The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-10-15

| have kept themselves in office by running furi.
ously after democrats and crying mad dog
mad dog!" This cry was first raised by repub.
lican Office holders to deter the people from vot.
ing democrats into Office, but it served another
purpose: it diverted attention while these Office
holders were enriching themselves off the people
by fraud and corruption. The writer is a re.
publican, and has always voted the straight tick.
et following his leaders without seriously consi.
dering what they meant by this furious cry of
MAD dog mad dog" But circumstances have
lately trsnspired that made him sensible of the
treachery Of his party leaders, and he hastens to
make public his impressions that others in like
situation may profit by them.
No party, since the formation of the govern.
ment has made its followers such abject slaves to
the leaders as the republicans are ut this time
First they required US to abandon the good old
doctrine of rotation in Office because as they ar.
gued, they-the Office holders-were best quail.
fed to watch the mad dogs or "copperheads,"
as they called the democrats and then they made
Us keep them in Office by re,terating this senseless
cry Of "copperhead," until all have stolen them.
selves rich, SO that, under the whip and lash of
party, they can purchase themselves nominations
and keep in efice indefinitely. The members of
American, 10 rote for the men ofNeir choice This
ia true not only of our own district, but of half
the districts in the Union.
The choice Of the party Did Cook get the
nomination because he was SUCH 1t was charg-
ed by prominent republican at the time that he
obtained his nomination by fraud and corruption,
and We know that the charge wasitrue; and still
1t is insisted that We shall vote for him because
of party Now in heavens name, how can We ex.
poet honest legislation from men who use cor.
rupt means to get nominations? for one have
done with it, Shall we elect thieves to Office and
they not steal? Besides if we vote for men Who
impose themselves upon us our case is worse than
the negroes Of the south before emanci ,tion for
We are slaves TO party by our own fault, spaniel
like driven to the polls under the lash OF thieves
urging as on by the mad dog cry of "copper"
head copperhead.
Now it is evident shat this cry of "copperhead"
is the sheerest confidence game on the part Of
our leaders, for when We throw aside the false
prejudices engendered by the war, We can find
no democrat among as who was not strongly
opposed to secession and as ready to fight for the
Union as We were, and supported Lncolns ad.
miaistration as cordially up to the issuing of the
emancipation proclamation, and even that did
not drive them from supporting the war.
1t is true, at that time many regarded the
course of the administration in other matters as
wrong and denounced it, and these were dubbed
"copperheads," and from this single circum.
stance our leaders manufactured the raw head
and bloody bones through the terror of which
they have succeeded in making US their slaves
And in this connection it may be we'll to state n
fact which is known to be such by every repub.
lican, that the democrats, who at that time ac-
commodated their views to circumstances and
came over, were the most corrupt and uuprinc-
pied men in the democratic party.
Now, considering without prejudice and the
facts and circumstances az presented, the follow
ing questions must naturally rush to the lips OF
every honest voter in the republican party
Shall vote for fraud and corruption, or for in
tegrity and honor? Shall vote rs a slave, or
Us free American Citizen? A REPUBLICAN.