The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-06-04
M'.he Getil myhis
ELKTON, JUNE 4, 1870.
The ChestertOWn Election.

The Chestertown Election.
The Democrat treats it's readers to a
short sermon, last week, ON the Chester
town Kent county, election, in which the
Republicans are charged with "a piece of
as fragrant fraud as ever was devised -
The following is the story as told by The
Democrat how it was done:
cit happened Says that paper" that
there was one negro in Chestertown who
owned small and worthless patch of land
adjacent to the river. This he divided into
lots of one foot square and made deeds of it
to his fellow would-be voters. AS a conse-
quence, one hundred and fifty negroes
representing just one hundred and fifty
feet of land, went to the poles and claimed
and secured votes as freehelders, and
elected their ticket"
Waving the doubtful source whence this
statement comes, and admitting it to be
substantially true, the act must have had the
sanction of law. And upon examination it
will be found that the law authorizing this
species of property qualification for the
electors of Chestertown, was passed in 1868
by the Democratic Legislature, and was,
for the first time, put into practice in the
Spring Of 1869, by one hundred white nom
property-holders Of the town, having as
many hundred feet lying on a three-feet
alley, decided to them. Ia this deed were
included the ministers of the Episcopal and
M. E. Churches, who were non-property
holders. So the colored men, whose action
The Democrat so severely denounces as a
'sflagrant fraud" was authorized by both
Democratic law and precedent; and every
man knows that party is honest as Iago;
never resorting to falsehood or fraud. The
deed, making freeholders of these hundred
Democrats, we are informed, was recorded
in the Clerks Office at Chestertown about
the list of May, 1869.
A gentleman, whose name we can give if
it were necessary, after having voted, was
informed that some doubts were entertained
about lot on the proprietorship of which
he had voted, lying within the town limits,
returned and made this statement to the
judges, but was assured that this had been
fereseen, and that his name was included
in the three feet alley grant, thus securing,
beyond all contingency, his right to vote.
The Democrat, further celebrating this
Radical outrage, perpetrated, as we have
shown, under Democratic law and Demo-
cratic precedent, proceeds to amplify as
follows:
"What principle! What outrages! We
are glad to learn that the names of the
foot-of-land voters have been taken and
that they will be presented to the Grand
Jury We trust they will be indicted and
punished as such rascality deserves. As
for their white ceadjutors, hanging would
be too good for Them
A Daniel has come to judgment! Most
learned and righteous judge! To hang
these hundred "white coadjutors," with
the two clerical gentlemen, all Democrats,
would be severe punishment. And what
shall be done with the Democratic men,
bers who made the law in 1868? But how
Grand Jury can be expected to find bills
against men who have proceededin both the
letter and spirit Of the law to become quail
fed voters, it will be difficult for any-ex-
cept, perhaps, politico-editor- lawyer Of
Elkton-to make clear.
THE Democrat, drawing on it's poetic i'm
agination, continues:
"Chestertown, with taxable property
worth not less than million dollars, is to
be ruled by board Of officers who repre-
sent not one cent"
Now mark how a plain tale will put that
down. The following three names, on the
Republican ticket, which was elected, rep
resent not less than $40, 900 each: W. Per-
kins, Jas. A. Jones and Perry Chambers.
The other five members of the Board of
Town Commissioners are worth respec-
lively, W. Vannort, $4,000; W. J. Van
mort, $4,000; Henry Earnest, $1,000; Geo.
C. Atkinson represents $4,000 and Henry
F. Smith represents $4,000; the whole
Board representing not less than 500, 900.
Three of the above named Commissioners
are colored men. We receive these figures
from what we deem to be reliable author
ity, and are authorized to challenge their
contradiction.
This statement of THE Democrat, put
forth with so much confidence and assur-
ance, is in keeping with the major part of
what emanates from the same source hav-
ing only existence in the inventive brain of
the editor.
This law was evidently an invention of
the Democracy to keep poor men from the
ballot, but finding the colored men had
out-generaled them on their own ground,
the leaders hauled down their old black
flag of prejudice and hate, and at the head
Of their ticket placed:
"CIT1zENs TICKET.
Pigs and Geese to run at Largey'
But it wouldn't draw, and they were
beaten, and The Cecil Democrat takes up
the case, opening with the following para
graph:
Heretofore the election has had no
stain of politics upon it, and usually passed
off on issues of Corporation interest"
Hypocrite Who so ready to place the
stain of politics - on Elkton Corporation
election?' "Aroynt thee, WITCH -
KU KLUX ON THE EASTERN SHoRE.-The
colored people of Queen Anne's county
had ratification of the Fifteenth Amend
,,,apt of Coptoryil1o on Tburcdav 10Th IF