The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-10-12
VOTE FOR w. 5. BROOKS.

He was two years In congress, and what d
he accomplish? The Joliet GreenJdck N0r,
paper that supports him earnestly for con
grcss goes over his record and shows that dun
ing his two years in congress his name, cXcep
among the yeas and nays, occurs just twenty
one times on the 5000 pages Of the Congress
ional Reord, covering the same two years
That is, you must read over 2i0 pages of TIT
Record, or the proceedings of about 90 days, t.
find Mr.. Campbcll's name once Well ever
rising 81 times to his feet in two years in tn
house may not be a bad record, if he rose Il
some purpose But what did his rising amoun
to. Once his name occurs in connection Will
the fact that he took his seat in the house and
was sworn in. Next he was appointed on
committee. Next he introduced bill 70 ste
provide national currency, his interchange
able bond and greenback hobby that was never
heard Of afterwards Next he introduced a
bill ito authorize the purchase of a certain pa
tcnt"-some private job. Next bill "to in
crease the circulation of the national bank
and to relieve them from the payment of the
tax or duty on their circulation, to liquidatc
the national debt, and strengthen the public
credit!!" And lastly he appears on his feet a
dozen of times or more to present petitions and
move their reference.
During those two years congress voted some
$lS,0O0,000 to the improvement of rivers and
harbors throughout the country and while
snyoraI IN ill;opc ,rnro yDt.j m tI,o ;,,,r,,,,
ment of the navigation of the Tennessee and
Cumberland rivers, and to the perfectly absurd
Fox and Wisconsin river project, not dollar
was ever asked for the enlargement of our
Illinois canal or the improvement of the Hi
nois river, though both have confessedly ten
times the claim OF being regarded as national
highways than the Tennessee, Cumberland,
or Fox and Wisconsin rivers.
About the same time Mr. Brooks was mem
Der of the Illinois state senate, and while he
was mainly instrumental IN getting an appro.
priatiOn from the Illinois legislature to make
at least a beginning of the permanent improve.
ment of the Illinois river and was active in
getting up memorials to congress on the sub.
jcct what is Mr.. Campbell, the Illinois mem.
Der, to whom Of all others the subject ought to
have been of most immediate concernment,
doing on the subject? In the whole 81 times
his name appears on the RecOrd he never rose
once to offer bill, speech amendment or sug.
gestion in regard to that important project!
Will Mr.. Brooks be equally negligent? Does
his legislative record indicate that he would
slight matter of such vital importance to his
Besides, what comparison Is there between
Mr. Brooks and Mr.. Campbell as useful,
citizen? If Mr.. Campbell ever
did anything-any hard work or brain work
to add to the public or his own wealth be-
sides buying, selling and specializing in tax
titles or unimproved lands, and figuring to
have them appreciated in price by getting
railroads built through them, we are not aware
of it, On the other hand, Mr.. Brooks AS an
active business man, conducts heavy hard
ware trade in Joliet, is instrumental in the
of numerous mechanics in the
Of wire fencing; and at the same
time was the leading instrument IN securing
to his town the immense Joliet Iron Works,
which in n few years added ten thousand to the
population of that city and doubled its wealth
and when the crash of 1878 temporarily stop
ped those works. he, as President of the com
pany, saved the concern from going under the
hammer and procured the men their pay. But
for his address, energy and business skill East
ern monopolists would have got hold of the
mills, and they would today be silent instead
of giving remunerattve employment to 800
mechanics.
Then why frt,er away votes on Mr. Camp
bell when we can elect man like Mr. Brooks
Is such folly justifiable on account of the cur
rency question? 1t is notorious that except in
regard to his queer bottomless interconvertibe
bond and grcenback scheme, which the Ma
ionals themselves reject, Mr. Brooks is quite
IS earnest and thorough a greenbackcr and
reformer as Mr.. Campbell ever was,
he only difference being that Mr.. Brooks IA |
,ors Il practicable, feasible, common sense re.
orm, while Mr.. Campbell is a sheer dreamer
avorlng schemes that common sense only
aughs ut.
The times are practical, and need clear and
strong heads and ready hands There is no
all for impractible theories and Utopian
lrcams. The wolf is at the door and cannot
Nc chased away with sentimental swash, but
must be driven away by,prompt, energetic
sction.
John 5. Armstrong, Esq, National Green.
back candidate for state senator, sends us
ract, with the request to publish, in which he
,alls attention to the fact that in Jan 1874, IN
ID article in the FREE TRADER, he pointed |
nut that taxes were levied IN the ordinary way
If state and county taxes by the auditor to pay
he interest on some SlG000,000 of railroad
bonds issued by number of towns and coun.
les in this state; also that in August of the |
I, ,,l. 81. Al.