The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-09-04

Coun'y SohNosb$tO1 VI aV0cu"y, Uno"S" wy
far from being satisfactory" to the party, has
enough negative qualities about it to unite the
party generally in its support, except on the
candidates for the constitutional convention,
of whom q word anon.
The nomination of Mr. Gilman for County
Judge was sensible and judicious one. He
is good man, eminently qualified, and unless
the democrats nominate man equally good,
we shall certainly not oppose his election. BY
his success, Ottawa will get another good citi-
zen, and Mendoza will be the loser.
About Mr.. Mead, the nominee for County
Clerk, there is little more to be said. He
owes his success to the same accident that
gave the wren the cherry while the starlings
were fighting over it. He has no positive
strength or qualifications, but much to recon-
mend him negatively. He is just well enough
qualified not to make his election to the Office
ridiculous, while it will leave in prospect fat
place for some competent man to be employed
as his assistant. He was soldier, but with a
record so devoid Of anything like brilliancy
or even merit. as to excite nobody's envy. A
good fellow, with nobody to love or hate him
little known outside of his own helghbor-
hood, he is just one Of those men that gene
rally carry the strength of the party vote.
Mr.. Shepherd, the nominee for Treasurer, is
good fellow, with warmer friends, and as q
soldier ranks at least as much higher than
Mead as captain outranks "high private"
He is the law partner of Mr.. Bowen, the pres
ent treasurer, has been Mr.. Bowen's assistant,
probably dividing the fees of the Office with
him, so that his election is virtually continu-
ing the Office in the same hands.
Of the Rev. Mr.. Wynn, of Mendoza, the
candidate for School Commissioner, we know
nothing except that he is Lutheran parson
and President of Mendoza College We have
no way of accounting for the nomination of
man so little known outside of his own town,
over man so well known and eminently fit
ted for the place as Thos. H. Clark, of Ottawa,
except by charging it to spite against Ottawa.
Hr. Brumbach, of Marseilles, the nominee
for County Surveyor, is very respectable
man, and being a surveyor by profession, is
probably fit for the office.
In reference to the nominees for the Consti-
tutional COnvention-JudgeE ldrdge, Peru,
and Mr.. Hart, of Earlville, the least that can
be said is, that it was an outrage. To present
such candidates and call them a party nomi-
nation, is simply cheat and fraud. The
object of nominating these men was to send
delegates from La Sale county to the Constl-
tutional Convention who should be in favor of
removing the wholesome restriction in our
present constitution against cutting up and
mutilating counties. There is no use of mine
ing the matter any longer. The republican
convention, instead of meeting to make fair
party nomination of candidates for few
county offices, was so manipulated as really
to inanguratc and present squarely to the peo-
pie of this county the issue, whether the noble
county of La Sale shall be divided, whitfield up
into halfa dozen ofinsignifcant little baiiwicks
or retain her present comey proportions, with
the dignity and influence they have always
given her. Look at the map. She is no lar
ger than Bureau, Knox, Livingston, Iroquois'
and forty other counties in the state that could
be named; while il not ut present. in less than
three years, her county seat will be easy of
access by railroad with less than six miles of
wagon travel, from every town in the county.
1t costs very little more to run large county
than small one. The expense for county
buildings, for courts, and to maintain most of
the county offices is the same. Do the peo-
pie desire to pay taxes for building two or
three more court houses, jails and poor houses,
and for putting and keeping in motion all the
other expensive machinery of as many more
county organizations
Besides, suppose the present constitutional
provision is disturbed, and the boundaries and
county seat Of every county in the state are
set aAoat, and Mendoza, and Peru, and La
Sale, and Tonica and Wenona, and Earlvile
and Streator, and Hickory Point, and Bunker
Hill, and Coon Hollow, and Hog Grove, and
every other little village in the state is fight
ing every other city or village in the state
over the county scat question, how many of
the towns now so rampant to become county
seats will succeed Can Mendoza hope to
succeed against the vote of Peru and La Lallc
ar prlr against the vote of La Sale and Men
do'u, AMI soon indefinitely. We regret that
thi, county seat question is thus sprung upon
81 g 81, =, IL, kl,.A