The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-03-29
A REPLY THAT WAS NOT A
DENIAL.

Mr.. A. c. Hidlay, through the
columns Of your paper, made what he
termed reply, but what was simply a
harangue. His first complaint was
that Vanderslice and Klein had pur-
suaded Larish to act with me in con.
Quoting the poor business, and turn
down his friends who elected him,
(meaning the ring) which made him
very angry. The truth is the ring did
not elect Mr.. Larish, as the vote will
show. That crowd Of patriots helped
elect Larish just as they helped De
Mott and Rhoades this spring, by
letting him paddle his own canoe.
Mr.. Hidlay knows that the matter
Of changing Stewards had been talked
over more than once after the first
year and that no one on the Board
was more strongly in favor of remov-
ing Mcbride than himself In fact he
said he would open the ball if we
would sustain him, and the change
would have been made at our January
meeting had not Mcbride been dan
gerously ill at that time, and we did
not wish to do anything that might
worry him. AT the time for our next
meeting Mr.. Larish was sick and
Hidlay was absent from town, so there
could be no business transacted by
the Board at that meeting. l did
make trip to Jamison City on bust
ness and stopped off on my return
home and talked with Mr.. Larish
about the appointment of Steward,
and he said that | should see Hidlay
on my return home and if it was
agreeable to him, we would make the
change. In my talk with Larish we
agreed on no one, several were talked
about, among others, Frank Wilson of
Greenwood. On my return home |
talked with Hidlay as requested by
Larish, and he at once agreed that
the proper thing to do was to make
the change, and it was understood
between us that | was to send for
Mcbride to come in and give HIM a
chance to resign. Mcbride came,
and the whole matter was gone over,
Hidlay opening the subject, and after
considerable discussion, it was thought
best for Mcbride to resign at once,
that we might advertise for applicants,
make a selection and have the ap
pointee installed as soon as possible
on account Of the spring work Nc
Bride resigned, and in strict conform
ity to understanding between Hidlay
and myself, l at once published a
notice for applicants for Steward,
together with the resignation Of Nc
Bride.
At the time fixed for the meeting of
the Board, March 9TH, large num-
Der of applications had been filed.
Bart Shaffer's never was filed for the
reason that Mr.. Hidlay kept it in his
pocket. 1t is not necessary to say
that the contest narrowed down be-
tween Wilson and Kline, both of
Greenwood. The former was a practi-
cal farmer with good business qualih-
cations, and man of most excellent
repute in the community in which he
was born and lived. The latter was
the ring candidate, and if he has any
other qualification for the Office of
Steward, we have been unable to find
it out.
What about the Doodle What
has been charged by the Sentinel is
this; That Hidlay told Larish there
was $Ioo in it if Kline was elected,
$50 for Larish and $50 for himself
Now where did this money come
from ? 1t was not Hidlay's, because
he says he was to have $50 if Kline
was elected, or words to that effect.
1t will be noticed that Hidlay does
not deny that he offered to bribe his
fellow officer, or that he himself had
been bribed, but that P. A. Kline did
not give, or offer to give him one
cent for support. Some one gave
him the money for that very purpose.
Hidlay said he had it, and wanted to
turn 1t in the treasury after he found
that Larish would not take it. That
money is somewhere. Either Hidlay
has it or he has given it back to the
parties from whom he got it, and if he
wishes to clear his skirts and show
that there is the least semblance OF
manhood in him, let him tell where
the money is and who gave it to him
and until he does let him hold his
peace.
O. T.. Wilson