The Ottawa free trader. [volume], May 29, 1886, Image 4

About The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916

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Bit (Otto m Cwilcr.
" Ottawa. 1- 'y
ri'BI.IBUKl Kv KRY (UTl UIMY MoUNINO,
At Noh. Oil to 015 La Nulle Street,
ivr TAlB.)
WM. OSMAN fc SONS, l'roprictoi
J A 8. H. ECKELS, Kl'ITOB.
Tioyi a Subscription:
In KtTnce, pernnum J
It nin piu ww uv.
iuot pud till end of li lmiiitlu W.uu
Fifteen rente jer 1 Jilrd to rpcst.i out f the
County to cover prepayment ui
TUoe terms will be atrtctly adhere to.
Tn uill. BliltsCItinElLS.
Plcae be ceruin that tfie date on Hie imme Ubel on
your ppor inulcauu the Uuie to whirli you have paid
t i. j .iu n.ttifl' lia ITIlintt-
your tuwonpwm. n h uu w i-n
ji..w Tn bonnlnirtlieip account! With 10 IliallV dlfflT
nt lulncrlberi errori are liable to occur, and we take
li -.v..... ... kx,n .nrna'l ai-i- ,11 11 f With lliall ut)-
IIU lltrillwu L '
crlbcra. If the label u lint corrected within two wee k.
after we ihould have received payment pieiun- noun .
We are even more snxluiM than you to have the account
Wat n
Tn Fart Trahkb may be obtained at the followlnn
plaoca by the elui?lc cniT.or iibwrlptl..m will be taken
fur any lrntftliol tunc at tne rrgumr mm.
K. II. 1'oolkh. Serena, 111.
I. II. TtowBHlnut, Mitrm-lllt.
D II. UnBiiiu,8i'tn'c.
Gt mot H. IIkrcihh, f'.r Tn.y Grove, Ophlr and Wal
tham. Addn-aa, Trciy (iruvv.
IVn.liiiaati'r 111 tU-lllllll.
1'oatiiiHrlex at Tolilca.
Pit. K. It. Arwniiii, LuMniit.
fcn. IIiiioi.NH, ii Dealer, Mendntn.
fuMlmUtrrMii ut U.triMfrilfl.
I'i tinaftent are auihnrii! to receive iiti-orltli.iiii
at all poatnlneua In tlila futility.
ANVASHISII Ar.KVTN
Wanted In every town In USulle county. I.lher il coin
mbuilonii P'il'1 In mli. Write fur tmn, m tulliiK iffer
elite j In all cutieit.
Enured at (' ' "' (tt"rn. IUin"U, m
,VrtHi U(M Mail J'Ki'T.
Current Events.
On Wednesday tlie somite took up the
Mil providing for the taxation of railroad
land grunts, but failed to come to a vote
upon it. Upon tlie bill for the improve
nientof the Mississippi river, .Senator Van
Wyck made a favorable report, and tlie
bill supplementary and amendatory of the
"American Immigration bill of 11" was
discussed. Thursday was given over to
pronouncing eulogies upon Senator Miller,
late deceased, speeches being made by
Senators Stanford, Hearst, Edmunds, Lo
gan, Fair, Harrison and others. The bill
"restoring to the United States certain of
the lands'granted to the Northern I'acllic
railroad' whs also discussed. The lull pro
x imps to forfeit from W'allula to Portland,
Oregon, a xirtioti of theoriuiual grant over
which the Northern Pacific railroad does
not now contenipl.te building a line. Sen
tor Van Wyck, of Nebraska, proposed an
amendment, which provides tor the fur
feituro of all the Northern Put itic railroad
grunt except lands for which the lines
were completed before J uly 4. 1S71, and
except the right of way. After some dis
cushion the Senator from Nebraska with
drew his amendment und offered a substi
tute, one providing for the forfeiture of
such K)rtions of the land as were cotermi
nous with the part of the main line and
tranches not completed at the time of the
passage of the act being considered.. At
the time of adjournment, on Thursday, no
Vote had been taken.
The report submitted by Representative
Harris, from the Committee m Ways and
Means, recommending the passage of a bill
amending the laws in relation to high
wines, contains the following explanation
of the bill: "The principal feature of this
bill providing fur the fortification of w ines
for export is analogous to existing provi
sions of law, authorising the transfer of
spirits free of tax, to manufacturing ware
houses, to be used in compounding medi
cines, perfumery, cosmetics, cordials, and
other liquors for export. It Is true that the
spirits used in the manufacture of medi
t ines, etc., are so used in a bonded ware
house, while the bill provides tor tlie for
tification of wines alongside of the export
ing vessel in a case of exportation by sea,
and also at the point of departure when
ever the exportation is to lie effected by
land carriage, iu which latter case provi
sion Is made for the sealing of tlie pack
ages and of the vehicles containing the
saine." The bill has the approval of both
the Secretary of the Treasury and Com
missioner of Internal Revenue.
During the present week the House has
devoted the greater share of the time o a
discussion of the bill to tax the manufact
ure, and sale of nleoinargeilne. A great
number of speeclos have hewn mnde hnth
in support of and against the measure.
The opponeuts of the bill believing it can
nut be beaten outright have adopted lili
b'ls'erlu; tactics to prevent action belli,' tak
en upon it. They believe that by hard
lighting they call get at least a reduction
ol the proposed tax to one or two cents per
pound. On Thursday afternoon in coin
inittee of tlie whole voted down by a Vote
of 1 lit to -1 1 amendments offered reducing
the special tax imposed upon lis mauufact
ure from fiOO to lu().
Land Commissioner Sparks in n. decision
on Thursday rejected the claim of the Wis
consin Central Railroad Farm Mortgage
Land company to about l',M,(ioil acres ot
Indemnity lands selected in lis -J and INK"
under the act of June If, ls"iti. The coin
inisKioner follows the decision of the Court
of Claims and the Supreme court in tlie
case of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul
railroad company against the United States,
and holds that the action of the states in
disposing of the laud granted for the ion
structlon of the road between Portage and
Toinah for the benefit of the farm mort
gaire company was a diversion of tlie same
Ircmi the purpose for which they were
gr.iutcd, and while congress assented to
such diversion its assent applied only to
the. lauds whltdi have been certified to the
state pi it ir to tlie passage of the act of duly
21, In is, and not to lands which were thru
uuselected and uncertified, Mid which were
not coterminous 11h the road between Por
tage and Toman. He therefore holds the
company's selections for cancellation, sub
ject to appeal within sixty days.
Representative I'reckenrldge, of Ken
tucky, on Thursday rerxtrted favoraNy
from the Committee on Ways and Means
a kill to provide that manufactured twhacco,
Niff, ami cigars may be removed for ex
port to a foreign country wittiout payment
ii tax, under stich regulations as the Com
mlagioner of Internal Revenue shall pre
Bctibe. The bill also repeals section 3,1 11
' of the Revised Statutes authorizing the ap
pointment of one or more inspectors of
cigars in each congressional district, to re
ceive as compensation such fees from mauu
facturers as the Com mis loner of Internal
Revenue may prescribe.
TLe House Committee on Military Af
.fairs hare reported a bill to authorize the
Cl.ee.i.i. and N'""'iciti It ',.: !('...; ir
f. build its road across the Knit K ii-I and
Knit l.iranii' limitary p-scn...). u.- ihm i
slldl restrictions as mnv be approved by
the Secretary ot War. Tlie light of way is
not to exceed KM feet.
The House Committee on Indian Affairs
hlis under consideration a bill to refer all
claims for Indian depredations committed
subsequent to 111 to a commission to be
appointed t," President. It is est i mat
ed that the aggrate amount of these claims
will be about $1 1,000,000.
In the House on Thursday Representa
tive Miller submitted the conference re
port on the bill "alstlisliing certain fees."
etc. In connection with American shipping.
Thlsls the bill containing the f rye amend
ment authorizing the President to deny, by
proclamation, to vessels of foreign coun
tries nrlvlllires as ure denied to American
vessels In such forelcn countries. The re-
nort was concurrred in. Mr. Miller explain
ed that tlie hill as agreed to In conference
was substantially us it was passed by the
Senate.
The Irish Home-Rule reform bill still
holds fire. The uncertainty which has
clouded the Premier's measure from the
outset has not been doue away with, ami
it Is now as diflicult to foretell the fate of
the bill as it was when It was first Intro
duced a month since. During the past
week various rumors ave been circulated
as to what Mr. (Hailstone would do, bat
none seem to have tinv foundation upon
which to rest. It was said that the Pre
mier would go to the country on the bill at
once, but this Is hardly probable. On
Thursday Mr Gladstone held a meeting of
the liberals at the foreign otllce, which was
largely attended by his supporters and by
none of the Hartlngton and Chamberlain
adherents To those who met with him
he announced that the government had de
cided to modify the ( lalise (No. 'JImI the
home rule bill, excluding Irish representa
tives from Westminster. lie, however, did
not state what the mollification promised
should be, but contented himself with say
ing that the government had decided to
modify tlie clause, provided the bill passed
to its second reading and was referred to m
select committee for action during the
autumn session of parliament, at which
time he said he would introduce an amend
ed Irish home rule bill. The meeting cor
dially approved the position taken by their
chief. It Is claimed bv tiladstone's fob
lowers that this moditicilion on his part
will iiifUre the bill's passage on a sect.r.d
reading, but they give no figures to prove
their assertion. The best evidence ot their
ground of hope is to be found In the great
number of bolting liberals w ho ure return
lug to the Premier's cause.
MEMORIAL DAY.
The follow ing poem, written some years
since by Hon. John Howard P.ryant, of
Princeton, 111 , the only surviving brother
of the late William Cullcu Rryant, Is in it
stdf so sweet a comment upon Memorial
Day that we deem It well worthy editorial
space, lhe day should he observed In
such a spirit as will leave after it neither
partisan feeling nor sectional animosity. It
should he a commemoration dsy, kept
sacred to the memory tf those w ho w il
lingly laid down their lives to save their
country's honor and preserve national integ
rity:
Calm sleep our bravo through all the land
The brave, who for their country died.
I!y mountain-steep and river strund,
And by the restless ocean's side.
Calm sleep our bravo. To-day we orne,
Not with the ciuiuou's fearful roar,
Not with lhe martial roll of drum,
To call to battlo fields once more;
But 'neath this soft, blue sky of May,
In these serene and peaceful hours,
We come upon these graves lo lay
Froli garland twined with vernal flowers.
Not that the form that sleeps in death,
Heeds the light footstep pressing near,
But that this title of living breath,
May thrill with holier impulse here.
0, ye dead heroes! let us not
Neglect at each returning spring,
To meet upon this sacred spot
A nil here our grateful offerings bring.
Nor here alono, but far and near,
Where'er our soldiers sleep In clay,
May pilgrims come eatdi passing year,
And there the meed of honor pay.
0 never let their memory die!
Who saved to freedom, power and fame,
This laud, when darkness veiled our sky
And o'ei" us rolled war's wasting Haute.
Nor let these tender rites be lost;
By them shall cumiitg times be taught,
Through what deep pain, what counties cost,
Tho xNation's power to live wiu bought.
Warued by lhe awful bloody past,
I'schewing bitterness and strife,
May our dear country stand at last,
Renewed iu all its inner life.
Then through a long ami prosperous reljtn,
Shall ("oil's irond ungels round us stand,
Ami peace and friendship with their train,
Bless a united, happy land.
LEOPOLD VON RANKE.
Lord Macauley, in reviewing an earlier
work of Leopold Vtm Ranke, "The Eccles
iastical and Political History of the Ptqies
of Rome during tho Sixteenth and Seven
teen Centuries," wrote: "The work of Pro.
fesior Ranke Is kuown and esteemed w here
ever (Senium literature Is studied. It is,
Indeed, the work of a mind fitted both for
minute researches and lor large specula
tions. It is written also in an admirable
spirit, equally remote from levity and
bigotry; serious and earnest, yet tolerant
and impartial."
The judgment of the most brilliant ol
essayists was not amiss ; ami to-day, now
that the great Uerman historian Is dead, It
can lie reiterated with as much of truth as
when utterance was given to It half a cen
tury ago. To a marked degree Von Ranke
(xessed the essentials of the true histor
ian ami critic. IU was deeply learned
In the history of every nation. Fraui lis
eailiest youth uatil utertaken by death at
the 8ge of ninety-one, he devoted all the
energies of his being to historical research,
and so diligent was he in reducing his ac
quired kuowledga to writing that in tlie
libraries of the world are to be found more
than fifty volumes of his own authorship.
Von Ranke's mental make-up was of a
character that led him net only to le histor
ically accurate In his writing, but keenly J
;! p tv '!. 'I'' mii;,M in '
i illMcd Id-' ry of niaey pc
the
i- en:i:eil to uiscuss leaiut 'iiy upon
philosophy of government, and to den. on
state with mathematical precision the c
act relationship which one event bote to
another and the effect which it had upon
the people Mid the government.
Herein was to be found the secret of his
greatness as a historian. He was ahvays
philosophic, and upon the facts of history
brought to bear the force of a fund of !
litical philosophy of which he was jmis
sessed; nud thus many of his writings are
not less valuable as purely Ktlitical works
than they are as historical ones. It Is not
a diflicult thini' to collate simple historical
t, I, ... I I, !...
facts, but It Is to deduct from them their
resultant effects, Isith Immediate and fu
ture. Having the ability to do the latter,
Von Ranke will always be accorded a high
place among the world's few great histor
ians. HOW IT HAPPENS- j
When it was announced a week since
that Governor Oglesby had conferred a
favor upon a man hailing from La Salle
county of tlie republican school of politics,
tlu query was at once started iimon,'-t the
republican brethren of Ottawa how it bap
penetl that a Mendota supporter of the
Chief Executive had secured his good will
rather than a gentleman from this city. It
was remembered also, with something of
pain and regret, that a year since, when
" Uncle Dick" was looking for u valiant
warrior to rid with him upon parade and
review, dressed in a gorgeous uniform,
upon a gaily caparisoned steed, it resident
of .Mendota had been selected, and one, too,
who had never braved the dangers of bat
tle or slept upon tlie tented field, and this
Iso quickened the curiosity of the republi
cans of the cltv.
So much partiality to one particular lc-
cality and so uniform a snubbing of another
could not Vtit cause wonderment as to the
cause of it, and it is to solve the problem
that this editorial is written. Throughout
tlie whole contest carried on between Gov-
rnor Ogle-by and the reoub'it tins of Ot
tawa for places of honor, profit and trust.
we have been on the side of our home folk;
for, notwithstanding tlodi extremely bad
politics, they are remarkably pleasant gen
tlemen. e have noted tin- continu il go
in" to Mendota for nlliceholdcrs with no
s amazement than they, mid we think
at last we have found the cause of (Joivei mn
O je.-by's partiality to that city's republi
cans rather than to the republicans of Ot
tawa.
We were inclined to think at first it was
because Mendota was the home of Lx Col
lector of Internal Revenue Crooker, but
on further consideration we have given the
theory up, deeming Mr. Crocker's resi
dence hardly of sullicient Importance t
seriously affect the mind of even Governor
Oglesby, despite the fact that the ilistin-
gulshed ex collector parades himself to an
unsympathetic people as "an offensive par
tisaa" a style of conduct that is In line
with Governor Oglesby's stylo of politics.
We now believe the whole cau.-e of the
Hue o"f distinction drawn between the two
cities is to be found in the election returns
ot 1881. They show that Mendota, with
out the aid of an "Oglesby G uard" org iniza
tion, gave the Governor six mora votes than
Mr. Rlalne received, while Ottawa, with
the aid and effects of u remarkably well
equipped club, succeeded in giving him
just twenty less than the man from Maine.
We are forced to think that herein is the
solution of the riddle. The cause is an ex
ceeding trivial one, but Governor Oglesby
has readied a point in his career whcr he
finds more pleasure in mole hills than he
does In mountains.
VEItr EXPENSIVE.
Viewed in the light of a business tran
saction the recent labor difficulties through,
ought the country have beeu far from prof
Ruble. Upon tlie whole it would seem that
labor lias suffered more than capital, and
that the loss Incurred by those who find
their living in their daily wages will be
nit re keetily felt than w ill the injury sua
tallied by the c pitalists. The figures pre
sentetl by Hrtuhtrti t'n which is always re
liable, exibiting the financial aspect of the
matter Is well worth a careful study by the
people, who as a rule fail to realize the
magnitude of tlie actual monetary disaster,
w rought by a widespread disorganization of
the commercial interests of the country. '
It is estimated by Ih-iuhtrnt'n that three
weeks since there were at least ""iO.OOO
worklnginen engaged In the labor agitation
that spread simultaneously over the Uuited
States. Happily now that number has been
reduced through various agencies to but
little more than 47,000 a number that
seems of little magnitude as compared with
the vast army of discontent of the opening
of the month. Of the number who yet
remain "out" the majority are to lie
found in the manufacturing districts of
New England, the body of strikers in the
Eastern and Middle State being compara
tively small.
The actual money loss resulting to the
quarter of a million of men who through
one cause, and another quit their employ
ers ut the opening of the month has keen
not less than three millions of dollars,
w hilst that to the current business of the
country has been lu tho mvchborhood
of two millions five hundred thousand.
If these two amounts covered the whole
loss the aggregate in Itself would he sufli
dent to cause a careful investigation of the
subject of the relation that the capital if the
laltoring man, his labor, should bear to that
tne ot capitalist, his money, to acertaln if the
recent mlsfortuues could not in the fmure
he avoided. Rut the loss does not end at
the five and one half millions of direct lost
represented by the above, it extends much
further and reaches far greater proportions
If -iUiii; iuibti!'v the l u-ine-s of the
f.i'ur".
The losses by deferred, suttalned or cutl
et lied lui-cellaiiettus and industrial con
tra t whh h reach Into the future U placed
at 1I,0M),0(M whilst that based Usin new
building contracts abrogated by the strikes
does not fall short of fJO,400,000. If
these figures are approxlmtely correct they
constitute In themselves the strongest ar
gument for the necessity of a future avoid
ance on the part of both employer and em
ployee of every thing that will tend to place
one in opposition to the other.
NOT BRAVE.
The spectacle presented by Senator In
galls on Tuesday in the United States Sen
ate, Bpeaking in denunciation of General
Mack, commissioner of pensions, was any
thing but edifying even to those who find
their highest enjoyment in partisan politics.
It seems that tha Senator from Kansas
prides himself upon his abilities as a sarcas
tic and In giving vent to his spleen on Tues
day, lie doubtless imagined his sarcasm to
be the highest kind of argument. His
whole effort was unworthy the most de
based political platform and beneath the
dignity of a representee of the people of a
great state.
Was (ieneral Rlack a criminal found
guilty of the commission of a great crime
no stronger denunciation could have been
pased upon him. The Kansas senator was
not only incorrect lu his statements but he
was as well cruel as unmanly. He was
nothing short of being cowardly.
What is General lilack's offence that
all this fuss is made about him V Nothing,
Bave t'aat he Is the recipient of a pension
under a special act of congress w hich owes
its vitality to u republican president. The
distinguished gentleman from Kansas
should be a little less hasty in his criti
cisms of the acts of his own party's repre-
sentative, for by bein; so he would not be
placed iu the light of criticising the acts
of his own party.
It is very probable, however, that the
po-t war soldier, Senator Ingalls could
-find (ieneral Ulack's pension, if General
I Hack had not so persistently insisted that
iu his administration of the Pension De
partment there shculd be neither fraud
nor favmitism.
No out has a kindlier feeling for soldiers
than has the Commissioner, but his in
terest in their welfare is controlled by his
sense of duty. He insists, and rightly, that
there shall not be any Irregularity in the
ranting of pensions. An investigation ol
the department under Coinmissisner Dud
ley shows that such Irregularities were of
frequent occurrence, though in direct con
tlict with law. If Senator Ingalls is de
sirous of taking up this Issue let him do
so, but he can rest assured that the people
will be with the public servant who insists
that the laws shall be strictly observed and
not recklessly violated.
The general assembly of Knights of La
bor met in annual convention at Cleveland
on Wednesday, w ith General Master Work
man Powderly presiding, ihelirst nusi
ness transacted was that of organization.
On Thursday a report from the committee
on laws was presented, submitting a propo
sition to Increase the executive board to
eleven members, 'utt after discussion it was
referred back. A committee on legisla
tion was appointed and also one to prepare
an address to the granges to be present at
the national convention, It Is reported
that Mr. Powderly's plan for the future
government of the order is the establish
ment of u State Assembly. There will
then be four assemblies. Local assemblies
will bo sultordinate to district assemblies,
district to state and state to national. The
piau is reported to be very popular among
those of the delegates who have heard of
it. It provides, among other things, that
no assembly but thu itatu or national shall
have power to order either a strike or a
boycott. If a local n.uemhly wants to order
a strike it must first gt the consent of the
district nail then tlie state assemblies. The
statistics presented to the assembly show
that during the last fifteen days of April
(iHO new assemblies were organized. The
present total number Is over 7,000. It
takes four weeks to organize and invest
one of them wita is proper name and num
ber. The general secretary has twenty
five assistants five of whom are girls,
who tlo nothing but open letters. Refore
issuing his letter refusing to receive any
more letters, the Grand Master received on
an average live hundred per day. The
circular succeeded in reducing the average
toulxnit 100.
The recent troubUs between Greece and
Turkey have at last been brought to a close.
The powers on Thursday replied favorably
to a further communication from Greece
on the subject of the removal of the
blockade. The powers have previous de
clined to commit themselves to a peritxl
for deteimlnating the naval demonstration,
but the representations of Greece that the
work of disarmament lias actually com
menced produced an excellent Impression.
It is now intimated that the removal of
the blockade rests w ith Greece alone. The
actual witlylrawal of the advanced posts on
the frontier, and,the reduction of the army
to a peace footing will be met with corres
ponding action by the powers. The king
has completed the decrees of demobiliza
tion. Turkey submitted- to the powers'
sworn statements of commanding officers
at the front tending to place the whole re
sponsibllity ot the recent breach of the
peace on the Greeks. M. Trlcoupls has
given guarantees to the powers that the
entire Greek army shall be retired as fast
as practicable from every portion of the de
batable territory on the frontiers. It Is un
derstood that a art f the allied fleet will
be withdrawn at once.
The annual averaire of suicides for every
million people Is 17 ia Spain. 150 in Rjssia.
;7 In Italy, 52 In Hungary, 70 in England
and Norway, M ia Strtden, Yl In AuMria,
r7 In P.avaria. Kit la France. 104 In "Wur-
temburg, 107 In ilscklenberg, 174 in Prssia,
...... t i. m 1 ,,..., un. 17
."JO ID l-'rllllinrK, Otl.t IU IUUIIUih ami ui,
in Saxony. Suicides are becoming more
frMuent evenr vear In Muhly civilized
countries, but esjteclaly among the poor
German races.
It i said that the new Washington sewer
is the largest in the world. It is large
enough for a team of horses aad a load of
hay to be drawn through tne entrance.
The Gossiper.
X KNOT OP ULCG.
She hath no gems of luster bright
To sparkle in her hair;
No need hath the of borrowed light
To make her beauty fair.
Upon her shining locks afloat
Are daisies wet with dew,
And peeping from her lissome throat
A little knot of blue.
A dainty knot of blue,
A ribbon blithe of hue
It fills my dreams with sunny gleams,
That little knot of blue.
I met her down the shadowed lane
Beneath the apple tree.
The balmy blossoms fell like rain
Upon my love and nie;
And what I said or what I did
That morn I never knew,
It ut to my breast there came and hid
A little knot of blue.
A little knot of blue,
A love-knot strong and true
'Twill hold my heart till life shall part,
That little knot of Hue.
Siimuel Minium l'eck in The Century,
The senate of the United States has nt last
confirmed the nomination by the President
of Mr. Miles J. Finlen as postmasttr of
Strealor and brought lo a close the long and
bitter fight that has been wagi'd upon him.
The citizens of Strcator art to he congratu
lated upon this fortunate outcome of the af
fair. Mr. Finlen is in every respect a com
petent and faithful officer. No better one
could have been selected. He is thoroughly
honest ami commands iu the highest degree
the respect and esteem of his fellows.
Throughout the whole course of the contro
versy over his nomination and confirmation
he bore himself as a gentleman, and as a re-
suit his friends now are more numerous than
they were prior to his appointment. The
action of the senate removes from him every
charge of dishonesty made against him. The
fight against him was not only senseless, but
it was malicious.
Elsewhere is published a "memorial day"
poem by the lion John Howard Dryaut
who resides at Princeton. Mr. Bryant,
though past the age of seventy-eight years,
is yet hale and hearty. He is very active,
and in tho affairs of life takes as much in
terest as he did a half century ago. Like
his late brother, William Cullen, he Iiub a
strong poetic instinct) and many of his poems
will rank with those of more pretentious
poets. Mr. Bryant has always been active
in politics. Prior to the war he was a strong
abtlitionist and after the close of the war
acted with the republican party uatil 1872,
when he joined the Greeley movement,
eventually becoming a democrat. In every
educational movement of his city he has
been deeply interested and uniformly gener
ous. He is in every respect a man of more
than average ability and culture.
It is to be hoped that the orators of memo
rial day who speak in commemoration of the
dead soldiery f the country will not, as so
often happens, forget to render the meed of
praise to the private soldier that is his due.
Orators, carried away by a desire to deal
with that which smacks of brilliancy and
dash, often forget that the great burden of
the war rested upon the private and not upon
the titled officer, and that it was the former
rather than the latter who assured the suc
cess of the union cause. Tlie private soldier
endured indiscribahle hardships, nd in the
majority of instances endured them with a
patient fortitude t hat deserves for him the
most distinguished mark of honor and chal
lenges our admiration. When, on Monday,
flowers are scattered by loving friends and
comrades, let not tlie graves of the generals
and the colonels ami the captains be covered
with a lavish hand, and the last resting
places of the common soldiery bo remem
bered with but a simple wrcalh; but let them
be given the very choicest that the earth af
fords, for it is their due.
The death of General Dur'.in Ward removes
from Ohio one of the f.w honest oliticians
of that state. His own in:ense honedy
made it impossible for him to obtain, even
from his own party, a fair recognition of his
abilities and claims upon its generosity. Dur
ing the war he was a brave and gallant sol
dier, and throughout its course did his coun
try much service and suffered many wounds.
His fealty to the democratic party was never
questioned, and as the friend and supporter
of Thurnian, he belonged to the best element
of the party in his state. The McLean wing
of democracy could well afford to study Gen.
Ward's character and at least imitate his un
questioned integrity, for from such a study
they might learn much that would do them
good. In future democratic national con
ventions Gen. Ward will be greatly missed,
and from the platform where each campaign
he was to be found giving voice to democratic
hopes and democratic aims. He was always
a man of the people, and, tbuugh seldom
suecesjftl in his political aspiration, it was
not because of o lack of popularity with the
great body of the state, but rather because
of the opposition of the politicians of Ohio
wb defeated him because they ceuld not
ase him.
The republican papera seem to be very
much wrought up over the recent vetoes of
the President of special pension bills There
Is nothing mrange about this, for his so doing
will have a tendency to put a stop to the cua
torn so long in vogue under republican ad
ministrations of using the privilege of special
pension acts ia each a way aa to grant Taat
tiuvibi-r-j of pensions to those whose only ef
fective service was r nd'red on ti c po itical
field instead of the ficl I of battle. Among
tho spteUl bills recently vetoed by President
Cleveland was one grained to a deserter and
the other to a bounty jumper! Of course
the I 'resident has no busiuess lo take notice
of such things; but as lie does it, ilie.-e re
publican papers must he granted the privi.
lege of making a great outcry about his un
friendly feeling to the soldier element of the
country. Their love of the soldier and his
interests is touching in the extreme.
'All candidates, therefore, oan ''t,roceed
in the usual manner" without reference to
me. That is to say that I Bhall be in no one's
way as a candidate, but all rights are re
served to help some poor fellow who is, or
to help maul lhe stuffing" out of gome still
poorer fellow who is. Ettraet from ItUej, of
tU-CMectar L. li. Crooktr in Ottawa Kftmbli.
can,pToteling that he cannot stand it to have tht
nrwspaptri to clamorouly tall upon him to lave
the count; by accepting a nomination for ojjfic.
Mr. Crooker, who styles himself "an offen
sive partisan,'' and whose offensiveuess con
sists simply in the stylo of his politics and
the coarseness of his expression of his still
coarser political thought, hai so well estab
lished a reputation in this county upon the
manner of his keeping voluntary pledges
that we suggest to "the poor fellow" prom
ises to help, tlie propriety of very close
ly keeping Lis o vn secrets and contenting
himself with studying Mr. Crooker at a dis
tance. When it comes to the sacred ness of
political pledges, as estimated by Senator
Logan's enemy and supporter and Mr. Cul
leu's supporter and enemy, .ir ( rocker
must be classed with Ihoso individuals- who
think such guarantees of good faith aro but
"writ in water."
THE 1JO.VT CLl'II JUXKl'TION.
A Very I'leitsuut Entertainment ami Large
Attendance.- The Cllttou House
Klaborittely Oecoratvd fur
Hit) Occasion.
The Ottawa Boat Club bids fair to be quite
a feature in the society and sporting affairs
of this city. The orgauixatiou is now a year
old and has a membership of twenty-four
young men who propose making boating a
distinctive feature of the summer's enjoy
ment. They are L. H. Strawn, I". C. Swift,
T. K. MacKinlay, C. Griggs, T. J. Lynch, II.
C. llitt, Geo. M, Trimble, C. L. Hook, Loren
zo Leland, W, W. Nash, A. F. Schotdi, Kd. C.
Allen, jr., Chas. Neubcrt, James. II. Eckels,
S. It. Blauchard, F. E. Mayo, W. W. Taylor,
F.V. Robert, II. M. Kilhy, Horace Hull, M.
B. Mitchell, E. V. Johnson, Jas. Milligan,
jr., Lewis lless.
The officers of the Club are Lester H.
Strawn, president; E. C. Swift, vice presi
dent; R. C. llitt, secretary; C. E. Hook, treas
urer; Thomas E. 'MacKinlay, ia;tain; Geo.
M. Trimble, commander, Fred. E. Mayo, Lt.
commander, W. W. Nash, ensign.
A few weeks since the Club completed the
building nf its boat house on t!ie ajuth bank
of the Illinois river, near the approach to
the bridge, and are now in a position to com
mand the support and the good will of the
citizens of Ottawa. The boat house, while
not an elaborate one, is well made and has
all the facilities for properly caring for the
boats which the Club now own, and for any
they may hereafter puichase.
Having completed the building of the boat
house and transferred the boats to it, the
members of the Club concluded to inaugur
ate the event by a reception, which was held
at the Clifton Hotel oo Thursday evening,
and which in every point ef view was as
elaborate and elegant a social event as ever
transpired in the city. To it 450 iuvitations
were issued to residents of Ottawa, Streator,
La Salle, Peru, Morris, Joliet, Marseilles,
Yorkville, Aurora and Princeten. A special
effort was made to make the parlors and the
dining room of the Clifton appear attractive,
and the floral and other decorations were
not only artistic but elaborate as well. A
committee of young ladies consisting ef Miss
Elba Porter, Mrs. L. H. Strawn, Mrs. Lo
renzo Leland, Mrs. W. W. Nash, Mrs. Chas.
Neubcrt, Mrs. V. W. Taylor and Misses Jes
sie Porter, Florence Nash, Elsie Trimble,
Annie Ilatheway, Olive Harrison and Sarah
Fiske took the matter in charge, and by ex
cessive hard work made the rooms set apart
for the reception very beautiful. The frrst
thing in the way of decoration to be seen en
entering the hotel at the ladies' entrance was
an arch of evergreen from which hung, sus
pended by blue and orange ribbons, a large
birch bark canoe filled and twined with
smilax. The decorations of the parlors were
particularly elaborate. On either side of the
archway about the folding doors were huag
ropes of evergreen, while between the doors
was suspended a boat six feet long ef peonies
and syringa9, bearing upon the one side in
letters of bright scarlet geranium the initials
"O. B. C." and on the other, in similur
letters, the date May 27. About the large
mirrors at either end of the parlors were
hung ropes of evergreen, while on the man
tle ia the rear parlor rested a bank of solid
red peonies, the grate below being filled with
evergreen. About the mirror in the frost
parlor w as placed a very large horse shoe of
orange, blue and white flowers, and just be
low It, resting apon the glass and suspended
from either side by orange and blue ribbons,
was a smaller horse shoe of red and white
flowers. The side steam radiators were
covered with drapings of evergreen, and
upon the marble tops were placed pot flower
in fall bloom. To the lambrequins in the rear
parlor were attached the letters "O. B. C."'
worked in white iyrfcgas.
Ia these parlors the reception was held,
the guests being received by Mr. and Mrs.
L. U. Strawn, Mr. and Mr. Lorenzo Leland,
Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Taylor, Miss Fannie
Reed, Miss Edith Morgan, Mr. T. E. Mac
Kinlay and Mr. James II. Eckels. At 9:'U)
o'clock the reception ended, aad, upon Wil
lis orchestra striking up a march, the com
pany moved to the dining room, whUh had
A U