Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1898-11-19

guilt; fortlfy your position by IN
situations aud by speclous and elabor-
ate arguments calculated to arouse the
passions of the miners, and thus lead
them to believe that they were not
honestly and faithfully served.
Now, Jackson" if you think | will
follow you in your numerous irrelevant
queries and show the hollowness of
your specious arguments, you are
greatly mistaken. | shall not be mis-
led by the trickery of a fox and no
false scent shall divert me from the
true course to the den of your devil
try. | intend to pin you down solid
and fast to your first assertions
and arguments, and prove that you
are 'densely" or wilfully ignorant
of the mining bill and that you are
premeditatedly dishonest in your
espousal of the miners interests. If
such is not the case, why did you ask
these questions: eff Senator Dick is
now so much concerned in the welfare
of the miners, why did he not have the
mine bill passed to make the Mine In
spector elective ?" and, was it killed
in the Senate -
Here are questions conveying to the
mind of the unimformed the most
damnlng iniimation of fragrant neglect
on the part of Senator Dick. To a
man who claims to be well informed as
jackson" there is not the semblance
of a reason or fact upon which to base
such manifestly unjust and misleading
queries. But much more convincing,
and | should exhaust my vocabulary
to express my just Indignation against
one who would frame such plausible
words to manufacture imaginary
omissions of duty as "Jackson' has
done, are the plain facts of the case as
they appear in the laws and records of
the last Legislature.
The dissensions and factions exist
ing among the members of the House
as to the selection of a Speaker made
it evident that some delay was to be
expected before the bills could be in
troduced into that body. On the other
hand, the Senate had held its caucus
and had selected its President and
was ready for business on the first
day of the session. Under these con
ditions a meeting of the AIegany del
egation was held. 1t was decided that
TO expedite the passage of the mining
bill it shonld be introduced into aud
passed through the Senate first. The
records show that it was thus intro
duced by Senator Dick in the Senate
on January IS, 1898. 1t was referred
to a select committee. composed of
Senators Ravenscroft and Dick. who
reported it back to the Senate on Feb.
ruary LIST, when it was ordered engross-
ed for third reading. On February
llth it was read the third time and
passed the Senate, and it reached my
hands on February l4th anithout alter
alton on amendment. This early intro
duction and rapid passing of the min
ing bill through the Senate evinces.
stronger than all else, Senator Dicks
earnest desire that 1t should become
a law.
There, Jackson" is Senator Dicks
record on the mining bill ; clear, hon
est, and faithful, sound as a gold
dollar, and hedged in by such irrefu-
table evidence that all the venomous,
malicious, and bushwhacking methods
you may employ cannot detract one
lota from his creditable record. You
accuse Senator Dick of not keeping
his platform pledges, of failing to pass
the mining bill as he promised the
miners, and by irrelevant questions
would lead the people to believe that
the elective clause was lost while in
the Senate. "Jackson," did You know
you were lying when you made such ac-
cusations Did you know you had no
basis in fact upon which to found
such questions If you did know,
| am not surprised, but rather give
you credit for your persistent de-
termination to hide your identity
under a nom de plume. A man who
can reach such degrading depths
as you have in your attempts by false
representations to blacken and lower
the official standing aud reputation of
public officials is perfectly justified in
hiding his name.
JAMES CAMpBEJL.