The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-05-23
LOGAN WINS.


ture can be given in few words. The pla
apparently adopted by the Democrats las
week to deprive the Republicans of the aC
vantage they had gained by the trick o
Viewers election, by keeping the join
: convention in continuous session so tina
Weaver could not be admitted to his seat
was abandoned on Friday, and Weaver, Oh
motion of Democrat, admitted and sworl
in. The two parties then agreed to truce
until Tuesday of this week, when a tna
effort should be made TO end the squabbl,
without further delay.
Tuesday both parties were on hand to
man, the Republicans eXultant and conf
dent in their assured majority of two OF
joint ballot and the Democrats, in a minor
ity Of two, naturally depressed. Yet there
was a faint hope that, on account of the
persistent opposition several Republican
members had shown to their party nomi
nee, that at least Logan might yet be de
| feated, and that the successful man, though
not Democrat, might owe his election tC
| Democratic votes. The first ballot, how.
ever, dissipated all such hopes Every Re
publican vote was cast for Logan --103-
lust enough to elect him, and although the
Democrats offered to vote for Charles B.
| Farwell and one or two other Republicans,
not Logan vote could be shaken, and
finally the Democrats having concentrated
their vote on Lambert Tree, the result was
announced by Speaker Haines, declaring
John A. Logan elected
1t was folly to expect any other result.
Sitig, upon whose opposition to Logan
some reliance was placed, tits to be remem-
bered had said month ago when his vote
alone was needed to elect Logan he should
have il, and it was folly to expect a weak
man like Ruger, though elected as an indie
pendent Republican from a strong Demo
cratic district, to stand up alone against the
united will of the party
The defeat of Logan, after the party mo
matter by what means had secured an un-
questionable majority of two on joint ballot,
was no more to be expected than would
have been the defeat of Douglas in 1853,
after his memorable contest with Lincoln,
for in the legislature that then re.elected
him, the Democrats had but two majority
on joint ballot, yet after the Legislature met
no serious effort was even thought of to
defeat Douglass election.
The Democrats fooled away" their on
ly chance of success in the early stages of
the contest-when the parties We're still at
tie--by failing to cast their united vote
| for Morrison. lie had been the choice of
the party by an overwhelming majority
the vote showed that there was no other
Democrat in the state that stood so high in
the confidence of the party, and the "kick-
ers" had no right to ask him to be with
drawn until he had repeatedly secured the
party's united vote Then if he couldn't
be elected it was right he should be with
drawn; but even when-too late in the day
he did get that united vote and was then
withdrawn, the sequel showed that no
other Democrat could do better
AT the same time it is folly for Demo
Gratis to blame each other or reproach them
selves on account of the unfortunate cleo
ton of Weaver in the 3ith district. That
was an accident that might just as easily
have happened in the case of senator
Griggs, who received by $50 votes in dis
trict of 5000 votes while Leeper, in dis
trict of the same size, received 500 votes
All there is TO say about Weaver and
through him the ultimate triumph Of Lo-
gan, is that it was the result OF an "exces-
svely mean, dishonest and dirty trick"
1t is true, as the Times suggests
there was perhaps no excuse for the
sleepy inaction of the Thirty fourth district
Democrats, who allowed the enemy to steal
ioritv of over 1000 votes; but the district
was none the less stolen. 1t was not cap
tured in fair fight but obtained by process
precisely similar in every moral light to
that which gives burglar possession Of a
sleepy citizens watch. General Logan goes
back to his senatorial seat In Washington
deeply marked with the infamy of this
fraud-for fraud it was, and is, as infam-
GUS in its essence as any case of ballot box
stuiling that has appeared this year, here
or elsewhere The fact that the Thirty
| fourth district Democrats neglected 70
guard their stable door does not relieve
those who stole the horse of the crime Of
robbery"
But whatever stain the fraud " may he
upon Logan's escutcheon in the eyes of
Democrats or honest men generally 1t will
be no reproach to him In the eyes of his
party. On the contrary, all over the coun-
try his election will be hailed as a great
personal victory, and It will give him such
a prestige as cannot fail to raise him to great
prominence for the party leadership In the
presidential contest of 1888