The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-02-22
Ottawa, RI, Saturday, Eebrnury %, IS
Judge Cations Letter.

y
Our first impulse, Oh reading the letter OF
Judge CAroS, which appears in another col
umn. was not to publish it, because by its own
language we saw that its publication being
expressly forbidden. involved a very gross and
disgraceful breach OF confidence. 1t is quite
possible, that in the hurry in which the mat
ter for daily .,apers is made up, the editor OF
the Peoria Democrat may have overlooked the
;nhibition in the letter against It's puoilca-
ton. On no other hypothesis can we account
for a breach of professional etiquette on his
his part, which, if wiltully committed, must
make him Pariah among honorable men.
HAVING, however, obtained the express con-
sent of Judge Cation, grossly outraged as he
feels at its original publication, we have given
it place in our columns.
judge Cation has been lifelong democrat
never voted any other ticket. His exalted
position rs ~ iiurist, as a man OF capaclouS
mind. statcsmanlke views, and purity OF char
acter above most of our public men, naturally
drew attention to him rs man to be sought out
for popular h0nors. Latterly quite an extern
siyc movement has taken place to have H.
placed upon the democratic ticket for the
Office of Governor. The matter being pressed
upon him by newspaper paragraphs ana let
ters from all quarters it became necessary
that he should come to 4 decision rs to wheth-
er he would allow his name to be used In that
connection or not. Looking over the field, he
saw that the current of democratic sentiment
in this State on the financial question was in
direction that he could not approve. To be
the candidate of q party holding views differ
ent from his own on vital question would
place him in position full OF embarrassment
He therefore firmly resolved that under no cir
cumstances would he be either so UNI Just to
himself or the political party with which he
has always acted, and still intends to act, as
to accept their nomination under such circum-
stances Being pressed from many quarters
for his reasons for coming to such a resolve,
among others by this Peoria editor, he frankly
gave them in private letter-just as he would
sit down in his parlor and talk the matter
over confidentaly with friend. This Judge
Cation had an undoubtcd right to do, without
affording cause for complaint to any democrat
Private conversation and private correspond
ence has {; freedom we all know and apprec-
ate and which the world holds sacred.
The outrage OF giving his views to the pub.
lie, for which Judge Cation is 30 brutally as
sailed by the Chicago Times, and which goes
so far beyond decency even As to grossly per-
vert his language and meaning, not having
the justice to publish his letter, is not the out
rage of Judge Cation, but of the false friend
who abused his confidence. The Times char
actsrizes the letter truly as n rambling epis-
tie" A private and confidential letter, writ
ten hastily under thc circumstances OF this let
ter, naturally would be So The letter is not
IN free from grammatical faults. This is
Ia, style in which Judge Cation writes
when he p nparcs a paper for publication, rs
we all knew. All the greater therefore is the
wrong done him, and the greater is his cause
ofcomplaint against the individual who could
so far ignore all the instincts of gentleman
rs to spread such q letter, against his express
inhibition, before the public