, 1870-09-19

lEe Democratic state Convention was
composed in the nlain, of the enemies Of
tie new constitution, rs was shown by the
vote for Congressllan-at-Larse, and by
the refusal to pass resolution commend
ing or endorsing that instrument, The
Republican Convention congratulated
tie people Of Illinois on the adoption of a
constitution suiteti to the present growth
and exigencies Of the State, and as emboay-
ing the hest teachings Of political wisdom
and experience; and as containing the
germs If the highest md noblest type of
human government But the Demo-
cratic Convention decidedly declined
to say Il word in its favor, or to
offer any thanks to the convention That
framed it, and, for the purpose Of making
their hostility more conspicuous and pro-
no7nced. they placed at the head of their
ticket member of the convention who
gained his only notoricty By his persistent
opposition and active hostility 10 the new.
constitution, in all its parts. and at all its
stnges- The two candidates before the
Democratic Convention, for Congressman
at-Large. were Thomas J. Turuer. of Ste
phensou County, and ". 3. Anderson. of
Jefferson. They were both Democratic
members Of the: convention. The former
1ahores1. from the opening to the close of
The session. to help frame good and ac-
ceptal'le constitution. He was fair-miulcd
and faithful member. and, with the
exception of his opposition to
tue - Warehouse article, supported
and a'lvucated all the other articles in
the form in which they were finally adopt
ed. When the work was completed he
cheerfully signed the new instrument.
and on returning home, publicly COM
nendeu She new constitution to the favor
and approval Of his constituents.
Very different was the conduct of Mr..
anderson. Before the convention had
been in session week, his hostility began
to crop ont. and before the end Of a
month he was loudly proclaimipc
that the work of the convention
was failure. He was in the
habit OF Introducing resolutions settine
forth that. *:Whereas the people are dis
g1sted with the convention and its work,
and will certainly repudiate whatever
constitution it may produce, therefore.
resolved. that The convention now atli5urn
SIT 'fiF. ETC. He WIS continually poster
ing the convention with his petulaut prog
nosticaiions Of the rejection OF the new in
st,N'nent. and interposing every species of
objection to the various excellent, ,,scfut
aud necessary articles as they we're brought
forward.
lie possesses shtill, piercing voice, and
Whenever lie addressed The convention.
which WAS disagrecablr often. he pitched
II at the very top Of his lung power: and
when the windows of the hall xcre open,
he could he heard all over the State House
square. yelling against the work Of the
convention He was especially hostile to
ali these provisions Of tie uew consti.u
tlon which limit the extent OF mu;.icjpal
Indebtedness. and forbid the voting away.
Ut the property of the people to
s1'':>idize private corporations. He
also made a great cutlery against
Ike Suffrage article, because the
convention refused TO nnllify the Constitu-
tiua of the United States, In short, he
wasthe most narrow-rainded aud illiberal
member on the Democratic side of the
Chamber, and, if there had been 4 uaiotity
Of members Of his narrow gauge the new
constitution would never have been franz
el-not nu article of it. To such bitter
and extreme lengths did this man carry his
hostility to the new constitution that, after
drawing hispay. mileage, and stationery. he
left the convention before the adjournment;
anarefusca to sign the perfected instrument
III person or by proxy. The convention,
before adjoutuiug. passed resolution
allowing those who were absent ut the
time to sign tie new constitution at any
ti1ne before tie dny d1ed for its popnlar
ratification. But Anderson never stoned
it. So fer from doing 10, he tooE TIM
stump down in Lower Egypt, and bawled
all over bis district against it; and such
were his perersious and misrcprcsenta-
tlons of its important and highly valuable
provisions, that he induced majority of
the people of Jefferson County to vote
against its ratification: while Colonel Tur-
ner helped to roll up majority Of 1000
for it in bis county.
Such Was The record OF the two can1i-
dates before the Democratic State Conyen-
ton. and With this record known to its
members, it deliberately rejected Colonel
Turner. the friend and advocate Of the new
constitution, and nominated, by large
majority, Anderson, the unappeasalle enc.
my Of that noble instrument.
the reason that no resolution WIS adopt
s:t' in praise or approval of the new consti
:5:lion, must now be obvious to the reader
A majority Of the convention, as shown b,
tie vote that defeated Colonel Turner
sympathized with Anderson's hostility K
the new constitution, and testified their ap
prornl of his course in the premises b,
placing him at the head of their ticket, ant
making him their standard-bearer in thi'
campaign.
This action of the Democratic party i.
equivalent to an avowal that, if they ge
,.r+ro1 of Aha mart Tar1sfatu-.a thar in