The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-09-27

A few weeks ago the Baltimore News
started a muck rake campaign against
Hon. Austin L. Crothers, democratic
nominee for Governor, and raked Cecil
county over for muck of all kinds with
which to besmirch him. Woven in with
a few, very few, facts of minor import, to
which no one would give passing notice,
were scurrilous charges with no founda-
ton whatever.
Among these latter was the charge
direct and further by implication that he
used his position on the bench for polit-
ical purposes by suspension of sentence
in number of cases where the Grand
Jury at the March term of court had
brought indictments against parties
for liquor selling and gambling and the
parties had pleaded guilty. 1t was
charged that the guilty parties were po-
litical friends and henchmen of Judge
Crothers and that further he held in dis
regard the present prohibitory statute
and contrary to the sentiment and desire
of the citizens of the county suspended
sentence in each instance
In this connection it is pertinent to
state that local option campaign is
being waged in Delaware and the Will
mington Every Evening in espousing the
license interests has been publishing
alleged interviews with citizens of Cecil
county-prominent ard otherwise-in its
efforts to prove local option an utter
failure in this county. Among those
interviewed were number who stated
that the law had been and was still being
disregarded, and to their knowledge
liquor was sold openly.
A reference to the court records of last
March will show that among these prom.
inent ~ citizens who have given this
kind of testimony in the interviews are
some who were summoned before the
Grand Jury and that there were no indict-
ments brought on the strength of their
testimony. The inference is clear, there
fore, that their desire is to discredit the
law when they now state that there is as
much liquor being sold in the county as
under license and further when they
express both publicly and privately their
disapproval of the suspension of sentence
in the cases mentioned it plainly shows
political malice against Judge Crothers,
in the hope of creating sentiment hostile
to his election as Governor.
The Grand Jury at that term of court
is credited in these interviews and articles
Will OcluS icaTleSS ana earnest IN Its
1abors to secure convictions and the
inference is given that they were much
disappointed at the disposition Judge
Crothers made of the indictments.
The Grand Jury was composed of men
of various political faiths, three or more
avowed prohibitionists, democrats, repub-
licans and independents. and at the time
they were unit in their approval of
Judge Crothers' actions. To refute the
unjust charge brought for campaign pur.
poses, personal letter from the MID.
LAND JOURNAL to each of the Grand
Jurors has brought forth their unqualified
assent and desire that their names be
attached to the foregoing card.
Thus is one of the malicious charges
shown to be untrue and others could
likewise be proven false, were they
worthy of notice.
The News can conduct sewer cam
paigu in Baltimore with its surplus muck,
Cecil countians desire no more of it in a
ARubernatorial campaign.