The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-11-04
THE GElMAHs.

The recently organized independent 80
ciety of the Germans Of this city met al
Schaefer's Hall on Wednesday evening to
come to a final conclusion as to their course
of action at the ensuing election. The or
ganIzation appears to include about all the
German voters of the city, as the hall was
packed.
The meeting was, on invitation, first ad-
dressed in English by j. W. Duncan, Esq,
democratic candidate for senator, who OF
course gave reasons why the Germans
would promote their own principles and
views best by voting the democratic ticket,
though urging them to act advisedly and
intelligently in the matter, after due inves-
tgation.
He was followed by A. II. Strobel, Esq,
President of the Turner Society, IN Ger
man speech of great earnestness, urging
the Germans to stuck to the republicans, or
at least split their tickets. Mr.. Gleim and
MI Freisheimer, also members of the Tur.
ner Association, made speeches.
On coming to a vote, however, the meet.
ing decided UNANIMOUSLY to vote the
straight democratic ticket. S,robel and
his colleagues, and few American repuo-
leans who were IN the room, either votin 2
With the majority or not voting at all.
Our German fellow citizens, IN coming
to this resolution, have done sensible and
proper thing. What they are concerned
about Is their personal, civil ana religious
liberty, which they think are menaced by
he temperance zealots, encouraged by the
republicans. 1t is not that the Germans
actually fear prohibition. The total failure
OF experiments in that direction in our own
city rs years ago and later IN Massachu-
sets, Ohio, Kansas, &c, satisfies them that
any similar enactment now in Illinois
would prove alike signal failure; but
hey dislike and deprecate the annoyance,
IS The Germans of Ohio do, that while adj
herring to customs IN themselves innocent,
and pursuing calling IN itself legitimate,
they are yet in the attitude of acting In OPP
position to law, though that law is confess
eddy dead and imperative.
The only party that promises to unite
with and shield them from such annoyance
and its manifold attendant harrassmeuts
and impositions, is the Democratic party.
While as honestly the advocates OF red!
temperance as any of the zealots, they are
for respecting personal freedom in the mat
ter, and regulating and restraining the
liquor traffic by stringent, but sensible and
practical enactments, and in this they
know they are heartily seconded by and in
accord with the Germans themselves.
Realizing this, the Germans have tht
good sense and honorable instincts to know
that If they expect the democrats to AID
them ID fighting their battles they must
help the democrats in return. And thai
help the democrats have right to ask
shall be full and whole-hearted. Would
that be such aid merely TO vote for tht
democratic legislative candidates, and ther
vote to fill the court house with republi
cans to set up and carry future elections II
the county for republican.prohibinon tick
cts? In short, the Germans have the gooC
sense to see that If they expect the demo
Gratis to aid them in good faith they mus
manifest the same faith IN return.