The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1843-06-30


One Of the objections which the opponents Of
the democratic party in this distric, urge against
oar candidate for congress is, that he is the editor
Of newspaper. 1t is but lately since this has
been discovered to be an objection, and it may be
given as another evidence Of the superior wisdom
Of the present age over all that have preceded it.
| We-ihough yet FAR from being in the 'selr and
ycl,ow lcsr-can very well remember when pco.
( pie used to think that the more intimately man
was acquainted with the aGlirs Of the nation, and
with the real wants and wishes of the people, the
better he was qualified 10 discharge the duties Of
such an Office as representative in the state or
,ionaI legislature, or Of almost any other important
public Office; and as editors, from the nature Of
their business, are obliged to be, and therefore, IN
doubleday as body are, much more intimately ac
guantel with the affairs Of the nation than any
other class of men, aud "a their business also
ohligcs them to study closely the feelings and
wishes Of their ncighhors, people used to think
they Of all classes, were about the best qualified for
such an Office as that Of representative &c. Thus
undoubtedly thought the good people Of Pennsyl-
vania when thr, were wont, SO frequently, to take
DR.. Franklin away from his editorial chair and
place HMM their mes Important public Offices the
duties Of which he always discharged with n sin
guarabili,y and fidelity and the Doctor, although
he could unfold the laws that regulate the light
nns and catch it up in a bottle, was yet so uh,usc
. 4. Il. 1 .
entirely disqualified a man for holding any impor-
tant public Office and while a member Of the Con-
lincntaI Congress he actually used to be guilty Of
The atrocity Of writing the editorials for lis own
paper, aud the Continental Congress used to cleo,
him, member of their own body, public printer!
Gen. Jackson, also, it appears never knew that all
editor was unfit to hold Office, for when Amos
Kendall was still editor Of the Kentucky Com.
monweaIlh, the General actually appointed him
10 an important Office at WasAinr,,s,s,. +; -
I, m. y! = hS.v-rrel ov AZ
ing him postmaster general, and, what is very sin.
gular. Amos Kendall was about the best postlnas.
ter general we have ever had but, siil it was
WI WINS ~ '''il' 1hIhS'li ~ dil'IUt utU w T.
also remember when people used to think that, as
editors were always obliged to work harder for the
| party than any other class of men, and as it was
notorious that no other class Of men were more
poorly paid for their labor than editors, if they did
their duty faithfully, they had rather stronger
claims on the party than any other class Of men,
at all events, than the corrupt sci of Iecches
who nro always Fostering a strong party, aud who
too often receive Office from the party because il
they do not they will dirids il and Jeiray il into
lie haads If the enemy. Accordingly, we remem-
her when 1t was very common occurrence
to see editors elected to Office Scarcely a lcgs.
oturc used TO meet in Pennsylvania, New York,
! &c, but what had some half dozen cdiors in it.
and very efficient members they generally were,
But II was very wrong to elect them. At pre-
sent people are wiser They would not do il
now. A very learned doc'or (he is running for
Office against an editoD has discovered that edit
ors are unfit to hold Office This 10 a great-a
wodefiul age.