The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-11-20
JUDGE BLANCHARD'S MOVE.


Some time since The friends OF Mr.. Geo.
w. w. Blake, late master In chancery OF
La Sale county, presented to the Circuit
judges of this circuitthe following petition;
To ne Hon Judges ofht Oh Judicial CIR,
cut of the State Of Illinois:
We, the undersigned, members Of the
La Sale county bar, do hereby req lest
that you reappoint Geo, w, w. Blake mas
ter In chancery of said county, at the ex.
pirstion of his present term:
Jas W Duncan, B f Lincoln, NJ T Mo.
loney, Bird Bick ford, w A Morey, f c
Lewis, Hiram r Gilbert, L w Brewer,
Daniel Evans, Vim = Jackson, Geo ID
Ladd, S = Hail. A O'Conor, V j Duncan,
II } Gallagher, A X Greenwood, Geo ii
Locey, J A Lamberton, + 5 Browne 5 w
Bartlett, J w Browne, l. S Seaman, Otto
Keiselbach, John A Whitmore, Winslow
Evans, } G. Armstrong, II NJ Gallagher, J
l. Buland, J G Boyle, Arthur Lock wood,
John W Blee, d f Trainer, l. A Lockwood,
J lvor Montgomery, Robert Muir, a j
Williamson, n kilburn, l. ii Strawn, Geo
II Haight f A Sherwood. T G Trenary, T
f. Mackinlay, l. Leland, NJ n Armstrong,
TT Lynch, G Griggs, n W Cummings, G
Cullen, S w Ruger, j + Nash, &c Swift,
p Carey, V Is Weeks, 5 Nicholson, Viii
lard Gentleman, Jas J Conway, e ii K
Thomas, b Ruger, ID L Devlin, T " ID
Crane, J II Eckels, A Ney Cooley, NJ
Blanchard, J Il Rice, X Z Hin, w ii
Stead, l. b Croker, Horace Hull, f Rob,
son, w f Whitmore, Geo f Glass Geo f
Bedford, w l. Seeley.
Judge Blanchard. upon whom devolved
the duty of appointing the master, looked
over the petition, noticed that it was signed
by some seventy three members of the La
Sale county bar, more than twothirds of
the whole number OF attorneys In the
county; called to mindtnat II was customary
to appoint AT the request Of a majority of
the bar; remem bered that in the past pol
tics had carried no influence In the select
ing OF the man who should I'LL the office 4;
treasured himself that when candidate
for circuit Judge before the people, he had
eschewed party politics, and prohibited a
partisan campaign 10 far as he was con
cerned; congratulated himself upon his
election upon non partisan issue observed
that Mr.. Blake was democrat and not a
and then satisfied with 1t all,
to appoint as master In chancery
Mr. McDougall, who is republican and
who Is not democrat.
Mr. McDougall was not the choice Of q
of the attorneys of La sale coun-
ty; he was not the choice of even ma
jority of those of his own political faith;
he Is not better fitted TO discharge the du.
ties of the office given him than Is Mr..
Blake, and the only excuse that Judge
Blanchard or Judge BlanChsrd's friends
can give for having selected him in spite
Of the fact that he WAS not wanted by those
who must transact business with him, is
that he Is republican In politics, and that
On that account he is preferable TO Mr..
Blake, who Is democrat.
Mr.. Blake has made an efficient master
Turing his incumbency of the office; his
accounts were admirably kept, his work
well and quickly done, his popularity with
The bar unquestioned, A long and estab-
ished custom OF two terms" made him
md bis friends feel that he would be ap-
pointed to succeed himself despite the fact
hat the majority of the judges were OF an
opposite political faith This belief was
when 1t was known that
Judge Blanchard WAS to make the appoint
uent, for Ju ge Blanchard had ever when
. candidate for the judgeship, expressed
himself as strongly against craftsmanship in
he acts of the judiciary, and there seemed
o he no reason why his ante. election SEN
iments should NOT be carried out by his
post election acts But they have not, and
o day Judge Blanchard finds himself in
he unpleasant position of man in public
)tIice under the fire OF public criticism.
He Is the first judge, in the late history
t least, of the District to DO that which he
limself so strongly protested againt viz
politics in Judicial acts. He
an scarcely blame the people if they find
sult with them, and hn can scarcely deem !
hem unreasonable ii in the future they
sk him 10 make his campaigns as a par
isan rather than a non partisan.
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