The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-10-07
DEMOCRATIC TICKET.
Moro Republican Treatment of
the Soldiers.

the Soldiers!
A friend-an ardent republican and re-
turned soldier-who was, however. not can
didate for nomination and wanted no office,
writes US from Livingston county:
"The scindy friends of the soldiers had a
convention here last week under the name
Republican" and, as in your county, the
soldiers was pretty much ignored. So the
soldier boys called meeting of their own
on the 10Th, and adopted a series of resOlu>
tions, two of which send you. There will,
of course, he a soldiers ticket in the field in
Livingston county, which hope will be elect
81. The Republican party, if there is such a
thing left, is divided, and their treatment of
the soldiers is what has done it. There will
be no democratic ticket, as the democrats
generally will support the soldiers. Follow
ng are the resolutions mentioned"
"Resolred, That, in the political intrigues
we recognise no fraud Of the soldier or his
interest, but believe that, if his rights are
secured to him, it must be by his modestly
) but emphatically asserting his claims and
that, while we do not deem it advisable to
make nominations at this meeting, we, as
soldiers, pledge our hearty and individual
support to those worthy and needy comrades
who NAV announce themselves as candidates
for the various offices of this county this fall.
"Resolccd, That we recommend to the
soldiers in the various towns of this county,
to form soldier leagues, to holl meetings,
keep up correspondence, promote their in
,erests, and compel the respect of those who
otherwise will, in a very short time, forget that
ttarp ovnr hoe -
gagged in it."
So, tits seen, the soldiers in Livingston
county Jared among their Republican
friends no better than in La Sale county.
But this peculiar kind of gratitude to
the soldiers is by no means confined to the
Republicans of La Sale and Livingston
counties. The Republican convention of
VIII county was held last week. and there
were returned enthusiastically, capable men
presented by their comrades for two of the
i've offices. Both, however, were distanced
by the politicians, and ANONYMOUSLY laid on
the shelf The convention even refused or
o. neglected to. pass complimentary resolutions
to the soldiers.
In Grurdy county, in Mclean county.
in VermiliOn county, in Warren, Hancock,
and Henderson counties the same complaint
Is made by the soldiers, and in nearly if not
quite ell of them, they bolt the Republican
nomination, and either run tickets of their
own or unite with the Democrats upon sol
diers' ticket, as in this county
This Entertainment of the soldiers BIZ tie
Republican politicians. Office seekers and
substitute brokers, is SO markell and general
as to look ike regular operation of the
Secret League. There has really been no
county, SO far as we have been abe to ob-
serve, in which the Republicans are DOM.
nant, where they have done justice to the
soldiers. They have here and there given
them crumb, where it was unavoidable to
save their ticket, but in no case have The
soldiers had justice. On the other hand,
hoth in counties where the Democrats have
nndisputed sway, as well rs in counties where
they are in the minority, they give the sol
iiers the big end of, if not the entire ticket,
and not complaint has yet reached US from
single quarter of neglect of the claims of
the soldiers by Democratic conventions or
politicians. The explanation of it is simple.
The League is made up and controlled by
stay-at-home Office holders and politicians.
These men so managed the League as to
keep themselves in Office, which of course
excludes the soldiers. The Democrats, on
the other hand, have 10 such dark lantern
machinery, and with them the question of
justice to the soldier comes before the people
fairly on Its merits, and justice is melted out
to them as a matter Of course.
Under the circumstances, there is but one
sensible thing the soldiers can do. IF they
would have any CHARGE hereafter for even
common respect, they must defeat every
ticket in the composition of which their
claims have been ignored. They must do
this without reference to politics. If Dem.
ocratic convention has done them injustice,
defeat their ticket as readily as Republican
ticket of the same sort. These contests for
county offices really involve no political
issues worth noticing. They involve, in most
cases, little beyond choice of persons. The
soldiers have altogether the deepest interest
in the result If, at Mis time, so soon after
the war. political convention can scout and
ignore their claims on the score of sacrifices
and services for theI country, what earthly
respect or consideration from the politicians
can they hope for two, five, and ten years
hence? The soldiers must strike now, and
compel respect for themselves, or they must
make up their minds to abandon all hope of
consideration and respect hereafter Cd the
score of sacrifices FOR their country.