Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1901-07-20
Try This Once.

1t is an easy thing to denOunce laws,
especially laws which, avowedly sought
to advance some class purpose or amelio-
rate some class grievance, naturally, log
ically, almost inevitably fail to effect
what their projectors design.
Mining laws furnish proof in point.
Promising more definitely, there is not
a mining law in the Maryland Code that
was not fathered or step-fathered by
Maryland miner, and who accepted at
last "the best that was to be had"
"The heather may rage, the wicked
imagine vain things" and so-callcd labor
newspapers impugn the integrity of leg
islatures, but when people set out to reg
ulate by special enactment the concerns
and operations of other peoples proper
ty and business they undertake an uphill
task 1t is not easy, for instance, to pre-
vent an Eastern Shore farmer from CON
tracing the notion that if he votes for
special regulation by law of mining opera
tions, his own hands, desiring reform of
some of his methods, can come into the
legislature and obtain schedule by
which his farm shall be conducted there
after.
AS to the completeness and effective
ness of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana
mining laws, it is to be noted that none,
nor all have put an end to strikes nor
t,,1ly yNR1l "a
inadequate wages.
Hence, at this juncturc whatever min
ing esislation is wanted shout bc sought
on needs that are not only ,c0Ibu thai can
be met by legislation. Whatever can b,
done without should he omitted. TuaSk
for something legislation will not reach
is to weaken tn" chHn"" Of getting what
is available.
But 10 matter what j. w&iitc;', ,it;iC
or much. let it he 10 more tl.aI miEcrs
will stand by III the courthouse with tlC
same courage they expect their lcgi-ln-
tors to show in the >tatr-n"uSr. LIws
do not enforce themselves. If that pro
hibiting bad ventilation needs enforce
ment there must be ~ less grit il tie
mine than iii the House of Delegates.
Ii the law providing for 4 ch,cl~c -
man be thwar;cd the men who want it
obrycd mist show the same sIunk cn
the witness-stand their representative
did in the Senate.
This brings us to the last pniut--Why
do not miners select representatives. to
mutt their laws as they choose lawyers
to enforce them: In other words, why
do they insist upon men OF their own
number to mukr what the same men
cannot aftcrward eXpound to courts and
impress upon juries:
In short, why do they not send law
yers-good lawyers, not plugs, to get for
them all that is to be had, and all that
can be afterward sustained:
Had this been done i'll the ninetics all
that washing of soiled linen in Lonaco-
ming would have been Obviated. There
would have been no impeachmentS of
the integrity of laymcn, who, under the
best auspices, are bound to blunder when
in quest of class legislation.
Gentlemen, get at least three good
lawyers of each party committed to your
cause; have them nominated; then vote
for all the lawyers, and thus settle, once
for all, whether there is for miners any
more law than they already have.
= 81,
lawmaking records the most unscientitc
business is to continue employing lay
men as apprentices to the craft of man
ufacturing occasions for such quarrcls.