The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-09-25
MEsSRS. GENTLEMAN AND FOWLER.
Their career AZ Democrats--Tbe Journal
The Globe Colonel Plumb.

Al no time and under no circumstances
has the editor Of the FREE TRADER ever taken
sOnal attacks that have been made upon him.
From the columns Of this paper he has rigid.
ly excluded everything that could in any
wise be construed as reply made to anything
said Of him relative 10 either his personal or
political character. He feels certain that
the people of La Sale county care little or
nothing about the estimate in which he is
held by the 'independent' dailies and week,
lies of Ottawa and neighboring cities, and
they shall not be wearied 10y having thrust
upon them through the FREE TRADER long
and prcstless controversy.
As long as the clique that is supporting
the attacks made upon him CO. mined them
solves to his personality it was matter of
Indifference to him, but when they attempt
to create discord and dissenson in demo
cratic ranks. duty and justice to the demo,
cratic party compe,s him 10 make mention
of them that the individual democrats of La
Sale county may know just what heed to
pay to thier ma.i.i,us and senseless mouth
ings
At their head and as their chief spokes-
men are willard Gentleman and Chase Fowl
er. The editor of the FREE TRADER is frank
to confess that he has no respect for these
men either as to their morals, their mental
capacities or their social qualiticsand yet ,des-
pite his contempt for them, he would not ques.
tion their right, if democrats, to have their
advice taken by democrats for what it is
worth, did he not firmly believe them to be
political prostitutes and thus beyond the pale
of political recognition. 1t is in this view Of
the case that the FREE TRADER presents to
the democrats Of the county slight review
of The political character of willard Gentle,
man and Chase Fowler, late editors of the
Ottawa Journal and present directors and
editors of the Ottawa G'oJe. After reading
the following statement of facts, let demo
Gratis determine how much weight should be
given to what they say, either in their indi-
vidual capacity or through the columns Of
the papers subservient to them, as to wha.
the democrats of La Sale county should or
should not do,
Ii has not been and is not now the policy
% ,bo Eppr Tp,pup ~ t,Ea opv nov, IN TIM
prelimnaries to the democratic convention,
nor to say aught that could be construed as
favoring any candidate rather than another
in his contest for the nomination. But in
pursuing such policy, it is not necessary
nor expedient to overlook or to ferbear to
comment upon disreputable conduct on the
part of those who, pretending to be demo.
Gratis, are, in truth and in fact but political
guerillas, claiming membership in the demo
cratic party for the sole and only purpose of
strengthening their power for evil by posing
as the leaders and mouth. pieces of a suppos-
ed faction or wing Of the party whose
Cancellation y they would have decent demo
Gratis believe is essential to party success.
When it is remembered that less than
year ago Willard Gentleman and Chase
Fowler were indicted by a La Sale county
grand jury for the crime Of conspiracy in
perpetrating, tor the purpose Of electing
nominee of the republican party for circuit
Judge, the most villainous electioneering
trick ever practiced in this county, and that
BOTH though admitting their guilt, were by
the merciful consideration of the Circuit
Court discharged without trial on the ground
that their conduct, though shameless and
disgraceful, was not, in the eye Of the law,
criminal. it is but fair to say they are not
entitled to standing in the ranks of any po-
litical party.
The first role acted by Willard Gentleman
and Chase Follower in the politics Of this
county was that of secret editors of the OF.
tawa Journal, an "independent newspaper
whose columns during almost the entire
campaign of 1882 were filled with abusive
articles against those democratic candidates
who refused to pay them money and particu-
larly those who we're the objects of the
secret editors personal spite. The cOnnec-
ton with that paper. thus formed and main
tanned by these men, was constantly and EN-
phatically denied by both until sometime
prior to the campaign of 1884, the nominal
editor of the paper, J. Frank Kendig, pub
licly announced, with expressions of sine, re
regret. that Messrs. Gentlemen and Fowler
had lust dissolved their connection there
with, and that the paper would thereafter be
entirely under the control of the nominal
editor, Kendig. The course of the paper
subsequently and during the campaign of
1884 is too well known TO democrats to re
auire any statement further than that it be-
came and continued to he an organ for the
support of Col. Plumb for congress, and
filthy sewer for abuse of democratic candi
dates, particularly Mr., Taylor, candidate for
Circuit Clerk. Though the change of editors
was announced, there was no corresponding