The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-11-04
Cheering Indications.

politics as trade to gain the spoils of office,
and cordially join hands in selecting the best
manfor Office irrespective of party names or
claims.
Such Is the gratifying spectacle which we
now see In Chicago, where the notorious nine
teen have acquired name scarcely less envia-
BILE than the thieves and robbers of New York
city. A great calamity which has been alike
terrible to the citizens of all classes and par
ties, made them appreciate that the ablest,
best and purest men of the city must be
entrusted with its administration if it is ever
to recover from the stunning blow it has re-
ceived. Deeply approaching this, the good
men OF the city took counsel together end Sc
lected a ticket consisting of men noted for
long years of highminded integrity, and
against whom no breath of suspicion was ever
whispered. Among these we see democrats
and republicans indiscrminately intermlngled.
They are selected because of their Qualifca-
tions as men, in utter disregard of their polit-
ical associations, and SO will they be voted
for by the good and honest men of all parties
untrammeled by political ties, but with the
deep determination to raise their city from its
PROSTATE condition by entrusting It's admins
tration to their ablest and purest men.
We ask in the deepest sincerity, is it not
time for all honest men, in all parts of the
country, to pursue a like patriotic course,
and get up by times and save the country
from even greater calamity? Must they
wait until corruption and imbicility-till self
interest, in utter disregard Of the public veal,
have sunk the whole country into the dark
abyss which all rejecting men see yawning
before us, before they will awake from their
lethargy, burst asunder the chains of party,
and assert their manhood and love of coun.
try, and vote for that class of men which
great emergency has brought before the pub
lie in our sister city? The time will come,
and we trust now is, when all good men
throughout the country, as they are doing in
Chicago, will trample party and party hacks
under their feet, and look alone to the fitness
of men for public trusts. We trust the time
is past when the Independent voters of this
country, who have really no object to secure
but an able and upright administration of
public affairs, will require no other quahfca-
ton in those who are to receive their suffrages
than that they are democrats or republicans.
In times like these, how Insignificant and con-
temptible does it appear when nothing can
be said in favor of man than that he be-
longs to this or that party; but especially
when mere party name Is sought to cover
up the most Objectionable features in the char
acter of candidate, and which show that no
prudent man would trust him in the manage
ment of his private affairs. 1t is lamentably
true, and we say it in deep modification, that
politics in this country have become 50 de-
moralzing that many who really think they
are honest men and who might be trusted in
private affairs, think it no wrong to use pub.
lie Office for private gain, both for themselves
and their friends. From this there is but one
step to the most beartaccd and shameless cor
ruptions. When public Office is sought for
any other purpose than the public good then
it is sought for private gain, which must nee
essarily be at the expense of the public good,
and so is public evil. When such is the
case, we cannot scrutinize too closely the
character of those who aspire to places of
public trust, especially when their only claim
to our support is that by management and
fraud they have secured party nomination,
and their only hope of election is the party
cry and the bribery which they practice bv
promises Of Offices which belong to the public
just as much as as the money which is in the
public treasury, and which should be used as
exclusively for the public good. Mr.. Snapp
has no more right to promise the pos,-ofice
in Ottawa or the colectorshp in Joliet IN
consideration of the support he shall receive
in this election than he has to promise so
many thousand dollars Of the pubic money
which has been raised Ey taxation from the
people. Tile one is in fact and truth lust as
corrupt bargain rs the other, and he who is
capable OF making the one corrupt promise
will only want the opportunity to make the
other
The times are sadly out of iont no doubt,
ou' the example ot the substantial men of
Chicago in supporting men for their fitness
alone, and in turning dead ear to the cries
ol the old party hacks, is cheering promise
for the future, and we feel assured that
the men in the country are actuatcd by
MS honest nurnoypS md potrin,ir mat y., Al,