The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-07-12
John O'Connor, Nationalist has been
elected Lord Mayor of Dublin. He is a
liquor dealer by occupation.
FOT INt UTIdWU fTtt
The Political Situation.

fOr the ottawa Free lfauers
The Political Situation.
In a preceding article we stated our OBJ
jections TO Mr.. Blaine as candidate for
president In this we shall give our rea-
sons for refusing to support Mr. Oglesby
for governor
Less than year has passed since Dir,
Oglesby made a speech in Ottawa. Re-
publicans who heard him, men friendly 70
him. were astonished and panied by what
he said on that occasion. He had not the
rabble, the denizens of the haunts of vice
and folly, for an audience, but the intelli
gence, the talent, the wealth Of this city,
and yet it is asserted, and has never been
denied, that he used profane language, re.
hearsed stories of doubtful delicacy, and
was coarse and rude both in language and
manners Should citizen of Ottawa in a
speech to similar audience use the same
expressions he would ruin himself Nor
was it in Ottawa only that Mr.. Oglesby
made such speech. 1t is not denied that
he did it in other places Yet the Repub-
| lican party dominates him for governor
and asks its adherents TO vote for him.
Can Christian men point their sons to:such
man as Richard Oglesby as the highest
type of manhood and charge their sons 70
take him as the model on which to form
their lives, and not blush? If religion is
reality it should influence the conduct of is
| Go %, 10 s a.
demand the nomination for Office of men
whose conduct and language in public is
al least that of a gentleman-certainly not
such as if used TO them in their own sitting
rooms they would take as an intentional
insult. Yet there are men in Ottawa de-
voting all their energies to secure Mr.
Oglesbys election who would pronounce
country boy who should use that gentle
mans language as rough, rude and profane.
Much worse is it for a man of years and
varied experience to thus demean himself
in public than for youth who has seen
title of the world, and doubly bad is it for
the party of reform and morality to put
man who will descend to this level at the
head of its ticket. 1t is saying either we
have no really pure, good men in our par
ty, or the people of Illinois are so coarse
and rough that a gentleman would be unac.
ceptable to them and could not be elected
The first construction is high compliment
to the party; the second to the people Of
the state. The managers here, as in the
case of the presidency, give conscientious
men no chance, except to bolt the nomina-
ton. They would, however, brighten them
into doing their bidding by saying to them,
"But what will you do? If you do not vote
our ticket you will help worse men into.
office" This is a bad dilemma truly. But
shall we do evil to keep some one else from
doing worse? Certainly not We may do
light ourselves though all the world do
wrong And if we must have for governor
either a man who is coarse and somewhat
profane or one who is more so, the last
should be chosen, for the worse he is the
sooner will the people be disguised with
his conduct and the more likely will they
be to demand good men for high places in
the future. Had il been understood in the
past that christians would vote for NO man
whose outward life was not in full con.
formity to the moral code, neither Mr..
Blaine's nor Mr.. Oglesbys name would
have found place at the head of a Repub-
ican ticket II is only because they be-
ieve that the average voter will do their
bidding that party managers give us such
candidates as they do. Those who help to-
elect an Objectionable man TO office are
more 10 blame than those who nominate
him.
Again, ii is said Mr.. Oglesby is man of
ability. But talent gentility and refine
nent are not at all antagonistic, in fact are
,ften associated, and the possession of tai
mt absolves no man from the obligation
III are under to be genteel in public az
east. 1t is a somewhat curious psychology
al condition that enables moral and reli-
rious men to pardon a man, although he
nav break the whole decalogue, provided
,e possesses talent, which with nineteen
nut of twenty means that he has an army
# wards at command, OF has secured an
lection 10 some Office above that of road
We fail to comprehend why an educated
r AN old and experienced man should be
,ermitted to do with IMMUNITY that which
would disgrace youth or condemn the
who fails 10 be blessed with