Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1892-10-28
REPLY To DEMOCRAT.
j. M. DeFrance Gives His Reaso ns
For Not supporting Ellison.
EDITOR GRApRIc:

EDITOR GRAPHIC:
| In answer to your correspond
ent Democrat" of last week, |
say yes, l have voted the Demo-
cratic ticket forty-fye years, l
have been and am now loyal to
Democratic principles, but | csn-
not and will not vote for Andrew
Ellison for Judge, because he is
not qualified for the position.
More than one half the cases that
have been appealed from his de-
cision in the last ten years have
been reversed by the Supreme
Court. Any honest man not pref
udiced, should correctly guess
one half the cases. But he de-
cldes cases the way he wants
them decided. / don't think he
ever tried a contested case that
any outsider could not tell in adj
vance how he was going to decide
it. a pet lawyer might have
something to do with it, or his
prejudice against the lawyer on
one side or the other might de-
termine the case. But you ask
what about the law of the case
l answer, that cuts no figure. He
is not built that way. He is for
the men whom he can use IN his
political scheming and against
the rest, and he is not particular
about whether they have any po-
litical principles or not.
A vacancy having occurred,
Gov. Hardin appointed Ellison
Judge of this DIST, away back in
the los. About the same time
ne also appointed him a regent of
the State Normal School at this
place. Ellison Immediately COM
menced using the position of both
these offices for his personal ben
eft-the political parties were
about equally divided and he
didn't know which to identify
himself with, for fear he would be
on the losing side, and his inten-
ton was to perpetuate himself in
to Office. This place then had
one Republican paper and the
county was largely Republican.
There was large patronage in
the printing for the State Normal,
This was all given to the Republi-
can paper, from then till the pres.
cit time, although the Democrat
ic paper could have done it equal
ly as well. Again, there were
large Improvements and repairs
to be made on the Normal build
ing by the State, under the con-
troll of the Normal Regents.
Away back IN the past we had in
this county a Democratic commit
tee and democratic organization.
Now we have the committee, but
no organization. Well, Ellison
gave all these contracts to the
chairman of the Democratic COM
mittee with g little variation, so as
to do him the most good. Before
the first election came round Eli
son had fully determined to not
identify himself with either per-
ty, but that he woald make the
race as "Independent," very in
dicious conclusion, under the cir
cumstances, if nothing but his
preferment was to be considered.
He had the Republican paper in
this county, with large majority
of Republican voters, subject to
its influence. Then he had the
support of the chairman of the
Democratic committee. He made
the race, claiming he had no po-
litical preferences; that he was of
an "old line Wing family" and
was elected. He spent the next
six years using the offices of
Judge and Regent among the
"Bell wethers' of his Dist, for
another "Independent" race for
Judge. He would claim to the
Republican "Bell wether" that IN
some way he (Ellison) had done
the Republican Bell wether) q
favor, and then and there get the
pledge of this Republican to sup
port Ellison in an independent
race for Judge. He used every
means in his power, as Judge and
as Regent, fair or unfair, to dis
organize the Democratic party in
this county and has succeeded.
He has worked the chairman for
all his poaition was worth, SO that
low 1t causes a broad grin, when
there is talk of a Democratic
Convention. 1t only means that
some one will be sent round to the
different townships, and select a
man or SO, from each township, to
meet those selected by the chair
man In town on a day named, and
declare his will as dictated by Ell
lison. The Democrats are handi-
capped SO they can do nothing
except help Ellison to draw his
$4,000 a year, as Judge, and he
and his workers did all they could
at the called session last winter to |
raise that to $500, and were
quite indignant because I pro-