commonwealth.
And now l will say to "a Miner
that his identity is well known to me-
and that I would entertain far more
respect for him had he come out boldly
and assailed me over his own signature,
though l must confess that his true
name would have lent but little, if any
force to his contemplate effort to at
tract public attention to my alleged
delinquency, and with this statement
together with the letters above referred
to and my letter Of November Sd last,
Test my case so far as my connection
with the Convict Labor question is
concerned, with a generous and fair
minded constituency, for whose suf-
frage l was deeply grateful and whose
best interests | earnestly endeavored to
suhserve, and hope to not again he
compelled to intrude myself upon your
columns to refute the assertions of an
anonymous scribbler.
Respectfully,
w. ID. COLEMAN.
The following are the letters above
referred to:
MOUNT VERNON, KY, Nov. 3, 1854.
Hon. W. ID. Coleman:
My DEAR FRIEND-Your kind letter
Of the 25th, was received the 3lst. not
in due time from the post mark.
In regard to the bill introduced last
winter to pr Ohibit the working Of con-
victs outside the prison walls, I dis
tinctly remember that the committee
on Moral and Religious Institutes
directed me to prepare and to report a
bill to prevent the hiring of persons
who are convicted to the penitentiary
outside the walls.
The committee on Moral and Re-
ligious Institutes was composed of H.
Il. Williams, w. ID. Coleman, +. p.
Green, b. It. Goe, G. w. Bell, Lee
Anthony and myself There was not
a dissenting voice to the bill in the
committee. 1 reported to the House
January 25th, with the expression of
opinion by the &C mmittee that it should
pass after passing the second reading
Mr.. Rudy, of Daviess, moved to refer it
to the committee on State Prisons, com.
posed of w, J. Stone, Chairman, Josiah
Harris, of Paducah, Rudy. Walker,
Ratcliffe, Kehoe, Read and Others.
l tried to get Mr.. Stone to have action
on the bill and report it some way back
to the House. l could never get him
to do so. l thought all the time that
he was i'm favor of the bill after l had
voted for his bill, the branch peniten-
tiary in order to give more room for
prisoners to be worked within the
prison. When he, Stone, smOthered
our bill, was afterwards sorry that /
had voted for the branch penitentiary
when the extension of the old one
could have been done much quicker
and at less expense.
AS to the bill that was passed at the
end of the session, was reported by
Stone, and the reason that no one Of
the opponents did not call for the ayes
and nays was that we saw it was a
fOregOne conclusion, aud the business
was so pressing to be finished so we
could adjourn. There is 10 miner or
free labor man in the State but what
ought to be under everlasting obliga
tions to you as a Legislator for the part
you took in their behalf. All the miners
in this section of the State understand
and endorse your course, there certainly
ought to be no one to doubt your course
in your county or section of the State.
Hoping the country may be sayed to
the Republicans, As usual, to morrow,
ought to be all of your prayers. Come,
don't kick at this. Let me hear from
you occasionally, nothing would please
me better. Very truly your friend,
NJ. J. Cook.
SOMERSET, KY, Nov. 5th, 1884.
Hon. w. ID. Coleman
DEAR SIR-Yours of the 9th ult. has
been received.
When the Convict Labor Bill was
introduced In the House, the statement
was made that the contract under
which the convicts of the State were
then working would expire about Oc
tober, 1884, that there was no railroad
or other public works in prospect on
which they could be properly employed
after that time, and that they would