The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-10-02
Judge Cation Declines.

aem Judge Cation Declines.
lit will be seen, by the following note from
Judge CATION, that he declines to accept the
nomination, rendered him by the recent dem
ocratic county convention, as one of their can
didates for delegate to the constitutional con-
.vention. The reason Judge Cation gives is,
that he is thus made the candidate of party,
while the only terms on which he had ever
said he would be willing to be candidate
were, that he should be the candidate of the
people, without reference to party predilec-
ttions. While it is doubtless true, in sense,
that by accepting the democratic nomination,
he would become the candidate of q political
party, it is also true that, as matters now
stand in this county, he will not be supported
as party candidate The Republicans hav-
ing nominated candidates for the constitution
al convention on question purely sectional
and local, the issue on delegates to the constitu
tional convention is necessarily taken out Of
politics, and must turn on other questions. In
the particular localities in the county favorable
to county disintegration, those candidates will
be largely supported without reference to
their politics. and in portions opposed to
county division they will in like manner be
opposed without reference to politics. 1t was
with this view, therefore, to present man
whom voters of all parties could cheerfully
support, and not on account of his politics,
that the democratic convention presented
the name of Judge Cation.
It is well known that several weeks before
either the republican or democratic conven-
ton was held, there was movement started,
by men of all parties, to bring out Judge
Cation and another distinguished individual
of this county as candidates for, the constitu-
tional convention, and that the matter was
dropped at the time in the hope that the
republican convention would favor the move
ment by making no nomination for the consti-
tutional convention. r The candidates for the
minor Offices before the republican. conven-
ton, however, had so much trading to do,
that they bargained' off the interests of
the people and the welfare of the county, to
get, as they supposed, "a sure thing" on the
county offices. 1t then remained to see what
the democratic convention would do, and that
body, instead of taking what might possibly
have been the wiser course-te make no NOM
nations at all for the constitutional conven-
ton, Thought itsaw better thing in taking
advantage of the tide running in favor of
Judge Cation by all parties, and placed him
upon the democratic ticket. AS Judge Cation
declines this nomination, however, we now
hope the purely "peoples" movement in favor
of his nomination started six weeks ago will
be revived, and that he will be placed on the
track in manner agreeable to his own feel
ings. We are not disposed to sickle about
matters of form. We are quite certain that
vast majority Of the people of this county
want Judge Cation to occupya seat in the con,
stitutional convention, and he certainly can
be brought out as candidate in such way
that all can consistently vote for him. 10 u
The following is Judge Cations note of dec
lination:
EDIToRs FREE TRADER: hsHaNti y
II observe in the last FREE TRADER that the
Democratic convention, on the 21st inst. placed
my nau,e on the ticket for delegate to the Con-
stitutiopal Convention. I regret this exceednp.
~, for while would not refuse to serve in thst
capacity, II elected thereto by the people with
ont regard to party divisions or questions, can
not consent to be partisan candidate for that
high Office. A constitution for state, which
must be permanent, fundamental law, that NAV
be expected to outhve party questions, should be
founded upon broader base than can be afford.
ed by the platform of any party. Party predi.
lections interests and biases should be quite for.
gotten. and only the general permanent good
should be allowed an influence in a constitution.
al convention. had hoped that both parties
would b Influenced by these considerations, and
would have elected men without party conside.
rations expressed these views before the
meeting Of the convention to all whom con-
versed with on the subject, and declared that 1
would not serve as party candidate .a,a.
~ j. d. CATION.
OTTAWA, Sept ~, 1869.