The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-07-04

WABA1N0TUNs June ~, loo&-
Editor Florsdsan: Give me space 70 say q
good word for your Representative. Hon. r. H.
NJ. Davidson. / do this OF my own mosion and
without his knowledge, or at the suggestion Of
any here or In his district
belong to that old class Of humans that be-
lieve in letting well enough alone, and when
you have faithful public servant, Of good char
acter and abilities, why discharge and run the
risk of getting much less experienced and able
man to serve your There is . too common
practice among newspaper men in The South,
especially In Florida, of making very great men
out of common materials, politically. II man
has little local reputation, and can read guide
book well enough to find his way 10 Washington,
why he Is fit for Congressman, or for Governor.
or may be for President This provincial
method Of manufacturing great men comes from
either want of knowledge of men, or else per
verseness, or disposition 10 harm the public
and the party of which such claim in some
measure to speak for. Ii is amusing at times 10
note how readily local newspapers. and local
political teachers, manufacture great men out
of any ordinary clay. Hence at all official
Conventions, and previous to such gatherings,
every four-corner grocery store presents its
candidate, in the person Of some Judge, Justice
of the Peace1 or Colonel, who was q high pri-
vate in the late war, or an NJ. d., who has adj
vanced one degree in the science of medicine
since the famous DIR. Sangrado praciiccd, to the
sure death of his patients, his tepd water and
bleeding process. But there is one forum where
the public officer, or the public servant, is
weighed, not his avordupos, but his mental ca
pacity and his ability TO serve the nation, and
that forum is the Congress of the United States,
and more especially the House OF Representa-
tives 1t is here that seEsufficient, selfpraiscd,
OF the local great man gets weighed, and often
to his disgust. But the law which gravitates all
men to find their level is memorable and ire
pealable. Smiliiy is no plea in abatement, nor
is ignorance. Silence is often golden, and speech
is hardly ever silver, unless one has something
TO say, and can say that something well. Empty
seats will be the caustic criticism of poor speech
Neither can you always or hardly ever arrive at
a correct estimate of a members standing by
newspaper comment, for newspaper correspon-
dents will " lie like sin for a few sheckels, OF
for the good opinion of some would be great
man.
But have wandered from the main purpose
of this letter, and therefore hasten to say good
word for your Representative, and also 10 remark,
of which its none of my business, hat the dis
trict will be doing silly thing 10 exchange him
for a new hand of the same party. Please
member Mr.. Editor, that you are. of course, at
liberty TO dissent from my specuIations and oppose
my opinions to your hearts content, even going
SO far as TO "pitch into me" rs you only know
how; but let me speak my little piece, as Colonel
Davidson knows nothing of it, and no one but
the subscriber is responsible, and be not 10 the
extent of coffee and pistols for two The Colonel
has done well for his district in the matter of OBJ
tanning appropriations for the Improvement Of
ing list will show: