The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1851-05-10
From the Pesria Republican,.
/, Stray Leaves from Foyd's Illinois

Speech on botces-b baak CovrNpfsoa.
Nothing OF any interest trxnspirsd after THE
struggle, until the session Of the Legislature N
1924 and '2S. The people had beeaso ioog uaasr
the influence OF intense excitement, that they re-
qured rest Tie contests Of those days wess
generally shorter than they have teen since In
those days there were parties Of Wing and
Democast, Federalist and Republican. The Gun
tests were personal sad for men. As for meas
ures, with the exception Of the Convention quc.-
ton, there were none To contend fo.. Every
election turned upon the good aud bad qualitie.
e' the candidates. The only mode Of feleetcneer-
ing then klown. was To prsise one set, and black
en- the other. The eand dates were not announced
until few weeks ot the election, and the contest
was soon over. Peace aud quiet then regnse
until the next occasion two years afterwards.
II the introduction Of regular political partiss.
supposed to be founded on n difference IN prnei-
pies, has done no other good il las n, least, great.
iy softened and abated the personal rancour and
asperiy ofpolitlcal contests, though il has made
such contests everlasting and interminable It's
10 te regretted however if there be evils attsn-
ding the contests Of party that society cannot
receive the full benefit from them by the total
extinction Of all mere personal considerations, per.
aonal guarrel+ and personal qaarrels and personal
contests for office. The present doctrine Of par
ties Is nen'ures not fnen which il truly carried
out wou! lead to a discussion Of political princ
pies only. But parties are not vet sufficiently or
ganizcd FOR tins aud accordingly in every elect,tm
we find much personal bitterness aud inyectivs
mingled with tho supposed contest for principle.
Perhaps the time may sometime come. when all
those personal cuntests will he confined 10 the
bosom and men of The same party IN the selection
Of the best candidates to carry out lis principles.
Al the session Of 1924, the legislature. under
iudciarv. by creating five circpit court Judges
They elected William Wilson IN ,e chief iu.,,,e
Thomas @ Prcwne Samuel n IIckun,,J and
Theorhilu, " Smith, TO he associate iu.tire. Of
the supreme court: John Yorke SAWYER Sn,,,,,.l
McRoiert., Richard ~ Young, James Hall. and
james O. Wa,tlcs, to be circuit Judges. and James
Turney to be Attorney G,ueral'
The majority Of these had been in favor Of .
convention. but such was the nature Of nary
that thew had not lost their populari,y even with
the dslty opposed to them.
Prascrption for otauion's sake was then bat
little known Tie first instance of il was shortly
put in practice hy une Of the creui, iutyes whiVh
resulted two " eays afterwards in tL. tora over
throw Of the circuit sys,um; and putting himself
ont of Office, One Of the cicuit iudres removed
popular Clerk, who was an opponynt and 40
pointed a friend to the vac.nt Office. 1hi. clerk
was popular and well known in several Of the
nd iaceni counties The peopls Of hi, own county
elencd him to he Senate without opposition. aud
kept him there for ight wears A gtsa, cry wa.
raised against the extravngence OF the $, stem
the prodiyal waste Of the public money. TO men
sion unne ossary life officers unon the peo.,.
and talented oupp LAWYER of stirring eloournc-
| in the southern pant of the ate. and mt n ms.
s,srln. many Qualities which admirably h,,.d
1 him for den,atoaue Of the higher order mount.
ed the hobby aud lode il in storm of excitrnen,
throughout several counties in the south. The
/ Legislature If 1867, repealed tho system.
turnrnsd the Judges out Of ofice. and euulred ,h-
judres OF the supreme court 10 hold the circpi.
3uurts, The chief arguments against the .tep,.
were It's cost, and the prescription of n popular
clerk though at ,lMt time the Supreme Judges
received ouly egh, hundred dollar.. and the Cir.
cut Judges six hundred dollars cnch, for their
salaries. Such were the notions entertained at
that time. of economy oud extravaganza in public
expenditures.
In 1926 a new election came on for Governor.
Ninion Edwards the form Governor of Illinois
I Territory, was the successful candidate; tu, was
elected hy plurality vote He had two com,,e.
titors Whose united vote was greater than s
The consequence again was that the new Govern.
or was thwarted by the Legislature e-c,ed ut
the same time, In al! Is attempts n, reformation
Of abuses
His principal opponent was Thomas c. Sloo, q
merchant, Of good character. strong sense and
who was n well bred courteous gentleman the
other candidate was then Licuttuar, Goy.tnor.
Adolphus Frederick Hubbard. As pnr, Of a
picture Of the times. and as illustrative of whs,
candidate for Governor though Of the people, I
preserve a part Of one of Mr. Hrbbsrds pablic
addresses II IiI.t -, r1ui,lu4n u, La. .p..ct,s Ia.