The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-07-01
REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION.

REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION.
The Republican State Convention which
met at Springfield on Wednesday is SAID tt
have been the largest delegate convention thai
ever met IN the state, over 800 delegates hav
Ing been in attendance. The convention was
permanently organized with the Hon George
Hunt as President and Dan Shepard as Sec
rotary.
On proceeding to make nominations, Gen
John c. Smith. the present incumbent, receiv-
ed GG4 votes against 1913 cast for Capt. ID. ID.
Parry, for state treasurer, Smith thus beng
nominated ON the first ballot.
For superintendent of public instruction
there were four ballots, the contest being be
tween Slade, the present incumbent and Chas.
! L. StrattOn, of Jefferson county, the vote on
the last ballot standing 40S for Stratton, 3G1
for Slade and 90 for lngles,-and STATION was
declared the nominee.
The platform adopted is admitted to be
wishy .washy and decidedly thin" 1t declares
the "policy of the republican party unchang.
)" talks about "honest elections and honest
counts" but says nothing about how Hayes
was Counted IN" declares iE favor of reduc-
irg taxation but wants high tariff to foster
American industry" thinks some sort Of
practical civil service reform" would be a
good thing, probably If it didn't interfere with
the Jay Hubbell system Of robbery for the
good Of the party; favors appropriations for
the improvement of the great waterways of the
country; thinks the republican party should
have the credit for the extIngulshment Of our
state debt under plans inaugurated by the dem.
ocrats that made it inevitable; delores the
death of President Garfield, and lamHtlng the
divisions in the republican party, hopes they
may be honorably and satisfactorily healed.
The temperance question was adroitY lodged
by refusing to entertain any resolution pro or
con. on the subject, though both kinds were
offered.
Gen. Smith, the nominee tor State Treasurer,
Is an unexceptionable man and Is especially
commended for the tact that, when the state
treasury during his term was robbed of $4,000
through no fault OF his, he replaced the money
out of his own pocket and refused to let the
legislature reimburse him. For the nomina.
ton of Stratton for superintendent of schools
there is no apology to offer except that he was
the only candidate except Slade from the south.
ern part of the state, and Slade was doomed In
advance, not because he failed to make very
capable and acceptable state school supain-
tendent, but because he was ''stingy," and re-
fused habitually and persistently to respond to
levles IN behalf of the Campaign fund.-" be.
cause, IN short, he is one of those cranky civil
service reformers who look upon the Jay Hub
bell system of robbery for the good of the party
rs dishonest. Except that Stratton may pos.
sibly promise better in that respect, he is a
notorious incompetent. He is not over %
years of age, without education, and notable
only for his insufrerable vanity and seEcon-
ceit AS member of the last Illinois legisla.
ture he cut no figure whatever except that he
disllked discussion and at the end Of about
the third speech on, no matter what question,
invariably moved that "the debate do now
close, Whence he received and went all
through the session by the name of "Close-the.
debate Charley" HIS nomination was espec-
Tally dreaded by the teachers and others inter
csted in the prosperity of our public schools,
and we are assured that although vast ma.
jority of the teachers in the state are republl
cans, the chances are, if the democrats noml-
nate man at all acceptable, they will vote
against Stratton to a man