The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-16
The Soldiers Mass Meeting.


The Mass Meeting of soldiers held at the
Court House on Wednesday afternoon last
was well attended. Nearly every town in the
county was represented.
As will be seen by the proceedings in an
ether column. the only business TRANSACTED
was the adoption ola memorial to the board
Of supervisors praying for an equalization o;
the bouuties paid to volunteers during the
war.
Aswe suspected, from what we had pre-
yiouslv heard from various sources, an ei-
fort was made By those republican superb
sors, whose record on this bounty question Is
in rather bad odor with the soldiers, to give to
the meeting q political turn, and thereby
give the board an excuse TO avoid any action
on the subject at this session.
A ready instrument for this purpose was
found in Capt LoTuaor, formerly OF the 10th
Ill. Reg, but at present practising law IN
this City. On a motion to appoint commit
tee to draft resolutions expressive OF the
sense of the meeting. Capt. l.. made a furious
speech against it. He charged the soldiers
with seeking TO drive TIE board into a posi-
ton where they would haveto come out
boldly and show their hands, and that in
case tue board refused to comply with the
unreasonable demands of the soldiers. the
object was to raise tl:e hue and cry that the
Republican board Of supervisors had refused
to DO them Justice.
The whole tenor Of Lis speech, though
filled with good deal Of bombaost and non
sense. was TO staye of all action by the SOL
diers and to have then in the hards of"Loun-
" agents and the board of supervisors.
Hal the loyal captains course been pue--
sue,l, the Supervisors would have had a
good excuse f.. non-ac:ion IL the matter.
They would have taken the position that, as
the soldiers had failed to make known their
wants, of course the supervisors could not
row Undertake to redress their grievances. if
they had any and the whole thing would
hare been laid over perhaps another year.
Jy which time hundreds OF the soldiers who
are low moving in this m1tter wJali either
b. dead or out of the county. The whole
thing would thus die out and be forgotten
AMI those supervisors whose record stands
all the way through against the veterans, AMI
in favor OF the substitutes, would escape the
necessity Of pla- ing themselves again in so
awkward position upon the records of the
county.
capt Cogswell, in replying to Capt l.,
denied tina. there was any political movement
contemplated in this meeting OF the soldiers,
and quite per;inen,ly charged Capt Lothrop
with being the ONLY man who had made an
attempt to lag politics into it.
The vote was taken on Capt. Cogswell's
motion, and resulted unanimously in lis
favor.
TWAS quite evident that Mr.. Moore and
his brother stay at home" candidates were
exceedingly nervous over the Goodness with
which they were received by tie 'bays in
blue" Hence the strange course pursued
b. Capt. Lothrop. Capt. l.. had 1een in
weighed into the recent republican convention
b. Mr. Moore as one of has delegates, and i:
lie was there forced, by Moore's & Beck.
combinations, TO lend a helping hand in tho
slaughter Of every soldier that came before
the convention, he still clings to the same
influences and now seeks even to defeat al
efforts the soldiers are making to secure
that Justice 20 which no one doubts that the,
are entitled.
We opine the soldiers of this county are il
fair way to find out who their real friend
are.