The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-09-15
Some County POlitiss,

4 Some County Politics.
Mr.. Walter Reeves, In naming Mr.. Muir.
dock, said: 1--WE present no boys with
promise Of things in the future. We present
man with achievements behind" This
was something Of q slur on Cullen and
Stead, but passing that over, the question
that has arisen in the minds Of those who
know Murdoch best is, what are his
achievements" accomplished? A vigorous
search Of the records of the county and cir.
cult courts does not reveal the fact that he
ever tried unaided q case before q Jury,
though he has been admitted to practice
about ID years, nor has he ever tried con.
tested chancery case before the court with
out the assistance Of some other attorney.
His practice has consisted Of justice cases
and divorce suits. There is not member
Of the La Sale county bar but knows that
Jay T. Murdoch is absolutely without the
qualifications to fill the office Of prosecuting
attorney Of the county. He is now about 4s
years old. He has reached as high point
in his profession IS his abilities ever will al,
low him to, and that point is not ofa better
Grade than third class. To elect him would
be to place the office in the hands of one who
would be powerless to defend the county and
the peoples interests. Mr.. Murdoch has
achieved nothing in the past that warrants
the hope Of anything in tho future. His
achievements behind and promise in the
future" combined, amount, in legal point
Of view, to very large sized cypher.
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| To rob Streator Of Mr.. Murdoch would be
to take from it very shrewd real estate and
claim buyer in petty way, and give Ottawa
and the prosecuting attorneys office q
mighty poor lawyer
Mr.. Reeves said: when Mr.. Murdoch
Is elected the peoples witnesses will not be
kept waiting from day to day upon the
courts" Why. no. Certainly not, Mr..
Reeves. for the simple reason that Murdoch
could not draw up an indictment that would
stand long enough to necessitate the calling
Of any witnesses.
We venture to say that in all the history
of county conventions in La Sale county 80
small lawyer as Jay 7. Murdoch, of Strea-
tor, was never presented for 50 large an office
as that of prosecuting attorney of the second
county in Illinois. Its farcical!
go
The unfortunate poor who are compelled
through no fault Of their own to ask and re-
ceive county aid, will feel very grateful to
Mr.. johnson, candidate for circuit clerk on
the republican ticket, for his vote on the
county board Of supervisors this week, TO-
publish their names in the public prints.
Mr.. Johnson's vote indicates that an unfor.
Inmates poverty should be made matter
of public notoriety. This may be in the in,
terest Of very small economy, but it is an
outrage on decent sense of humanity
David Ross, republican candidate for the
legislature, has the gift Of public talk,
though his gift Of ideas is not as conspicuous
ocratic candidate for the same Office, has the
gift Of correct ideas, and is wanting in the
gift of public talk. We believe man with
ideas is to be preferred to man with wind,
and our observation is that the laboring man
who does the least public blowing is the
laboring man who has the best interests of
labor most at heart, and because Of this We
think MIR. Trench acts wisely in disregard
ing Ross buncombe challenge to a joint dis
cussion. 1t is very theatrical on Mr.. Ross
part. 1t is quite as cheap as his expressed
surprise at the unexpected honor" done
him in giving him the nomination.
Mr. Arnold has held the Office of recorder
for ten ears. He thinks he owns It, He
is sure he divides with Blaine the ownership
of the republican party, body, soul and
breeches Andrew E. Bach and his friends
will probably concede that he is correct in
this belief. He also boasts that he owns
and controls large portion Of the German
democrats in Ottawa. Mendoza, La Sale,
Peru and Streator. Just here We take issue
with him, and we look for the German dem
ocrats in the cities named and throughout
the county to demonstrate to Mr.. Arnold
that he is this time reckoning without his
host. He has used democrats about long
enough as catspaws to draw from the fire
chestnuts for his own and the republican
party's use.
-.
We have taken some pains to inquire into
the legal abilities Of Nicholas W. Cummings,
democratic candidate for states attorney and
We find that he is lawyer better read and
grounded in the principles Of the law than
the average. He is graduate of Niagara
College, one Of the leading colleges Of the
state of New York, where he stood high as
a scholar. He read law and afterwards prso-