The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-10-03
THE JUDICIAL ELECTION,

luD SODIOlhh LA1AiSAA'N''
Judge Parks, whom the viii county baI
had put upon the track AS nonpartiSa'
candidate for Judge in this judicial district
having carefully looked over the grouno
and come to the conclusion that he couldn'
he elected, Withdrew from the contest
HAVING failed 10 find an available candidate
10 oppose Judge Gilbert as "A non partisan,
his disappointed opponents In Wi'i' uruh'
DIV and Bureau counties have concluded to
try what can be done in that way by BRING
ing to their aid the machinery Of the he
publican party. They have therefore pre-
vailed upon the various chairmen OF the
Republican county committees of the coun-
ties in the district to unite upon call for a
Republican district convention to be held
at Morris on the 10th inst. TO nominate n
partisan candidate for Judge, to be sup
ported as a partisan, and not on account OF
the possession of qualifications superior or
equal to those of his opponent
A serious obstacle to the smooth working
of the plan, however, has been encountered
in the great county of La Sale. The chair
man of the republican county committee
there, knowing the body of the party to be
opposed to making the judicial contest
political one refused to order the assem-
bling of n county delegate convention, AS.
suggested by the call, but called his com
mttee together to talk the matter over
The committee met on Thursday, and after
due deliberation decided not to call coun
ty delegate convention, but instead OF 1t
called mass meeting, 10 be held at the
court house in Ottawa October 10th, to de
eide "whether our party shall send dele
gates to said circuit convention or not.
Whether, if said mass meeting decides
that the party shall send delegates to said
circuit convention, the meeting will pro
coed to appoint the delegates Though no
such power is given it in the CALI remains
TO be seen.
There is no concealing the fact, however,
that the whole business is exceedingly dis
tasteful to the mass of the Republicans Of
this county 1t is the first attempt in the
district to bring party machinery to bear in
our judicial election and to make party
,ealty and not fitness for the Office, the
ssue. The Ottawa RepWlican, the leading
organ of the party in the county pours a
,olumn Of cold water on the scheme and
ookes at the movers of it the following
among other conundrums
Waving the question of the authority
tor calling this convention for the present
he practical question for Republicans is:
Is it desirable to nominate party Caudi-
late under the circumstances, and, If 50,
an the party in the district be organized |
n the short time allowedy Does the party
iesirc 70 take the responsibility of poli'i-
al contest over judicial Office with the
perfect knowledge that many true Repub.
leans are opposed to II party nomination,
md will not support it?
And the staid old organ proceed, sol
'mnly TO warn the authors of the scheme
hat we do not, in advance, pledge sup
port TO whomsoever the convention may
nominate
The Ottawa Times, the county organ Of
he party next in influence, is still more
rejecting the partisan scheme
n toto and proclaimng It's purpose in ad-
'ance, whoever may he nominated by the
"to support Judge Gilbert, as
ye have heretofore done, and will not be
into any other course"
The upshot of it is that the partisan
lodge in this county cannot be made to
york, nor do we believe it will succeed any
better In the rest of the district Whoever
nay be nominated at Morris, this at least is
,ertan, the party has no other timber in
he district that is the equal, either on the
core of purity of character or ability rs Il
urist, to Judge Parks and he, though sure
If as many republican votes in the district
Is any party nominee will get, having sat
SIZED himself that he could not be elected,
what hope is there for the "Tom, Dick or
Harry that may be put on the track at
Morris in his stead? Judge Gilbert will
get three fourths of the votes of this county
against any candidate the convention is
likely TO name, and RS he will at least hold
his own in the other counties of the dis.
rict, his election may be regarded as a
fOregone conclusion.
Our efficient County Superintendent of