The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-08-28


In 1901 Mr.. Lewis was elected
to the Maryland Senate, where
he served during the sessions of
1902 and 1904. In addition to
the general legislation of both
sessions, in the formulation and
enactment of which he took O
prominent part, he drafted and
with the sid of the county dele
CATION had passed the present
mining legislation of Allegany
and Garrett counties. In the ses-
sions of 1902 and 1904 he led the
debate for the passage of the To
legrsphers' eight hour bill, since
enacted into law, for the pro-
motion of safe transportation.
In the interest of the taxpayers
he secured the passage of the
present laws effectively limiting
the salaries of the sheriff of Alle-
gany county to $4,000, and the
States attorney TO 1000 a year,
breaking up the fee evil in con-
nectiOn with the Cumberland
magistrates by substituting q
moderate salary, had passed the
present law governing the treas
urer and the road law by which
road building and admins ration
Is taken out of politics and plac-
ed in ~ hands of two Demo.
Gratis and two Republicans, elect
ed under method which gives
the voters of each party an effect
I've veto on the bad nominations
OF the other party, and is per-
haps the most unique system in
America. The above measures
are said to have saved Allegany
county thirty thousand dollars .
year. besides eliminating the po-
lltical abuses connected with the
old system. 1t may interest the
bar of the State to know that MIR.
Lewis was the author of and
introduced the law under which
the reports of the Court of AID.
peals are printed by contract
with the State by the lowest bid
der and sold to the profession now
at $500 a volume instead of 81. 90
as formerly; that in 1910 the
Code Of Public General Laws will
be published in the same manner.
These measures show him not
only a reformer,. but a practical
and constructivewlaw maker. A
daily student Of political econ
omy and public questions, it can
be readily appreciated that the
circumstances of Mr.. Lewis early
life as miner and of the strug-
Cling Welsh family have i'm
planted in him q passion for the
uplifting of the working masses.
For example: As a student of
social affairs he learned that in
the perilous profession of mining
one miner is killed for each
given number of tons mined, and
then reached the conclusion that
has been adopted in England and
other countries, that since coal
cannot be mined without killing
miners, as war cannot be prose.
cuted without killing soldiers, q
part, at least, of the value of the
miners life should be charged up
20 the cost Of the coal mining,
and the whole burden of the
necessary catastrophe should not
be thrown upon the widows aud
orphan children. He prepared
the bill imposing tax OF half .
cent on each ton of coal and clay
mined, which according to the
statistics would have raised q
fuad of two thousand dollars for
the family of each miner killed.
The bill was introduced by Sen.
ator Shannon, passed the Senate,
and the second reading in the
House, but was strangled by un-
seen hands on the third reading
file of the House OF Delegates.
Mr.. Lewis spent two months at
the session of the Legislature in
his effort to have this bill passed.
Such is brief sketch of life
unusual even in America, aud q
life just entering its fortisth
year. On fire with an ambition
to promote the public welfare and
especially to improve the lot Of
the laboring masses and unus-
ually successful, the unprejudiced
voters of the Sixth Congress
slonal District, who do not know
him in person, may rest assured
that he is no mere upstart seek
ing the profits of political office,
put publicist with a laborer's
experience to make him earnest,
and the business and legislative
experience to qualify him for the
making OF conservative and pro-
gressive laws.