The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-10-14
LEW STEWARD.

! LEW STEWARD.
The Chicago Industrial Age, which as
sumes to be the organ Of tie Independent
party of this state, goes back on Lew Steward,
the nominee of that party for Governor, on
the alleged ground that he refuses in for
NAL letter to accept the Decatur nomination
and endorse the Decatur platform. AS OPP
position to Steward means support Of Gull
lom, the Age, TO be decent and consistent,
ought to be able to show that Cullom does en-
dorse the Decatur PLATFORM or at least, that
he Is, like Steward, non-committal on the
subject. The dge makes no attempt of that
Sort however, for the obvious reason that
Cullom VIGOROUSLY scouts and splts on the
Decatur platform and ridicules It's financial
vagares as insane delusion. There must,
then, be some other reason assigned than re-
gard for principle to account for the singular
son." unhappily, is too plainly indicated in a
way 10 leave no doubt on the subject. In
deed it is a matter of indecent notoriety that
the publishers of the Age made heavy de-
mand on Mr.. Steward for pecuniary aid or,
in less elegant but more expressive parlance
for slush money-a demand to which Mr.
Steward failed to respond. The prompt aban
donment of Mr.. Steward by the Age and es
pousal of the cause of Cullom, leaves little
room for doubt that the Age was more sue
cessful in its levy of slush money in another
quarter.
This worry about Stewards endorsement
OF the Decatur platform at best is sheer non.
sense. No one objects to a line of that plat
form except the endorsement, in its financial
plank, of KellyIsm. If on that subject the
democratic party of Illinois, which stands
committed to the ST. Louis platform and per
consequence repudiates kellyism, is willing
to allow Mr.. Steward to go unqueshoned, Ger
tainly the Independents can afford to- 1t is
admitted that the Office of Governor, at the
most, has no connection with the solution of
the financial question, and as Mr.. Steward is
IN all other respects sound as viewed through
the Decatur spectrum, where is the sense of
worrying?
But this assumed uncertainty as TO Mr.
Stewards financial views after all is mere
shallow pretense. Mr.. Steward IN public
speech at Chicago, during the sitting of the
cheap transportation convention, and after.
wards to an interviewer of the Chicago
Times, gave such clear statement of his
financial views as to leave no room whatever
for doubt or bubble on the subject He said
in word, that he was in favor of having no
other paper currency but greenbacks, and
that, while he wanted enough of these to meet
the demands of trade, he wanted them to be
kept equal to gold and silver in value. This,
in a compact form, is the whole sum and sub
stance Of Mr. Stewards financial platform,
and whether it is inconsistent with the Deca-
tur pronOuncement, about which the Age pre-.
tends such deep, but about which 1t in reality
manlfests so little concern, IS a matter with
reference to which the Age, at least, has hith-
erto failed to enlighten us. That it is entire.
ly consistent with the st. Louis platform we
make no pretense but whether 1t agrees with
it or not is point about which, in purely
local officer like Governor Of Illinois, the
democrats have agreed to be utterly indif.
terent
As to whether Mr.. Steward intends to vote
for Tllden or Peter Cooper, the democrats are
as ready to take him on trust as on the inan.
cial question. Knowing him to be soundly
democratic in all his instincts and prOclivl.
ties, and heartily opposed to Grantlsm, or
third term Grantsm under Hayes, on the
question whether voting for Tilden or voting
for Cooper is best calculated to defeat Grant
ism, they have no hesitancy IN trusting his
native good sense Why should the Cooper.
ties not be equally ready?