The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-03-30
THE NATIONALS,

That curious conglomerate of political odds
and ends known, since the late Toledo conven-
ton, as the National Party" held state con
vention at Springfield on Wednesday. The
call was ISSUED Immediately after the Demo
cratic State Committee had issued its call, and
| the date of the convention was fixed a couple
of weeks earlier than the democratic convcn-
ton, in the hope of making nominations that
the democrats would endorse, as was done two
years ago. 1t was foolish thought, however,
as the democrats got sufficiently burnt by that
operation to deter them from ever being caught
in another dicker so diotc The nationals,
on getting together on Wednesday, seem to
have come To the same conclusion, and pro.
ceeded to nominate candidates whom they must
have been quite conscious no democrats would
ever touch with a forty foot pole.
The convention to which some 700 delegates
had been appointed, was attended by about
$50, Mr.. Springer accounting for the lcanness
by stating that the railroads had stubbornly
refused to deadhcad the delegates or even to
grant them half rates,
Old Joe Gillespie, of Alton, was made chair
man, and one Coilen Of Vermillion, Heath Of
Tazewell and Everest Of Marion were made
secretaries.
S. VI. Smith (Kcwancc) and Alex Campbell
made speeches, after which the convention pro
cceded to make nominations. +. n. Bates Of
Cook was nominated for treasurer, receiving
800 votes to John s. Armstrong l42 and scat
terng 90. CThe vote IS large on account OF the
delegates present from each congressional dis
trict being allowed to cast as many votes as the
whole district was entitled to- Then Frank
III. Hall of Kane county was, on motion Of A.
j. Grover, nominated for state superintendent
of schools, receiving 3G6 votes TO Scattering %
The nomination for this office was first offered
to s NJ. Etter, the present incumbent demo
crat, but he refused TO endorse the Toledo plat
form and was ruled out
The Platform Committee, which was headed
by DR.. NJ. NJ. Hooton, reported the Toledo
platform bodily, with the following additions ;:
A. That we demand an immediate issue of a
full lcgal.tender paper currency by the govern
mcnt to the full limit at least of the 800 600, !
600 legal .tendcr United States treasury notes
10 That the credit of the government can
best be strengthened and preserved by its first
paying off its Understanding debt before call.
ing in any part Of its non.intcrcst bearing obi.
cations for redemption.
lG. That we recommend and urge upon all
state, county, and township committees, and
all other persons engaged in the work, the or.
ganization of national grecnback and local
clubs that support the principles set forth in
the Toledo platform,
The platform and addenda were duly adpted
Gen Bates was then put upon the stand and
made short speech, in which he said he meant
to be elected. If both the other parties saw
fit to nominate HIM they might do SO, he would
be greenback man still-ale same. Andl
the convention adjourned.
This Bates was conspicuous few years ago.
as "A republican politician in Chicago, with an
intense ambition to 90 to congress, but utterly
failing in his aspirations, sloughed off amongI
the isms The Times says: Formerly he was
vice president of national bank He kept al
gorgeous carriage, with lvericd darkey toI
drive it, lived in elegant style and was one of
the most pronounced aristocrats of the capital.
4 short time since, when his bank was reor-
ganizcd he desired to be elected president, in |
Of his ability and his ownership
Of onethird of the stock The directors saw fit
to elect another man, and in high dudgeon he
packed up and removed to Riverside. 1t Isl
thought his rabidly republican antecedents will
recommend him to the republican convention "