The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-10-28

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Besides this :. Mr. BALDWIN knows there
were in the tire .sury unexpended, Of the mil
itary fund. 81 .677.26, which added to the
other available funds, make the amount al
the disposal of the Board of Supervisors, for
bounty or war purposes, SS1, 917.26.
Here we have a true statement of our con
dition. and no man knows it better than Mr.
Baldwin, for he has been the primo pal active
spirit on the i GARD of Supervisors during the
entire war. and knows the true condition of
the county to q dollar. WHY, then, should
he attempt to deceive the soldiers and tax
PAYERS, partich larly az he has spent much
labor and taken much pains to make them
believe that he and his party are the soldiers
especial friends and patrons? | leave it to
him to explain why he voluntarily enlisted
his services, n OF olly to deceive the soldiers,
but to exaggerat the amount of the county
in iebtedness, which evidently depreciates the
value of county bonds.
In charity, hope he has no interest with
that class of men who are constantly at
tempting to dep:eciate our county bonds and
evidences of Indebtedness, for the purpose of
buying them up at n large discount.
As Mr.. Baldwin has volunteered TO place
me before the people in a public position, |
trust l will be excused for bcstowing on him
word or two, by way of an appendix to this
communication for, should | fail to do so,
he might have jus; cause for complaint that
the dignity of chairman of the Board of
Supervisors was not duly appreciated by me
He having been the leadir z. master spirit Of
the great soldier-loving Union party, in aud
out of the Board Of Supervisors, during the
entire war. by his own and his active friends
labors, the 500 bounty proposed 10 be paid
for volunteers during the winter of 'G3 and
GA was defeated, by which action hundreds
of men left this county and went to ether
counties where bountes were paid, and there
enlisted and went to their credit.
Afterwards this county Lad to pay 5000 to
get men to fill their places, which added per
haps not less than one hundred thousand
dollars to our county Indebtedness.
He it was who openly and solemnly agreed
TO pay the veterans n bounty os'SlOn, hut,
after they had re-enlisted and gone to the
credit of the county, voted to deny them that
bounty, and urged as an excuse that it was
intended Only for new recruits.
In conclusion, will simply say, that
trust have too much regard for myself, to
say nothing of friends and neighbors, to
stand in the attitude of making false state-
ments for the purpose of deceiviEg either the
soldiers or tax payers of this county; and l
trust that | naed no certificate to show that |
have anything but the kindest of feelings to-
ward those noble soldiers who have so gal
lartly maintained our country's cause on the
battle field Yet, | have no boast to make
for myself or family as to what we have done
in the receht Struggle to save our common
country from disiutegration and destruction.
| prefer rather that others should draw the
contrast between Mr.. Baldwin and myself on
this subject. / never have denounced this
or that man for entertaining disloyal senti
ments from THE street corners, school houses,
and house topk. nor boosted of my excessive
loyalty, whilst at the same time l may have
been rendering little services to the country
by riding in llxuriant railroad cars, far dis
tsnt from the scene Of strife, and faring
sumptuously every cay at our large hotels,
at the country's expense, to an aggregate of
some four or five hundred dollars, as Mr..
Baldwin has done in his services during the
war. Although this amount is Insignificant
as compared with vast fortunes amassed by
many-too many loyalists of Mr.. Baldwin's
creed and faith, during the recent war, which