The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-10-18
STRATTONISM.

The canvass Mr.. Stratton, the Republi.
can candidate for state superintendent of
schools, is now making to secure his cleo
ton to that Office, is thoroughly in keeping
in point of impudence, with his own we'll
known character. A pilgrimage from one
end of the state to the other to "set up the
political pins" in favor of a candidate for
purely non-political office is an eilront
cry in itself the people are not used to; but
to accompany this with system Of false
pretenses ard Misrepresentation, makes 1t
an indecency and outrage.
Mr.. Stratton is aware that an important
element OF danger to his success is the loss
of the large hitherto Republican vote that
will be drawn off in supper, OF the temper.
ance candidate. To steal or divide that
vote he had the Chicago Daily Neos re-
Gently give currency to the following bold
falsehood:
"Mr. Strstton is a man minus both legs
amputated at the knees. When boy he
he was driven out OF the house on cold
winters day and sent for q jug Of rum by
drunken father. On his way home he
became lost IN the snow and both his legs
were frozen OFT Is 1t strange that Mr.
Stratton is temperance man."
We have seen this unblushlng statement
copied IN nearly every Republican paper
in the state and of course Mr. Stratton has
seen it both IN its original shape and re-
vamped In dozen different forms, and if
not the author OF it himself common de-
cency must have prompted HIM instantly
to give it the lie especially as It reflected
SO shametully on his own nearest relative
But Mr.. Stratton has shown that there is
IN his moral composition no such sense of
decency. The story floats under his own
nose, and is made the subject of pathetic
appeals In his behalf by temperance howl.
ers in his own hearing without word of
contradiction or remonstrance
Now what are the facts in the case? Tn.
fortunately for Mr.. Stratton they are on
record at large in Vol. rs of Illinois Su
preme Court Reports, page So. From this
1t appears that Mr.. Stratton and his father
some time IN 1863 boarded the Ohio &
Mississippi Express train at st. LOUIS for
Salem, Ill. Upon reaching the latter place
Supt Hlnckley called out to the passen.
gers to keep their seats. This the STRAIT
tons did not do, but with their baggage
went on to the forward platform and
jumped from the train while in motion.
Charles T., then about ten years old, was
thrown under the Wheels and had both his
neither limbs crushed. The remarks of
Judge Scott, in announcing the decision of
the court against the STATIONS in their suit
for damages, are noteworthy, to say the
least. Their evidence is referred to as not
corroborated by single other witness, and
though the Judge does not exactly accuse
them of perjury, he refuses to believe a
word they say and decides against them.
But the elder Stratton, whatever may be the
elasticity of his conscience when attempt
ing to swear heavy damages for his son
out of "blarsted railroad monopoly" is
not the drunken sot the Chicago Daily
Nens story would make Of him. On the
contrary though not tetotaller, he is q
man of temperate habits, rigid methodist
and frequent exhorter ut methodist meet.
lngs. This is what his neIghbors say of
him. and this is the parent about whom
this model son permits his party newspa-
pers to propagate the vile SANDER of his
forcing his poor boy out in pitiess snow
storm to get "a jug of rum for a drunken
father"
Yet while propagating the shameful
falsehood about his parent to propitiate
the temperance vote, Mr.. Stratton has never
had the moral courage to announce him.
self as temperance candidate or tenn
perance man. Travelling in Southern Ill
inois with Mr.. Raum, VIGOROUSLY the can.
dldate of the dlstlllers for the L. S. Senate,
he hobnobs with that crowd, and in Chicago,
like Gov Beveridge he doubtless drinks
beer and wine with the Germans. 1t is
only far out in the rural districts that he
uses this snow storm fiction to work on the
temperance people.
There is another piece of lmpudence
connected with Mr.. STATIONS canvass,
which, though not quite as atroclous as the
above, Is sufficiently scandalous. In South
crn Illinois, as already stated, he travels
with Mr. Raum; in Middle Illinois with
exGov. Oglesby and in Northern Illinois
with Gov. Cullom, the three being oppos
ing candidates for the U. s. Senate. A,
their meetings, we are told, after the prin.
cipal speaker has concluded, he introduces
to the audience, especially 10 the soldiers
his friend captain Stratton," leaving the
soldiers to infer that he lost his neither
limbs In the war We make this state
ment on the authority of gentleman who
heard MIR. Stratton several times thus In
troduced, with no pretence of disabusing
the false impression the words would nat
urally leave with the audience.
"
A WISCONSIN TRAGEDY.-In the centra
part of Waupaca, one of Wisconsin's mos