The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-07-09

best OF your ability and judgment this great
privilege which Is committed by the constitution
OF your country into our hands? But that 10 not
oil; II Is not the bench that Is to be Kept pure
alone; the bench Is kept far purer In my opinion
than Is the jury. box; unworthy motives very OF.
ten come into the jury.tox when they ought not;
popular excitement, popular clamor, sometimes
baser and meancr motives than even these. fou
know II every one Of you. To your county IN
which you live, to the fathers which have trans.
mitted this great heritage to you, 10 your emil .
dren who shall come after you, and to whom you
desire to transmit 1t unimpaired you owe II TO
preserve pure the fountains OF justice. NOW you
may do it in this comfy or you may not. don't
know; but do know that II you don't do 1t the
finer the court house you have, the better appli-
ances, the grander structures, the greater parade,
the greater will be your loss aud disgust.
There is one other thing want to talk about.
How is it possible, my countIymen, that sucn
man as James A. Garfield now lies dying in this
country from the stroke OF an assassin! so pure
man, so grand man, so pure In ms great o.
flee, so gentle a man, so humble and KIND aman'
a man who was conducting this country In a
career of unparalleled progress, why Is II he Is
striker down by the hand of the assassin! In the
better days OF the republic such things were not
possible You and | in our generations have
witnessed two of the best and noblest men God
ever made stricken down by the hand OF the as
sassin; men who could have no personal enc
mics how is this? What is there wrong In our
country that results In these things? Let us
sassinated but for the state of feeling which eX-
listed in this country occasioned by the feelings
of the men who sought TO overthrow and divide
the country. Understand do not want to make
too broad charge. / say | don't believe that
the men who sought to divide and overthrow the
country were engaged in arms against us ever
intended such Il base, mean thing us the assassi-
nation Of Lincoln. | don't believe that; but !
say if that effort hadn't been made, II the state of
feeling had not resulted then there would have
eli m inn pF ore a
man.
! What is the condition OF politics in our coun-
try to-day? The mere contest, not over princi-
pie, but over single offices and the emoluments
OF Office and if this state Of things dit not exist
to-day the assassination of Presiden. Garfield
would have been impossible in my belief and
opinion.
| The truth is it Is unbecoming 10 &n American
citizen to scramble for office for the sake OF the
emoluments Of the office. 1t Is worthy thing
for any man to stand in defense Of principle and
right, but when no principle is involved, when it
becomes question merely of what man shall fill
a given office, and it is pure question OF
spoils Only, then it menaces the existence Of our
nation. 1t will destroy our nation If it is permit
ted by the people of this land to assume the pro
portion and the magnitude which is threatened
To DAY. Isn't that so. Let the mourning people
of th!s great land answer in their sorrow this
Iday. A state OF facts has arisen, contest
over an oiiice-you all know what | mean with
out particularizing it--has resulted in state of
facts which has directed the assassin's bullet to
the heart of the grand man who is President of
the L s.
1t is said that this man is insane Insanity is
directed by the influences and circumstances
which surround aud control it. The assassins
bullet would have taktl another direction if 1t
had not been for this state OF feeling which
threatens and mcnaces the interests of our re-
public.
Citizens of La Sale county, may never
speak to you again, but | ask you, shall this
great land which God has given us, so great, so
grand, so filled with all the appliances of hui
man comfort and human hope, shall it descend
to the level of the republics lof South Ameri-
ca, where political questions are settled by the
bullet! Now | am asking you that question,
but propose in conclusion to tell you how
think it is to be answered. In our American
nation, in grand civilization, the family is
the unit of the state; only in pure homes, only
aided by the surrounding of home affection, of
home influence can men be reared whoa fight
ing for scfgovernmcn.. | have said the men
who were bearing the burdens in this county
when | commenced life here have passed away.
! Who have succeeded them, and in few years
will guide the destiny of this nation? The chill
dren who are in our homes, the homes in which
we are living to-day. What is moulding them?
What will direct them? The home influence of
this day will fashion the nation of the next gen.
Grafton. Now to make plain what mean, let
me draw IA contrast before you. Here are two
homes; in one of them are beautiful gentle and
gracious influences of family affection. The
firm but kind ruling of the father the affection
ate tenderness of the mother, the house, accord
ing to the means of the father, supplied with
proper books and periodicals surrounded with
: everything that makes homo delightful, flowers
and trees and fruits: the father not mOrOse,
cross, illtempered person, ruling his children
by fear, but kind and affectiOnate instructor,
taking pains and interesting himself not only
in the education of his children, but even in
their amusements, exacting nothing from them
} but what should be e1acted furnishing them
not in irritation or anger; the mother and the
father exchanging no words in the presence Of
their children but words of affection and respect
On the other hand consider home void of these
| things comfortless, cherries, without books or
, papers, without fruits ortiowers or trees, where
the desire Of each member Of the family seems
to be his own selfish end, irrespective of the
feelings or views or interests of any other mem
Der of the family, and then what? Then tell
YOU that the character of the children reared in
those homes will he just as different and distinct
, as the character of the homes themselves. You
ma make your homes, men of La Sale county
so that to your children in all their lives there
after there will be no place like home so full
, of loving memories so full of affectionate re-
membranes so full of the memory Of princi-
pies of right and of honor and of truth there
) inculcaed. and in that way you may fit them
worthily to discharge the great and responsible
; duties which are imposed upon the free citizens
r of America to rule this land But you may
rear your children under such influences that
they may seek their amusements in any place in
the wide world than home; expose them to the
evil influences which pervade society, which 50
readily entrap and overcome the young, and
they will not he fit in any sense to discharge the
, duties of American citizens. Finally, believe
myself, and want to declare my belief in your
presence, that the enhancement Of religious
principles and of morality are the only things
which can save our nation.