Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-10-04
FOR CONGRESS-
NO WORD FROM JACKSON.

Mr.. Ellegood and the Demo
cratic Committee of the First
Congressional District have pro-
posed to Hon. William III. Jack
son, in an open letter, to make
this an anti-boodle campaign
and are awaiting patiently his
acceptance of the proposition.
The Salisbury Courier the organ
of the Republican party of Wi
comico County and of which
Mr.. Jackson is part owner,
spurns the proposition and as
Mr.. Jackson has not yet accept
ed, it no doubt represents his
sentiments.
For years the Republicans
have made a bluff at desiring
such a campaign and when Col.
John Walter Smith was nomi-
mated for Congress they were
loud in their expressions against
bribery, and a conference was
agreed on, to be held at Easton.
Col. Smith was there. but the
Republican candidate went to
Baltimore, and it is said on
good authority was, at the time
the conference was being held,
distributing the sinews of war
to Republican party represen-
tatives from the various coun-
ties of this district. The Re-
publican politician in this dis
district has been loud in his
claim of desiring the very kind
of campaign proposed by Mr.
Ellegood, and now that they
are confronted by a candidate
in whom the people have the
utmost confidence, and every
body knows will do what he
says he will do, they craw-
fish and make ridiculous ex-
cuses. The Courier of December
LIST, 1900, in speaking of bribery
says:
Those who do the buying are con-
trolled by the party managers, and,
in so far as Wicomico county is con-
cerned. if five or six members of each
party. that might easily be named.
were to make determined, concen-
trated effort, not single vote need
ever be bought in the county again.
Acting together, all that would be
necessary for these men to do is TO
form a bipartisan committee, for
el.e.w &c IL
and preventing bribery. with SUBJ
committees in each district of the
county. and order it stopped To
this central committee. as an addi-
tional precaution, each candidate
should be required to make a sworn
and detailed statement of his ex-
penses during the entire campaign
including the primary election and
the cost of his nomination. This
method would prove simple and
would absolutely stop the purchase
of votes at once. = q The Repub-
lican party is not afraid of the result
of clean elections Repub-
hcans are always willing to abide
by the uptrammelled decision of
honest citizens. If its principles do
not prevail, the Democrats are wei.
come to rule the county and state
Noble expressions are thes
and the Democratic candidate
for Congress, Mr.. Ellegood, nov
offers to do just what the Corie
as the mouthpiece of Congress
man Jackson then and now
suggests, but in a most shame
full manner it attempts to thrus
the matter aside. The Courie
of last week said:
IF Mr.. Ellegood sees fit TO adopt
the antibribery cry and the forma.
ton of committees as his plan of
campaign it is his affair. not ours.
The Republican party does not need
to follow his lead to find merit 1t
is Mr. Ellegood's funeral, so let him
conduct it. We will likely be able
to take care of ours when the time
comes"
Every reader of the MEssEN
GER will now understand tina
there is no dependence to b
placed in the loud-mouthed pre-
fessions of virtue of Republi
can newspapers in this district
They have bluffed as long a
they can because Hon. Jane
K. Ellegood has called ther
down. How can good men vot
for the candidate they repre-
sent ).
There are, as the WicomicO Ne,
well suggests, enough good an
reliable men in the Democrat
and Republican parties to sc
to it that the kind of a can
paign and election proposed b
Mr.. EllegoOd is faithfully ca
ried out. The Democrats agr,
to it and their candidate h;
demonstrated by years of faitl
full effort in this direction tin;
he can be trusted.
What of Mr.. Jackson