Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1893-09-14
Political Card.
Mr.. John T. cccil's Statement Of the Points at
Issue.---Why He Refused to Sign the Returns
CALrFoRSIA Sept. II. 1893.

SALirOhNAA GCIa. IL iCVos
MeSsrs Editors Of the Beacon Please
allow me small space in your paper that
| vindicate myself against the misrepre-
sentation in the last issue of the Eateyprise
which sought to mislead the public will
endeavor 81 give the facts as they were,
and as there was number Of people pres
ent. feel sure that they at least cannot be
misled:
On the End of September at the 9Th cleo
ton district polls, when asked Mr.. VII.
liam Frank Ford II he had the tickets, he
said he had, took from his pocket small
package, | suppose about forty or fifty
and put them on the table About 9
O'Clock, the tickets gave out and Mr.. Ford
said he had no more He, however, felt
about his pockets and found 10 which he
pnt ou the table. Amer they were all gone
We had IL write the balance that we used
During this time, however, there was a
colored man who came up to vote; had his
ticket in his hand and went 10 another col.
ored man who could read and asked if Mr..
Cecil's name was on that ticket! Ofcourse,
it was not, having been marked off with
pen and ink. He said he had been assured
that my name was on there. When / saw
the ticket it aroused my suspicion. then
found out where the tickets were. They
had all been marked and divided among
the Wilkinson leaders. Mr.. Ford could
easily produce a ticket when the voter
wished to vote the Wilkinson ticket. When
the box was opened it was found that rs
orSO tickets came out with my name mark
ed off with pen and ink and certainly with
the same pen and ink and by the same hand.
And there was not pen or ink on the
ground during the evening Hence my
suspicion On Tuesday, the day the re-
turns were made, | openly. charged fraud
in the 9Th district, which was not denied
| also said that | had been informed that
some of my friends had been denied the
use of tickets in the 3rd district Mr.. E. Is
Abel' denied the charge, and l said no
more abont that district was not asked
for any authority and gave none Now,
the Enterprise says, "when asked for his
authority for the assertion, Mr. Cecil failed
to give any" This is wholly false No
one asked for any authority. hence l gave
none. / was somewhat surprised at that
Mr. Barber did ask if thought there was
fraud in the 9th district / told him had
heard moth ng of the kind flom that dis
trict He then asked Why / would not
sign the returns; was it because did not
get the nomination? / told him IL was be-
cause could not and scoald not indorse
fraud. The Enterprise says that the judges
offered TO expose the ballots Of the sth dis
trict to see II my assertions were correct
This is another false representation. Dur
ing the time that was denouncing the
fraud in the sth district, appealed 10 them
10 open the ballot box of the sth district 10
verify what was saying. Mr. John w.
Jones, the Judge from that district, who
sat directly in front Of me, did nos deny the
charge nor attempt TO expose the tickets
The Entcrprise says that just "before ad
journing, the ballot box Of the sgh district
was opened and few tickets 10 manuscript
with Mr.. Cecil's name on them and many
printed tickets with Mr. Wilkinson's name
marked of with black ink. were found"
This assertion is utterly false There was
not ticket in that boz when they were
| counted that had Mr. Wilkinson's name
marked of with ink II they had been in
clinei 10 do me justice, they could hare
said that there were ab lut 60 wish nv
name rked Of with ink and HAT By the