The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-03-06
ABOUT C0NGREssMAN.

! Or the subject Of the next congressman from
this district We find in the Strcator fire Pres
the following deliverance;
| 1t may seem strange that the Ottawa FREE
TRADEE should take such an interest In Wash
Bushneil's behalf and only when the facts are
known can its course be accounted Tor
The reasons are simply these: 1t IS under
stood that If Bushnell gets the nomination fo'
representative that VIM. Reddlck Will not only
consent but is anxious, to be the opposition
candidate on the democratic ticket. Every
body knows that Mr. Reddick is a man who
does not court defeat Unless the chances
were decidedly IN his favor he would never bt
a candidate With Bushnell on the rcpubh
can ticket the democrats imagine 1t would be
mere boys play for them to elect Reddlck
aHd Rcddlck himself has so much faith in II
that he wants Bush. for an opponent. with
any other man on the republican ticket Red
dick will, most probably, not be candidate
This il IA matter that should not be overlooked
We can comfort our nervous friend OF the
Free Press with the assurance that he need
not allow his sleep to be disturbed another
minute by foolish fears Of the candidacy OF
Mr. Reddick, for we are sorry to say that nc
induccment or persuasion can prevail upon
him under any circumstances to become q
candidate for congress in this district. Were
it othcrwise-could Mr.. Rcddick be prevailed
upon by any urgency or bull-dozlng to enter
the field, the FREE TRADER would from that
moment cease to take the slightest interest in
the republican nomination. We have in the
last few months, by free talk and association
with the leading men Of all parties of this dis
trict become so thoroughly convinced of their
widely pcrvading determination and longing
to elect a man Of brains as their nextcongress.
man. that had Mr. Rcddick consented to be a
candidate, we should have no more doubt OF
his election than we had when, few years
ago, he carried the then strong republican
county of La Sale by 1900 majority for state
senator But the refusal Of Mr.. Reddlck to be
a candidate changes the programme material
ly, yet still sympathizlng kcenly with the gen
eral longing and determination to have man
of brains, and finding none among the demo
Gratis willing to stand the racket, We arc obliged
to look among the republicans.
Our friend Of the Free Press must permit US
to correct HIM on another point. The FREE
TRADER desires to take no especial interest in
Wash Bushncll's behalf All it does is to beg
and implore the republicans of the district to
give us a man of brains, and if the FREE IRA
DER has seemed u favor Mr.. Bushnell it has
been because among their probable candidates
the republicans have thus far been pleased to
mention no one meeting that requirement ex.
cept Mr.. Bushnell
We feel authorized to state further, as the
result of our free talk with the leading men
of this district on the subject, that if Mr.. Bush
nell is selected AS the republican candidate,
or any either ma@ intellectually his eqnal there
is a general disposition among the democrats
to make no serious opposition to his election
This arises from no favor the democrats feel
towards him on account of any alleged I'M
taithfulness to the republican party on his part
that seems to trouble the Free Press and York
vile Recon We know nothing about that
here 1t is true that in 1912 Mr.. Bushnell,
like Carl Shurz, Mr.. Evarts, Gov. Cornell and
HuluIcus VI OtuCI lttu So
nous qualms in regard to Grantism and its
manifold corruptions ana for a while stood
aloof from the republican machine, but that
he ever deserted the republican party and vot-
ed the democratic ticket is something the
democrats hcrcabouts never heard Of No
the democrats have no love for Mr. Bushnell
on account of any leanings to themward.
Dear knows his record IN the last half dozen
years has been stalwart enough, while his re-
cent screed in the Chicago Tribune on State
Rights places him among the most radical of
the radicals Move are willing to take Mr..
Bushnell, not on account of any love of his
politics. but because this district just now
needs in congress prominently man of
brains and his election is the only CLEAN of
hope we see in this district Of obtaining such
a man