The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-07-10
TRUMBULL AND THE CANAL.

III HbtipHdi IoiitlNS, IVA VIC last i'''y sN'''
As long ago as 1912 he was secretary Of stat
under Gov. Carln, and IN those days, as wei
as later, had no doubt many hearty bout
with Lincoln, S. I. Logan, Baker, Douglas
Browning, Richardson, Butteriield, &c, u rae
of giants among whom he was always recog
nzcd at least as an equal. That in a polltica
career spreading over sc extended period
and embracing within its range the discussion
and legislative treatment of almost every con
ceivable topic Of state and national concern
ment Judge Trumbull may at times hav'
been on the wrong side, as he WAS unques
tionaby ottener on the right side, is very
probable, though from the dim, distan
past" the only charge we have seen attempt
1912 or 43 or along there, he WAS opposed &c
the completion of the Illinois and Michigan
canal.
There is no truth in it. Judge Trumbull
we believe, was member of the Illinois leg
isIaturc during but one standardization
St Clair county, and as the st. CLAIR members
always supported the canal, he must have been
on that side. When Ford was elected Gov
ernor IN lS42 Trumbull was ousted from his
office of Secretary of State and Thompson
Campbell, of Galena appointed in his place
OF course Ford and Trumbull were no,
friendly on that account and as Ford had
been elected as a canal man, the inference was
that Trumbull must be anticanal, but no act
of his ever justified such inference. If the
idea ever had any color it arose from the tact
that, between the election and inauguration
OF Gov Ford IN 1912, when the finances of
the state had wholly collapsed, and so far
from paying the interest on her debt of over
$13,0000 600 she was not able to pay even her
running expenses save in auditors warrants
at 80 cents on the dollar. Gov. Trumbull did
oppose a clamor from the canal region in IA
vor of levying more taxes and borrowing more
money to complete the canal, insisting that
the people could not bear the needed taxation
to pay the interest on the money they had al
ready borrowed. Trumbull was called q re.
pudator for making such q speech IN Belle.
vile, but the Legislature of 1913 virtually act
ed on his suggestion, for 1t made no effort
either to borrow any more money on the cred
it Of the state or provide by taxation to pay
the interest on the state debt. On the con-
trary 1t proposed a plan, which WAS subse-
quently carried out, to turn the canal and all
Its property over to such bondholders as had
loaned money to the state towards the con
stYuction Of the canal, on condition that they
would complete it, giving the rest of the state
debt for the nonce the go,by.
When Gov. Fords term expired, in 1916
John Calhoun, of Springfield, and Lyman
Trumbull were rival candidates for nomina-
ton as his successor, with Judge Scates, A.
c. French and others as possible dark
horses The northern counties we're gener-
ally opposed to Trumbull, on account Of his
supposed hostility to the canal, and sent anti
Trumbul delegations to the democratic NOM
mating convention at Springfield. One ofthe
delegates to that convention Qfrom Grundy
county, was the Hon. Perry A. Armstrong,
and as, in late number of the Morris Demo.
crat, he tells the story great deal better than
we can, we copy portion of his admirable
narrative:
On the 18th Of February mounted a pony
and struck out through the snow, solitary and
alone, with the intention of reaching Spring
| field 10y Wednesday morning in time for the
convention, or kill the pony IN the effort.
reached Springfield at 5 A. NJ. on that morn
ing, having five hours to rest before the con.
ventlon assembled. Lyman Trumbull and
| Inhp Calhoun tho M rpp tnr "a
governor with Augustus G.. French, Walter
B. Scates and Richard NJ. Young in the field
'rrumbull had been accused of hostility to the
Illinois and Michigan canal, hence my zeal
to be there to oppose his nomination. The
feeling all along the line or the canal was bit
terly opposed to his nomination, and as Cal
houn had been an engineer on the canal the
feeling for HIM was correspondlngly strong
hence we of the north went solid for Calhoun.
That old wheel horse of democracy, Col. w
A. Richardson, better known as "Dick Rich
ardson" was preSiden. OF the convention and
strong supporter of Mr.. Trumbull. The con.
test between the two leading candidates,
Trumbull and Calhoun, was sharp and bitter
Flfty-three ballots were taken, the vote stand.
ing about n tor Trumbull, &C for Calhoun,
80 for French, 70 for Scates and 10 for Young
Becoming satisfied that Calhoun could not be
nominated went to him and advised him 70
withdraw and urge his friends to vote for
| French. lie therefore authorized us to with.
i draw his name, but refused to take any fur
ther action. We Immediately withd rev his
name whereupon Col. Richardson withdrew
MIR. Trumbull's name, when Mr.. French was
nominated by acclamation, and almost unani.
mously elected by the people at the August
election following, After the nomination of
Gov French Mr.. Trumbull was Loudly called
on for speech and came forward IN that
Idignitied, manly way peculiar to himself, and
spoke with SO much good humor and candor
and SO fully answered the charges about his
supposed antagonism to the canal and IN
equally foolish and bascless charge that he
; had favored reputation of our then state in,
debtedness, that my opposition was at once
changed to actual earnest support and had the
balloting been renewed should have voted