The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-07-09
THE FOURTH.
Continued from page 2.

tune TO see whether the debt OF the stat could
ever be paid, and In what manner ~ eoula De
paid, and the committee reported, rem, nber,
10 the lobby, that the debt certainly neve, could
be paid, but inasmuch as many thought u at the
end OF the world was to come In the spring OF ie4o,
they recommended that Hamburg and Amster.
dam, where our bonds were, be allowed 10 arm
themselves with stabs and sword and see that
they were picked up and burned when the con-
Migration came us the only way Ia which the
debt OF the state could possibly DC wipea out
tCheers and applause. Now, think, To-Day ihis
great state stands fourth In the glory OF the thlr-
ty.eight states of the Union, rapidly approach.
ing the third place in this magnificent galaxy 81
empires. No debt rests upon the state oil III.
nois. Every debt, fair or unfair, has been PAID
with interest. You have system OF iree scnoois
that is not exceeded in value in any state In these
United States. have a great nina 10 stop ana
boast minute about that. aided in preparing
the first free school law that ever was adopted in
this state. l was your representative then IN inc
senate of the state, and 1t was a stubborn hard
fight to get a free school law passed. devoted
20 that law my best energies. 1t was passed ana
for two years it didn't work well. 1t worked
with heavy friction and became satisfied that
under the control and management oil the men
who Lad 1t under charge at that time 1t would
never be a success. l sat down and wrote 10
Rev. j. NJ. Sturtevant, President OF Illinois Col
lege, and asked him II he could not suggest 10
me man who had the ability and the learning
and the heart necessary to make that school law
effective He wrote back to me that Newton
Bateman was the man we wanted. had never
heard OF him before, but my confidence IN MS
recommendation was SO great tnat went 10
work and secured his nomination. was dele
gate TO the democratic state convention that year
and he was nominated and elected, and under
his administration that very school law OF the
state of Illinois has become wonaerlul success,
AS YOU all know, and Le shaped II. What state
IL is o.day Churches, and school-houses dot
the country everywhere; magnificent system
of railroads all over the state; telegraph lines:
all the appliances and improvements OF every
kind. ask you now, for the sake oil the argu-
ment am about to present 10 you, 10 contrast
the position of the state of Illinois to-day with
what II was one generation ago. May ask you
to 90 back 20 years in the history OF this nation
At hat time this nation was In its hour OF peril
and anguish. Whether the nation was To i've or
die lud been submitted to the arbitration OF the
sword. and no man could tell the issue. Many
of us and our families were asunder; our sons,
our brothers vent to the field OF battle. The
whole land echoed to the tread of our men; the
whole land was filed with violence, and blood
flowed like water, and the hearts of patriots sank
within them. Now how is IL? We stand the strong
est nation on Gods green earth and the greatest
nation What is more than that the average OF
human comfort and all human ihln incss Is far
higher among this people to ~ thdn among
any people who ever lived. N"t Won know that
is So The means OF education and mental de
yelopment are better aud grander here now than
among any people who ever lived. The land Is
your own. Look at Ireland! A feudal tenure
which has come down from the old days of yio-
lence and wrong holds the land away from the
possible possession of those who cultivate it, so
that the soil in the hands of the cultivators pays
q tax of the heaviest sort to the men who have
succeeded to these old feudal titles. The situa.
ton of the laboring man in England bears no
proportion to the laborng man in America.
Now Europe under these men in standing ar
mics holds the people in subsection. We have
no standing armies or none tospeak OF. l want
Nil NOT
only the condition of this country from what it
was 90 wears ago, when our hearts were failing
us for fear but the condition Of this country and
any other country in the world.
tell you men Of America living to-day, you
have succeeded to the noblest, the grandest, the
most magnificent heritage that God ever gave to
man. You and know there is no danger to this
magnificent country; no danger which can men
ace us, except from within, and that brings me
now to what propose to talk to you few min
utes about.
want to do, il can to day, some good As
review my life among you, there are so many
things in which failed to do what mig hit have
done and what could have done for which my
conscience rebukes me now, that standing here,
now, addressing the people OF La Sale county
for the last time, perhaps, l am determined 10
tell YOU the truth as understand 1t. You have
been LAYING the corner stone of the court house.
That court house Is to be OF finer proportion,
of more beautiful architecture, of grander shape
than any other that has gone before it, You will
excuse me If my talk is not connected. am not
delivering the address prepared to deliver, but
something which has come to me, which has i'm
pressed itself upon my mind since this terrible
news that has come to us. Now, all those build
ings for the administration of justice will be a
blessing or a curse precisely to the extent that
Justice is administered according to law; and il
Justice is not administered according to law, the
finer your court house, the more elaborate your
appointments of justice, the greater Will be your
loss and danger. There is no nan but what is
ready to admit that human society cannot cohere
cannot be held together, except by the certain
administration of justice according to law
There are some men, know, who profess to be
)eve that this great universe OF Almighty God
can be run by chance; that there need be nc
principle of Justice in 1t; but there is no man &c
weak as to deny that human communities mus
be governed by the principles of justice, and not
chance. Now, then, the first thought ! wan'
you to take home with you land ask you &c
take 1t home with you) is whether justice shall
be administered in this edifce which you are
about to build? That depends upon you men o.
La Sale county. You elect the Judges; you
know the motives that govern you when you
vote for judge. | want to say to you that one
of the dangers which today menaces cur Repub
lie is the corruption and pollution Of the foun
tans of justice. 1t is true to a large extent IN
our great cities that the very fountains Of justice
are corrupt that the verdicts Of jurors are infu
enced by motives which are entirely distinct from
the right ana truth; that is, to considerable
extent. i regard it as one Of the most dlscour
aging signs Of the times one Of the evidence:
of weakness which promises to destroy and over
throw our Government unless voters can b(
aroused to the consideration of the principle:
which underlie the administration of this branct
OF the government. You select the judges
Now what moves you when you select the judge
Do you vote for him because he belongs to YOU
party? Is that the SOLE governing, ruling con
sideratiOn which will induce you TO give him
your vote? Consider beseech you, that the Sc
lection Of judge is in this judicial act on the
part of the voter. heard story once of Judge
Purple, very distinguished and upright judge
in this state, who was holding court somewh here
1t was said an Englishman came over to thi:
country and happened to attend his court. II
was shortly after the court had been reorganized
by the Democratic party by the appointment Of
six new judges. The Englishman asked him il