Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-10-25
CORRESPONDENTS.


Is the Great Paper Fair?
BEssEMER, ALA, Oct. 10, 1890.
70 the MINING JOURNAL.
| trust that it is unnecessary for me
to say that | read the great paper
called the MINING JOURNAL with
very great interest, and that | enjoy
It's clean-cut. epigramatic editorial ut
! terances even when they run counter
to my particular bias or sense of fair
ness. Sometimes | feel very much
| like attempting to cross swords with
you-with a vivid realization of get
ting pinked while admiring the clev-
erness with which you make the worse
appear the better reason
Now, in your issue of October 18th
you devote a column to what | con-
ceive to be an unfair ''slashf at Gen.
Mckalg.' That it was unfair seems to
have suggested itself, else why that
rather weak attempt to 'even things
up a little by administering q tender
spank to Mr.. McComas in the closing
paragraph Was that intended to take
the rough edge off the severity of the
preceding criticism, and thus some
what molly the friends of Gen. Ne
kaIg If so, then the Journal is not
the JOURNAL, and its admlreas are dis
appointed.
But in still another point of view
the criticism is unfair. AnalyZed it
means
|, That Gen. McKaig was insincere
IN his effort to pass the famous venti-
lation bill
This can be easily disposed of by re
ferrlng to the coal operators who OPP
posed the measure. They were so
firmly convinced of Gen. McKaig's
sincerity that to this day they have
not forgiven him, nor are they now at
all friendly to his political aspirations.
Your lmputation is therefore unfair.
,, That i'll advocating the passage
of the ventilation bill he was playing
the part of the political demagogue.
Again you are compelled to aban-
don the domain of fact for the uncer
tain realm of imputation. Permit me
to remind you that it is Wlfair to i'm
pute motives. In this case it is espec-
tally unfair because you grant M. Nc
kaig's antagonist entire immunity
from like imputation. The great
paper Is not ignorant of the fact that
Mr. McComas is the author of bill
which is manlfestly open to the suspic.
ion of having been drawn with view
to cheat and deceive the workingmen
of the whole country. | allude to the
Act of Congress supposedly prohib-
lting the importation of foreign labor
ers under contract. The great pa
per" knows that Act, oyer which Mr..
McComas has howled himself hoarse
in -glOrlficatiOn, has holes in it
large enough for John Chambers to
drive his mule team through three or
four times. The great paper like
wise knows that Mr.. McComas is IL So
called lawper, and that if he did not
see the holes in his bill he was incom-
petent as an attorney. If he did see
them he was worse than incompetent
rs congressman. And yet the great
paper has spared Mr.. McComas its
criticism or its condemnation. l.. this
fair in view Of its rather bitter criti-
cism Of Gen. Mckaig's course on the
ventilation bill?
But the great paper" is unfair to-
ward Gen. Mckaig in still another re
spect. 1t makes a very bold attempt
to create the impression that he is afraid
to meet McComaS III Joint debate on
the tariff question. If the JOURNAL
heard the first discussion betwe en- Nc
Comas and Douglas it must know that
McComas cannot or will not discuss
the tariff question. His evasion of the
subject was adroit, but it was CON
temptlble it was worse - it was the
subterfuge of a demagogue. Why,
McComaS knows comparatively moth
ing about the tariff and | would enjoy
nothing better than to read press
controversy between him and the
great paper" on that subject. There
wouldn't be enough left of Little Mae
to make wadding for a shotgun. |
will go even farther. | would be GLAD
of the opportunity to meet this man of
national eminence" upon the stump
on the tariff question myself. | may
be vain, but | would feel perfectly
confident of being able to handle a
gentleman of his calibre upon that or
any other subject, and therefore can
not for moment believe Gen. Nc
kaig to be afraid to meet him in Joint
debate, Very Respectfully,
7. f. MCCARDELL.