The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-06-14
THE DEFEAT OF JUDGE LAwREzcE.


The unexpected defeat of Judge Lawrence
81 the recent judicial election in this state, is
exciting good deal ofcomment all over the
country, and gives rise to many strange sur
misses and conclusions. The New York Ecen
tim Pest chimes in with the general tone Of
the outside" press in saying:
The event is not creditable to the good sense
Of the new party which, for the moment, has
carried all before it in that state; and further
Judge Craig takes his seat, not as judge
but as partisan, and is expected TO be gov
erned in his decisions by the demands Of
those who elected him, and not by the law
which he is sworn to obey
There is one palpable error in all this, and
that is that although Judge Craig may owe
his election to certain extent to the farmers
movement, he was not "Me farmers candi
date" and supported by the farmers generally
as such. 1t would be great deal more cor
rect to say that Craig was the candidate Of the
Chicago Times and the Chicago Journal
backed by a few princeton and Knoxville
politicians, who were actuated in their hos
tility by motives purely personal. These per
sons, by foisting Craig on portion of the
district as the farmers candidate doubt
less derived material aid from that element
but if the issue had been square one of the
farmers against the monopolists; had the
ISLANDERS against Judge Lawrence been true,
that he was inclined in his decisions 10 favor
the railroad monopolists, while Craig incli-
nations or pledges" were the orposite-Law-
renee would have been beaten ten 10 one.
The real truth OF the case is, that Lawrence
was beaten by the great activity of his enc.
tnies and the overwcening confidence and
ethargy Of his friends.
This is made apparent thus: Lawrence had
received no nomination from any convention
or body, and beyond general and very earnest
hope on the part of his friends that he would
be elected, had no element actively at work
for him. Craig was the nominee of the Prince.
ton convention, and that body felt itself in
honor bound TO see that their candidate was
put through" Every county, therefore, that
had sent delegates to the Princeton conven-
ton, had an active body of men working for
Craig's election and this, and this only, &C.
counts for his large majorities in Bureau,
Henry, Mercer, Henderson and Grundy coun.
lies. In the other counties, which had no
representation at Princeton, like La Sale,
Of Craig, like those of Lawrence all over the
district, were generally allowed to take care
Of themselves, and here the natural impulse
and good sense Of the people took their natur-
a bent, and gave majorities for Lawrence.
But that Craig was generally voted for or
recognized as the farmers candidate, is far
wide Of the truth In this county, our most
active farmers associations are in the towns
Of Serena, Freedom, Eden, Earl, Rutland,
Yermillion, Grand Rapids, Fall River, &c,
get in all these towns Lawrence had large
rnajorities. Mendoza, Mission and Hope had
4 partial representation in the Princeton con-
vention, and the Craig majorties in these and
. few adjoining towns are purely owing to
hat circumstance. Had there been a full
vote in La Salk county,-n which the far
ners' movement is overwhelming in strength,
Lawrence would have had at least 1000
majority, while Craig's vote would not have
been 100 more than ii was. The whole secret
Of Craig's success is, we repeat, then, that his
friends voted, while the Lawrence men staid
OF home,
II the election Of Craig, then, was so dis.
creditable," as the Eentag Post intimatcs, it
IS discredit that can in no sense attach to
the farmers party as a body, but the discredit
solely belongs 20 the supnencss of the 10000
Lawrence men in the district who so culpatly
failed 80 90 20 the polls.