The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-10-30
THE GALLANT CAPTAIN CLARK.

THE GALLANT CAPTAIN CLARK.
The FREE TRADER is pleased 10 find that
; stirred up very decided commoion among
the stalwart faithful last week by administer
ing to their gallant Captain Clark" little q
the same kind of porridgc with which they haC
been treating Mr.. Milligan. II didn't set wei
at all Whereas IN the case of Mr.. Mlllgan h,
promptly cast |. OIL rs u filthy, mendaciou,
mess, IN the other case II seemed to stick anC
cause unpleasant internal distress.
To drop the figure, Mr. Clark and his friend,
seem to be aggrieved because The FREE TRAD
EH said he was 50 incompetent when he en-
tered the Sherlfis Office that Mr. Stevens hao
to employ man u. heavy expense to instruct
him in his duties; also that his incompetency
was shown by mistakes and hlunders after he
had been thus instructed; and finally that 1t
acted the migrate in running against Mr.. Stew
ems and defeating his denomination when or
binary gratitude would have prompted one to
whom Mr. Stevens had shown so much kind.
ness to help rather than turn against him.
In response to this Mr.. Clark and his friends
have eXtorled from Mr.. Stevens "a card which
we Will not do him the unkindncss to rep4b.
fish The substance Of 1t Is an admission that
Mr. Jesse Kruger had been employed on hls
first entering the Sheriff 5 office to instruct
Mr.. Clark IN his duties but Mr.. Stevens says
he also needed instruction at the time himself
secondly that the charge that Mr.. Clark was
ata AMI 70
Mr.. Stevens los, money through his blundcrs
"a charge, by tn" way, which the FREE
TRADER never made is mot true :" and lastly
as to Mr.. Clark'S lngratitude to his benefactor
Stevens says If he and Mr. Clark are not quar-
rcling about it the public need not. A refer
cnce IS also made to attorneys and other par.
ties having business with the Shcrltf's office as
to the competency of Mr.. Clark.
Mr.. Clark shall have the full benefit of all
that this certificate of character in his behalf
by his enthusiastic friend" Mr.. Stevens
amounts to. The reference invoked to attorn-
eys and other parties having had business
with the office appears however, to have been
put IN with gram of malice; for on max ing
a little inquiry in that direction we find that ii
opens a nine which the enemies of Mr. Clark
will find more delight in working than his
friends. The talk, AS far as we went, ran
somewhat III this way: You want to know
about Clark, do you? Wen, he may be elected
Sheriff and can't afford to have the i'll will OF
the office, SO don't want my name mentioned
as talking about him; but he is the LATEST,
surliest most unaccommodating cur they
ever had in the office. had papers with hun
dreds of dollars depending on their prompt
service but do you think | could get him to
move outside of the office? Stevens was fiat
on his back with sickness, Stump was worked
to death driving all over the county, and there
sat Clark on his lazy chair, lnmovable. He
was paid to do office work, he growled, not to
go outside, and though 1t would have been
worth hundreds Of dollars to me and my
clients if could have got him to do an hour
or two's work outside, no driving, cursipg or
pursuason of mine could move HIM a foot
When, however, spring time came, gentle An
ME, and it was necessary to set up the dele.
gates Of the various towns to the coanty con-
venton, Mr.. Clark lost his attachment to the
office and was seen dashlng all over the county
like small comet l hope to Heaven he'll
be defeated" And so on. But we have no
inclination to pursue the subject. We are
quite willing to leave the issue with the vot-
ers by whom we earnestly invite thorough
canvass Of the relative competency of Mr..
Miligan and Mr.. Clark, with no fear of any
damage to the democratic candidate from the