The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-02-05
:farm-Garoea- RouseboIo
A state University.

"A state CAfversity.
The following communication was offered to
the frasrie Fdraer, bat interfering probably
with one Of its pet projects, was declined
An article in the Prairie Farmer says: IAN
appeal has been made to the Constitutional Con-
ventioa of illinois, now in session at Springfield,
urging the incorporation of . provision in the
fundamental law that shall provide for the es.
tablishment and maisenance of = State Univer.
sity Of the highest and grandcst order" In that
appeal it says: ITO plant the feet OF :orty mil.
lions Of men, of all nations and races, firmly and
securely on this new basis of authority, and give
them ready, practical control over their liber.
lies and their intelligence, under irs dominion,
10 the greatest, the most difficult, aad the most
bsne6oent work ever undertaken by any nation
On earth" Now, perhaps that appeal is we'll
calculated to deceive. Undoubtedly our great
frat caro- 10 now, tc prepare and complete tho
link Of ship navigation betwi1t the great lakes
and tho Mississippi. The State of Illinois has
got to boss that job. The Northwest, aud even
the South, has an interest in the completion OF
this work, and have some right to demand it at
our hands. Now, what would you think of a
farmer who should neglect the cultivation of his
farm and 90 to erecting swings aud other devices,
and he and his family give themselves wholly up
70 pleasure and amusements, or perhaps connect
Cd with the higher branches of learninxS We
suppose you would say at once tina. he was
making bad use of his talents, and that be
would iniure himself and neglect their duties to
others And thus you must decide as TO states.
W. in Illinois have this great work to accom-
plAh, and we should husband our means. We
have the strongest selfish motives that caa be
presented to accomplish that work. Let US par.
TALLY ventilate Of these motives. In the first
place, those United States have entered upon q
new era. One State is no longer dependent on
another State to do its manufacturing. All the
States have freedom, and all have fine water
power, among which Illinois stands high on the
list. Perhaps there is not finer water power to
Do found than the Fox and the Illinois rivers
present from Ottawa to their sources. Every
four or five miles the whole of these rivers
can be made available for manufacturing purpo.
ses Now, when all of this water power is
brought into use, and we shall manufacture
moro than enough for home consumption, we
shall not want to send it east where they dis.
eliminate 30 severely on our butter and cheese,
and wool, and in fact all of our western produc.
tions, when brought into competition with theirs
When We load vessels at Ottawa with these
western productions for foreign ports it will be
handy to have some manufactured articles to
chink in. We expect the center of Chicago will
be 1t Ottawa, where the best water power in the
world Is situated, and the best men to improve
it. But Chicago better not feel bad about that,
for Ottawa will always want Chicago, and St.
Louis too, for haven for ships But about that
appeal and the men it is calculated to operate
on. In one of the districts one of the opposing
candidates was one Of the most honorable and
learned men. and distinguished juris.; the
other made no p-etensions to distinguished at.
tAinmsats, but was elected principally because
he was good creature to aoork, and because he
was in favor of dividing counties. Now people
are actustsd by different motives. His motive,
IS far a. can be gathered from his conversation,
would seem to be, that because if there was a
small county and a county town near him, his
farm would b worth ten dollars an acre more
than it now is, and perhaps he might be made an
inferior judge Of an inferior court, and OF an in.
fsrior county. Now this last we guess at, be-.
cause such men when they have the construction
of their swn swing, they will have i, go framed
- to 60 clear over. Now, Illinoisans can Judge
where foreigners are concerned what An effect
such IN appeal would have on such mon, espe.
cially whore American citizens of African de.
scent" are concerned. But perhaps it is best to
indulge the old folks at Jacksonville after tn cir
great mental excitement, in a little amusement,
such as to see-saw u little until they recruit
somewhat. 1t is expected that the young folks
at Chicago will dem aud swing that will go all
around the circle, and perhaps some of the more
advanced will expect to attend the State Uni
versity. But it is more questionable about that.
1t is said foreigners quit going to school before
they come to this country, and the Chicago folks
would hate to go alone. UP NORTH.
A Correspondent OF the New York Tribune
gives the following facts about onions, most of
them authenticated by several witnesses. When
at New Orleans, in charge of 100 men, among
whom cholera was raging he observed that those
who ate freely of onions were surely and fatally
attacked he has, however, found onions were
specially potent in eases of poisonous bites, his
son and others having been cured from snake
bites by their use. He also knows of "a man who
in the frenzy of hydrophobia ate onions vora.
ciously and recovered. In cases of epidemic he
has Observed /. That onions in the room with
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