, 1900-10-08
SPASMS
OF THE BOOMERANG EXCITE on
LY MOST SINCERE
PrrY.
1t is Really Trying to be Good But
Flesh is Wezk-"And, Oh! the
Pity of it hIl!"-The Facts in
the Matter Of the Pilot Bill And
The Man With the AK"

pressed in a rio+Cus revelry of rich
and oeauteous English, The Boomer
ang said:
The prospects are hat the cam
paign in Albany county will be a clean
fight with an honest effort on the part
of the voters to select the best men
for TIE various Offices. If anyone at
tempts sharp pre.tices they will be
shown up as a matter of course"
OF course in the light of this cheru-
bic declaration anything in apparent
violation of such h~igh-miudcd resolves
shoult not be taken seriously Also,
there are various other reasons why
nothing in The Boomerang should be
taken seriously; but that is another
story, as Mr.. Kipling has said.
In its issue of Friday, October 5.
there appeared a silly and very nearly
idiotic accusation against Mr.. j. S.
Atherl, As we have said, remember
ing The Boomerang's declaration OF
principles, this is not to be taken seri-
ously Nevertheless W shall do The
Boomerang the honor to point out the
degree OF imbecility to which it has
descended-or perhaps rather ascend
ed in the article ! fcrred to.
The Charges.
1t is stated hat a bill much desired
by "a abroad mon Engu-D nc tho nilnt hill
was defeated by the last Legislature;
that ]. S. Atherly fought the bill tooth
and nail, leaving no stone unturned
that might aid in preventing the pass
age of the measu e: that Mr.. Ather-
ly was chiefly in ,trumental in com
plishing the defeat of the measure and
his fight against the bill is well re
m~embeved.'
There are several other chunks of
mendac.y like il but thie slice may
be considered a fair sample. Not be
ing Bryanites We have nc special ca
pacity for handling billingsgate and SC
shall merely say that The Boomerang
has been "misled"; and shall express
our regrets that, after the fine declara-
ton which we lately quoted, it should
be so easy"
The facts 1--WE trust there is a die
tionary in The Boomerang office, as
there may be occasion to know the
meaning of this word before the cam
paign is ended)-the facts in the mat
ter of the pilot bill are these, accord
ing to the journal OF the house and
the recollection of members:
The Facts.
The bill was known as House bill
No. 1874; a bill for an act requiring
railroad companies to provide a pilot
or conductor to accompany all light
engines" 1t was introduced by Mr..
Hollingsworth on the 18th day of Feb
1t was not referred to any committee
that Mr.. Atherly was chairman OF, or
that Mr.. Atherly was a member of.
The bill was never considered in com
mittee of the whole, never got to the
second reading. vas reported by
the committee to which it was refer
red. Never at any time from first to
last was the bill before the house for
consideration.
As stated before. the bill was intro
duced on the 18th day of February
That was the last day on which any
bill could be introduced and it was on
the afternoon of that day and within
five days of the adjournment OF the
Legislature. Two days after the intro
duction of the measure railroad men
were invited to appear before the com
mittee and explain the purposes of the
bill, which is the Customary proceeding
in the consideration of such new meas
ure. though of course the Boomerang
could not be expected to know that.
Not a single person came before the
committee. In the hurry and excite
ment of the impending adjournment,
the bill was not looked after by its
friends and it was never heard of
again.
And contrary to the impression an
unsophisticated and credulous person
might get from the Boomerang's vacu-
GUS m%outhings, Mr.. Atherly did not go
after the bill with a big ak to kin
it.
"oh, the Pity Of It."