The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-09-30
JUST BEFORE THE BATTLE.

Jool DEF oNE i he On LIE.
When Mr.. George w. Cruikshank or
ganized in the columns of his own news
paper, a local agency for the sale of
Cruikshankian "Olive Branches" and es-
sayed Through his agents) to write him
self into the judgeship by writing Mr..
Stump out of it, he undertook an exceed
ingly difficult piece of political convey
ancing even for as skilful scrivener as
himself.
Possibly Mr.. Cruikshank may succeed.
His methods it is true have been bad
ones, and such as do not deserve success,
and which had Judge Stump used to re-
tain the judgeship, The Wing would have
denounced him, as readily as it has con-
demned Mr.. Cruikshank.
But then, it must be remembered, that
large percentage of those to whom his
appeals have been made, don't care an
old button, what the methods may be, SO
long as their man wins, and their faction
comes to the top.
The opportunity We think is an excellent
one to take little review of feature or
two of Mr.. Cruikshank's phenomenal can
didacy, and the occasion timely, to draw
few political-moral lessons from the in
cidents of judicial political canvass,
never equalled in it's features Of abomi-
nable personalisms, and its reckless at
tacks upon individual character.
A long time ago, but very short time
after the appearance of Mr. Cruikshank's
(now) famous circular letter of March
Goth, we called the especial attention OF
the public to it, by publishing it entire.
This was, it is true, use that doubt
less our contemporary never contemplated
his precious document should be put to,
else had he possibly written a somewhat
different one, and one too more credita-
BILE to his brains and heart. But we
couldn't help it, disagreeble as it was to
him, to have his pretty little political
bantling paraded before the very censor
ious eye Of the public. We did the peo-
pie a service by the act, however little
our brother Tim E. O. Donaos may not
relish it. Scarcely any one we think
at this late hour of the canvass has any
doubt as to the meaning of the myster-
GUS words of that letter, those many other
reasons for which our brother longed to
meet the voters face to face, and to speak,
the attack upon Judge Stump's charac-
ter which he well knew would damn his
canvass at the outset of it, had his circu-
lar actually contained what it plainly
promised.
1t meant indeed just what it forshadow-
ed,a general howl from the entire pack of
big dogs and NANCY ours of mongrel
Democratic opposition to the Judge, held
together from the highest to the lowest of
the gang, by the greed for personal gain,
and among which there were some pup
pies of high degree, who were by an act
of the basest ingratltude repaying the
Judge and his friends, for the life time
services rendered them.
These dilectable gentlemen, all readily
gathered around Mr.. Cruikshank and
turned their backs upon old friends. Bob
Tail Jim, and patched bottom Joe Joined
the Cruikshankian recruits. Court House
Row was full of volunteers, some of them
exciting general ridicule by their attempt
to straddle the fence, and others by their
vain endeavor to ride two horses going
round the political ring in opposite di-
rections.
They saw or thought they saw, (Which
was just as good) above that "Olive
Branch" a Laurel Wreath, casting its
shadow over the hirsuto snout of it's
Cruikshankian owner.
1t meant success.
1t meant Cruikshank and Constable on
top, and the old leaders. the neither dogs
in the fight.
Who wants to be the underneath dog
in fight, anyhow? Not they certainly.
Not these hungry feeders at the County
crib, some of whom had long toasted
their shins over the hearth-stone kept
warm at the peoples expense. They
raised the howl when the signal was Civ
en- by the leaders, and its echo resound-
ed the county over.
Every nook and Granny of Cecil had
its vendor of Stale ISLANDERS on Judge
Stump who piled his trade Industrious
ly, and, who fairly cbuckled with glee
when some credulous brother could be
found who would swallow at one breath,
the current lie they all retailed, that the
Judge never drew sober breath from
one years end to the other, and always
went to bed with his boots on
But what were the chiefs doing in
the meantime
The champion was ubiquitous, and if
not carrying as much paunch as the Or
iginal Fallstaff, was certainly more ac-
tive. Here, there and every where, he
fitted, Swallowed by his trusted lieuten-
ants, one moment inventing new ammu-
milton for the certain destruction Of
Mitchell and Mccullough, and the next
firing fresh charge into the enemy
The gentleman for whose immediate
benefit all this ruction was raised, play.
ed in the mean time, second fiddle
Being of little political use in the field,
lie was invested with what in reality was
the meanest work of all, the " literary
| bureau of the combination
He was to fire the gun after others had
put the nasty load in it. He doubtless felt
the embarrassment of his position as editor
owner and publisher of the Rarty organ,
which he was about to turn upon old and
trusted friends, and by specious argu-
ment, as fallacious as any the devil ever
invented to tempt weak man, he under
took to draw an imaginary line down the
middle Of the Cecil Democrat, and to as
sumo that he was not responsible for any
thing defamatory of Judge Stump, pro-
vided it be published in this or that COL
umn of his newspaper, in this or that
place in his alleged party, but simply his
own personal organ.
A man who claimed to have comm on
sense enough, and legal learning enough
to go on the bench, was actually ignor-
ing the plain legal maxim that the prin-
cipal is responsible for the acts of his