The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-01-24
C0N0RksSNAH,

Though still somewhat early, there are abun-
dant premonitions Of considerable fun ahead
over the stalwart scramble for congressional
ty-fve aspirants, or talked Of" candidates,
and, with one or two EXCEPTIONS the whole are
Intellectually on such a dead level-and very
low level it is withal-that the claims and pos.
sibilities Of all are about equal, thus making
it squabble most divertlngly and exasperat
ingly uncertain as to the final outcome.
Mr. Hayes, the present incumbent, owes his
two elections confessedly TO the fact of having
each time been made an unavoidable makeshlft
to ward of the bitter squabble which the set
ling of the dispute between his twenty. four and
Il half rivals involved, and he evidently has
hopes Of coming in for third term as the
same makeshltt or scapegoat exlgency. Thus
his partner in the publication of the Morris
Herdid is already on the move IN his behalf
announcing freely that Mr., Hayes is a cand
date full edged for reelection until some 9th
er republican is nominated against him. The
Streator WonUOrI nder demurs 10 Mr.. Hayes
Ndlititat1 III q ttlIl, llluJ lit
has been IN congress already two terms too
long for the good Of the district, and intlmates
that it is about time the scapegoat or make
shift business should have an end and that the
to bruins in making the next nomination, nam
ing Mr.. Bushnell as abundantly competent to
fill the bill
William Cullen, of the Ottawa Republican,
who wants to be candidate himself, on the
"tckle-me- Billy" principle names Marshall, of
the HendaN County Record, as an available
candidate and Marshall, who of course-very
unlike Culen-is modest and sensible enough
to be conscious Of his own unfitness for the
position-as expected tickles back by naming
Cullen and giving him a send off. 1t also does
him the other very grateful favor of giving Mr.
Bushnell an ugly dig, for there is no one in the
district whom Cullen 50 much fears and there
fore hates as Mr. Bushnell.
The Lockport Phoenir is for any body to
beat Hayes, and would support l.. b. Croker
but the Mendoza papers relieve uneaslness in
that direction by stating, apparently by author.
ity, that l.. b. Croker will under no circum
stances consent to be candidate
And lastly and leastly the little Streator Free
Press takes hand in and, connecting a lacka
daislcal sermon on the subject of temperance
and piety, apparently wants some such exem-
pary apostle of the moralties nominated as
Judge" Davis, George Woodford or Parson
Stoughton
Well-while we democrats can look on and
enjoy the fun it would be far from true to say
that we are indifferent spectators The proba
bilitles are now that no democrat will have the
ghost of chance IN the district, and in that
case we are naturally interested IN having a
good man nominated by the republicans There
are reasons why this district should once more
have an able representative in congress- for
except during the terms of b. c. Cook and
John Wentworth the district for forty years has
been virtually unrepresented. There is move
ment now on foot with many omens in favor
of its success, for the construction off ship ca.
nal from Lake Michigan to Lake Erie, and
nothing but the utter Inefficiency of the repre-
sentative from this district could, in that case,
prevent congress from at the same time paying
attention to the higher claims of the other pro.
jected ship canal, from Lake Michigan to the
Illinois river In short, the democrats of this |
district have right to demand of the republi- |
cans that in their nomination for congress they
shall give us n man Of BRAINS. The democrats
have about got to the point that they will vote
for such man regardless of politics, and if
The republicans won't give them such candi. |
date perhaps he can be found IN their own
ranks in spite of them