Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1889-01-25
Compton's Answer.

Compton answer
On "Wednesday Of last week Bessrs
MARSHALL Chapman and q c. Bureh OF
behalf Of Mr.. Compton, served upon Mr..
Mudd his answer to the lattcr's notice o
contest. The paper is lengthy docu-
incni, admitting some Of the allegation:
made by Mr. Mudd. anil denying others.
1t admits that the vote in st. Mary's
rUunty was, as We have lefpre stated 10
these columns, that is to say. that there
we're two votes cast for Mr.. Mudd in TIL
third election district Of st. Mary's
county under the description Of g. H.
Mudd aud Mud. but dehics the leg Il
right TO have such votes counted. The
answer also denies that Mr. Mudd re.
ceived a majority Of - votes in Calvert
county; recount is asked for in the
Baltimore city wards and precincts un
der pretext that the judges Of election
failed TO count many votes cast for hin
that should have been so counted; e
right to have the locked IN poll hooks
with the judges and clerks certificates
attached thereto opened aud the vote
counted is admitted, but denies that Mr.
Mudd received SO majority in the 9th
and SO in the ninth districts
Of this county; denies that the
the election in the fret precinct Of the
third election district Of ~ 4. county was
unfair, aud by way of counter charge
alleges that many persons voted for Mr.
Mudd not entitled to the right Of suf-
frage under the Constitution Of the State,
and that many persons wishing to vote
for him, Compton, were prevented from
so doing by Intimidation rracticed by
Mr. Mudds partlzans in many sections
Of the congressional district
Taking the answer as whole il is
plain to be seen that Mr.. Compton has
no case. Admitting, as he does.
that there were two more Votes cast N
st. Mary's county for Mr. Mudd under
The descTipdonof S. i. Muld aud Mudd
that were not counted, and notwithstand-
ing his denial as to the vote Of Calvert
county, as matter of fact, Mr Mudd
did receive 27l majority and i; cannot
be dNproved, and accepting the face of
the returns as ostensibFy correct as has
@sl"@'omg been" aamitteif ny MI. comp comp
ten aud his cohorts, Mr.. Mudd has
plurality of votes ar We have heretofore
commended. But there are many ways
by which plurality can be reduced. aud
the peculiar method of doing such work
IN well known to the school of politicians
70 which Mr.. Compton belongs, and
from one of the charges made in
his answer suspicion is at once aroused
Ii lies in the fact that recount is asked
for i'll the city sections Of the district
where majority Of the judges Of cleo.
iion were Democrats and Mr.. Compton's
personal friends, and nor in the counties
where majority Of said officers were
Republicans. upon the assumption that
many votes were cast for him that we're
not counted. Does any one suppose for
a moment that any such thing could
have occurred He had majority Of
the judges aud special watchers to look
after his interest, and no one believes
any such errors were commit
ted. The charge looks Aimsy.
and when it will be remembered III
Eugene Higgins, Mr.. Compton's friend
and companion, is still alive and that
time and again the popular will of the
people has been defeated by changing
ballots under the care of the formers
skillful hand, it is not unreasonable to |
suppose that some such dirty fraud
against the people may have again
been perpctrated. The many other al
legations in MIR, Compton's answer do
not amount to much. \ good deal of it
IS rehear'al of charges made in every
contested election case, and much of it is }
'9tally untrue. That part of S
MS answer charging intimidation t
'f voters in this county is known v
|" every one to be false, doubt. b
e's told MIR. Compton by some of that
lass ofmen who are always anxious to $
ell what | know aud what | did" Il
}ut of course some defense had to be |;
'ade to bolster up bad case, and Mr..
'ompton, endowed with natural repug h
ance to giving up public Office which e
lie has held these many years, and en-
personal hatred to retiring =
the shades of private life to ponder in q
over how i: was that he, the /
,reat am, should have been defeated a
or Congress by a young man scarcely !
'nown in public life, had to put on the c
'est face, and allege and publish ,
harges that cannot be proved c