The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1902-10-11
CONGRESSMAN JACKSON'S REPLY TO
MR.. ELLEGOOD.

TONGRESSMAN JACKSON'S re-
ply to Mr.. Ellcgood'S proposition
~ that both parties in this Congress
sional District cndcavor to sup
press bribery at the coming election has
been made public. Mr. Jackson suggests.
that if the Democratic Leaders in each
of tn" counties of the District, will unite
i'll an agreement to do all in their power
to prevent bribery, they will be promptly
met by the Republicans of the District.
The reply is as folows:-
Hon. james +. Ellcgood. Democratic
Candidate for Congress, Salisbury, Nd:
Dear Sir beg to acknowledge the
receipt of your communication and de-
sire to express myself aS being in hearty
sympathy with you and all others who
are interested in the suppression of brb-
cry at elections in this State.
but while | may have faith in your
personal sincerity in this matter, ] know
that | am rather dealing with party
whose record for the last 81 years in this
State has been one Of bribery and cor
ruption. Whatever of evil there is in
this State along these lines is due to the
Democratic party. whose every legisla-
tive act up 10 the present time has been
against every effort to purify the ballot.
when the AntiBribery law was pass
ed 10y your party, it provided for the pun
iShmcnt Of both buyer and seller which
you. as lawyer know. practically makes
the law a nullity. An effort in 1896 to
amend this law so as to he effective was
passed by Il Republican House, but was
smothcred by a Democratic Senate.
Those leaders of your party in this
district upon whom you will depend for
election results are the same who have
been leaders not only in violating the
Anti-Bribery law, but still further pre-
venting our efforts for pure elections by
aiding and abctting the use of fraudu-
lent and trick ballots, the foundation for
the use of which was deliberately plan
ned by your leaders in the calling Of a
special session Of the Legislature and
the passing of an election law which
made these infamous frauds possible.
During last winters session of the
Legislature, your party leaders defeated
the Corrupt Practices bill, which had
for its purpose the suppression of bribery
and all other offenscs against the purity
of the ballot.
"The Democratic Convention of Ocean
City, which made YOU its candidate for
Congress, Endorsed through its platform
the present State Administration, and by
so doing. placed its seal of approval upon
all its acts. and does this not mean that
your party approved of the trick ballots
and the other nefarious schemes engineer
ed by Democratic officials in the year
1901
IF your party in the district is sin
cerc in its efforts to prevent bribery in n
Congressional election. it should be
equally sincere in its efforts to prevent
bribery at all elections in the years to
come.
Let there be gathering of your
party leaders from all the counties of
the district large enough in numbers to
be thoroughly representative in its char
acter. and unite upon an agreement to
do all in their power to prevent bribery
| in the future.
81 feel assured my party will be found
uniting with you as earnestly and sim
cerely as your representatives could pos
sibly be-
IF your party will not do this, can
not be expected to have confidence in the
statements of those who would pose as
| an anti-briber today and at the same
time planning bribery for tomorrow.
"W. II. JACKSON"