The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-01-18
MIR BLAKE AGAIN.

YOU publisher in wednesdays JOuIWut
regarding the FREE TRADERS attack
upon me and the demand that / cause
an Indictment to be brought against
YOU was true as stated. Furthermore,
a FREE TRADER representative fol-
lowed me from Trainings corner TO
the Opera House while the body was
i'm session, demanding that | make
complaint. | told him TO go before
the grand jury himself, and he SAID
he'd go and see Eat" and see II ne
would like him to do So"
This Mr.. Blake will vOuch for, etc
Journal
All we have to say to Mr.. Blake and
his only apologist, Lester A. Rose,
late editor of the obscene, blackmall-
ing Roses Nose, Bay city Gro'rler, and
Cincinnati Sunday Ne,rs, is, that II
they, or either Of them, will put the
above statement in the form OF an
affidavit, made under oath, the FREE
TRADER will undertake to send either
of them or both Of them TO the penl-
Tertiary for perjury.
But even were it true, what can be
said of prosecuting attorney VINO, IN
violation Of the law, reports on the
streets and to the newspapers the
names of men whom citizens have
sought to indict before the grand
Jury? What respect has "A man for
the law, the violators of which he is
elected by the people to prosecute,
who himself openly violates it for his
own purposes, as in this case?
And what respect has the prosecutor
for the law, violations OF which 1T is
his sworn duty to prosecute, when he
openly refuses to prosecute the man
Rose, who has openly violated the law?
He (the prosecutor) himself yesterday
said that quite number of citizens
had called his attention especially to
the man Rose and his violation OF the
lottery act, and he refused to hear
their complaints.
The FREE TRADER did not start
out in this matter to prosecute Prose
cutOr Blake. His conduct was rank
and his neglect of his official duties
had become public disgrace and a
menace to the good name and dignity
of La Sale county. 1t called upon
him to attend to his duties as prose
cutting attorney, which he has so
shamefully neglected. The FREE
TRADER thought word would have
been sufficient to put him on his man
hood so that he would attend to his
business, as he is so abundantly quail
fed to do when he maintains the
mastery over himself. The FREE
TRADER never had any falling out
with him in all the years its editors
have known him. 1t had and has no
revenge to hurl at him now. But as a
public newspaper, the public interest
demanded, under the circumstances,
that he be called upon to perform his
duty, in the interests Of public dignity
and the common protection from law
breakers, to afford which the
Office of prosecution was created,
and the FREE TRADER will take
good care he does perform that
duty in the future, or he will be forced
to step down and out Of the Office
which he is bringing into disrepute,
and the business of which is going to
the dogs.
That Rose should support him in
his shameful misconduct of the past
few months is eminently characteristic
of the man. Rose needs the good will
of the prosecuting attorney here as he
has frequently before this needed it
elsewhere, and the result has shown
that he has been able to get and keep
it here if not elsewhere. Blake him
self yesterday said that several citi-
zens had called his attention to Roses
violations of the lottery act, yet he
himself takes credit to himself for re-
fusing to have the matter investigated
by the grand jury. Why? Did he
think he would need Rose to defend
him in just such an emergency as this?
q Rose is wise in his iniquity. He has
known he was not likely to be dis
turbed by an Indictment so long as he
could hold Blake in line by keeping ST.
lent as to his shameful neglect OF pub
lie business. He has had immunity
from trouble, and he is now paying
his debt by defending man whose
past record as prosecutor has no de-
Tense.
The FREE TRADER cOmmends his
conduct in this matter to the hoCest,
law abiding men and women of the
city of Ottawa for their consideration.
Is 1t the behavior of a square" man?
Or is it the ruse Of man who is seek
ing to protect himself from the pen
atty of violated statute by winking
at a gross abuse Of public trust,
upon the complete fultlllment Of which
depends the peace and dignity Of a
lAD