A.E. Watts

$5,000.00 REWARD. – A CHALLENGE TO SIR WILFRID LAURIER AND THE LIBERALS OF CANADA BY A. E. WATTS, OF WATTSBURG BRITISH COLUMBIA.

            I, A.E. Watts, hereby challenge Sir Wilfrid Laurier, and the members of the government, individually or collectively, to put up funds for the purpose indicated by the attached resolution and thereby show their desire, that political campaigns shall be conducted decently and honestly, and that in future they will prosecute offenders and see that justice is effectively applied, and thereby cleanse Canada of the foul blot they have put upon her fair name.

            To prove my sincerity and to shield a part of British Columbia from the shameful stigma, the crying disgrace of Canada which makes her appear as a harlot amongst the clean nations of the world, I will offer $5,000.00 reward for information leading to the conviction and unseating of any member of parliament that may be elected in the Kootenays by the aid of bribery or corruption, whether he be of the Liberal or Conservative or of any other party.

                                                                                                A.E. Watts

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RESOLUTION

Copy

            Cranbrook, B.C., Oct. 4, 1907.

                        Whereas, there has been abundant proof that numberless cases of gross corruption of the electors have been perpetrated throughout Canada, whereby the voice of the people has been stifled, their national fame besmirched and their representatives muzzled.

            At a meeting of the executive committee of the Cranbrook Conservative Association held on the above date, George T. Rogers presiding, the following resolution was unanimously adopted:

            “That we fully endorse the proposal of Mr. A.E. Watts, of Wattsburg that a subscription list shall be opened and the public invited to subscribe to a fund which shall be held in trust and used solely for the purpose of prosecution and reward for the conviction of any person or corporation in any way contravening the laws against bribery and corruption at elections either for the provincial legislatures or the House of Commons at Ottawa.

            “The amount so subscribed shall be returned to the subscribers if not used for the purpose indicated, or if part only of the fund be used then the balance shall be returned to the subscribers pro rata according to the contribution of each subscriber.

            “We beg to commend the resolution to the consideration of all executives throughout Canada and to all candidates, actual or prospective, for seats in the provincial legislatures or in the Dominion house, being fully confident that it will have the hearty approval of the vast majority of the Canadian people, who are the real masters of the political situation rather than the ballot-stuffer or the manipulators of election returns.

(Signed)

                                                                                    G.T. Rogers, Chairman.

                                                                                    Joseph Ryan, Secretary.