The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-10-17
Which is T'Other, and T'Other is
Which.

Captain Purnel and the Devil fish,
Iojash and the devil generally, got SO
unfortunately mixed in last weeks Cecil
Democrat, that we frankly confess our
self badly mixed in any review OF the
political situation in the county-as
they present 1t.
Joiash evidently believes that he (r)
has responded trlumphantly to all the
Who's structures on the fatefll anomaly
of that Eighth district primary, when
he tells the people to heed "what
Captain Purnell says"
In point of very tact, Jojash has be-
come so accustomed TO swear by the
| Captain, and with the Captain, and
through the Captain, that he naturally
and honestly believes, that it Is only
necessary for Captain PurnelI to say
thing is so, and the whole realm of the
| Democrat S readers Is bound to accept
it as so.
Now, bad as such a predicament
would put conscientious and thought
full readers in, the fact is that it is not
half as bad as the hole they would be
thrust in by Jojash's construction of it.
Captain Purnell is a bitter partizan,
and a somewhat INSCRIPTIONS perverter
of the reason of things.
But, Captain Purnell is altogether
too astute a publicist not to know
where 1t is safe to leave off, ard
where 1t is best to begin again.
Of course, Jojash has no conception
of these matters and things, and so he
naturally and childishly, as Jojash's
manner is, waves the whole subject in
controversy and charltably refers the
truth searchers to what Captain Pur
nell is presumed to have said.
Now, it more unfortunately happens,
that the astute Captain "halts" as a
military man would, far short of the
point where the arrows of offended
truth would knock him into smitha-
reens.
The Captain knows good thing
when he sees it, and he knows bad
one from afar off.
He knows that the devil-fsh illus
tration does not fool him, and he is too
wide awake to suppose it will fool any
body else.
The Captain is awfully eager about
that dev l-fsh, and if it will only play
the devil with the poor unsophistlcated
chaps, who have somehow got onto the
idea that a compact made 6ef1teen tao
local candidates in a certain election
district (the 8H) is not a Urinary
election, the Captain will be as much
surprised as he is gratifed.
The Captain is altogether too "fiy"
to accept "Charley's" subterfuge.
He knows too we'll that it is no
answer 10 a charge of popular suffrage
betrayed-as made by the WHIG,-to
say that the expounder is "forger,"
and SO lie tries TO find frnaer ground.
The captain who, BY the way, is the
brains, and Drawn and muscle OF the
present Cecil Democrat confederacy,
admits that it is no answer to the
charge, tina. the Crothers-Graham
compact in the Eighth district 70aS not
REPRODUCED aV0yd for 7O0,d IN the
WING, and so he takes a wider range.
He admits that it was done, and he
does not deny that it was done 0zr.
halLy as charged BY the WING.
But, he is too smart to hide behind
the idea, that it was done in language
that differs a little more or less from
the words of exposure.
The captain scorns such Petty PLEAD
ing, as resolted to by Mr.. Crothers in
the columns of the Cecil County
Meas, ard so he takes the higher
ground that it was "not done secretly
at all, but openly and above board"
The glory of undeveloped power is
always a shrine for the ambitious but.
it must be confessed that it was re-
served for Captain Purnell, the new
found Nestor of the Democratic press
in Cecil county TO 0indicate be,fdy in
politics, BY blead1ng its ,eckAeSueSS.
1t is all right, says Captain Purnell
because it is done publicly.
If it had been done secretly, then it
z2oud haze been dlSgrace1uL
Perhaps our valiant captain may find
power in his pen, TO demonstrate that
highwayman is more virtuous indi-
vidual than a sneak thief, and perhaps
he may not till he does, the ingenious
voters of Cecil county will be pleased
to learn why it is better, wiser,
decenter, to cheat the people out of
their suffrage by "wnat are you going
to do about it," than by defiant "you
cannot prove it"
If it be true, that the "pubIic"
agreement as heralded by the valiant
| captain, and justified by him because
it was the act of freebooters instead of
cut threats, was actually ratified (2) by
the subservients who only know now to
say sit is we'll" we still put it to our
casulstic proclamater to show-hoaV q
fraud may be justified BY aequi-
eScence.
If score or even a hundred men
can march by the polls and nod, and
BY so doing ratyy and confirm
fraud, what, in the name of suffrage,
is TO become of popular rights?
The voters of the Eighth district
were summoned in the most author
itatively solemn way, to take their part
in formulating ticket for the suffrage
of one OF the great parties of the
nation.