The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-08-16

One of the able lawyers and astute poll
ticians of Ottawa in his address to the
Cove Creek Republican club last Satur-
day evening ventured statement entirely
new TO me, namely, that all Democrats
were dishonest, and that there was no hon
esty found outside the Republican party.
am a .raHser with some Democratic or
Independent proclivities. But if | am
sort of mud.si or clay-digger of farm
er | make some pretensionS OF fairness
with my neighbors and vote my convictions
as honestly and devotedly to principle as
does my friend and politician who knows
mor1 of the refinement and social benefits
OF "a commanding legal and political infu-
enCe.
If he AS a speaker intended to be an eX-
ample of the honesty of the Republican
party in the position he assumed, he must
have had rather a poor opinion OF his audi
ence. The idea that man can only be
right and honest when his sympathies and
Support are with the Republican party is
too child.like and indecorous to merit at
tention.
The speaker further stated that the
House being largely Democratic had done
nothing for improvement and reform IN us
know that the house has made the best re-
cord of any House for generation by the
massage of land FORGETTING labor and other
bills of great importance in the interest OF
the people? But why did they not become
a law? Simply because they were smoth-
cred and killed by Republican Senate;
and now that hypocritical party which
controlled the Senate has the audacity to
;,c ,,ln fai t1rQ IF
all stch grants where no effort in good
faith has been made by the company to
fulfil the terms of the grant The fact Is
the Republican senators are under obliga-
tions TO the railroads; they did not there
fore dare do otherwise than choke off the
land FORGETTING bills. The wanton and cor
rnnt giving away of almost boundless tracts
Of pnblic land has been the record of the
Republican congress. Millions of acres
have been lavishly placed at the disposal
of speculators, among whom have been
found many congressman. Yet in the face
Of all this evidence OF the corruption and
inter rottenness of the Republican party,
the eloouent speaker has the insolence to
ask why the Democratic House did not
nresent some measures of reform.
The fact of the matter is our American
Senate is not what it ought to be. 1t has
no sympathy with the poor or the laboring
interests of the country, 1t is a body of
corpulent millionaires, born in luxury and
long nurtured by Republican rule in every
manner of fraud and corruption. 1t is
place where the moneyed kings SIT to de-
feat useful legislation and to protect mo-
nopolists and capitalists in their present Or
ganized plans of fattening upon the labor
4 of ha
of Wall Street and the Standard Oil Mo
nopoly have purchased too many senatorial
, seats and supreme judges to make laws
and decisions in the interest of the people.
There should be and must be a change in
the present order of things, We do not
claim that Democrats are any more honest
than Republicans as individuals or as a
party. but change of administration is
absolutely necessary; for all history shows
that the continuation of a party power un-
interrupted tends to corruption.
The country is sadly in need of change,
change in Legislation rs well as in adj
miuistration We need - tariff revision,
navy of some sort, Il prompt and sensible
action on the silver question, settled and
s,ernlv infieXible policy on the Mormon Is
sue. "A revision Of our navigation laws, and
will forfeit all unearned land grants and
put AN eternal veto on the substituting of
railroad and steamship corporations The
Republican party has outlived its useful
ness. 1t is like an old bridge whose tim
beers are worm-eaten and so rotten by age
that it has become worse than useless
dangerous.
We hope the gentleman will live 10 see
the old Republican bridge taken down and
the new iron bridge of Democracy put in
it, place, He will then find that there j.
some honesty outside of the Republican
party and some honest men who are Demo
Gratis.
But perhaps I've made a mistake in no
ticing the remark of the speaker that all
Democrats were known for dishonesty,
knavery and theft. | am well aware he is
a lawyer and smart one, too, and | never
knew good lawyer who was not a good
| liar. FRED J. DAVIS.
OTTER CREEK, Aug 8, 1884.