The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-08-08

yer Conspiracy, &c The purpose OF
this was to break down aud destroy Con-
overs influence as a Republican in Wash
ington as well as with his own party in
the State, and was the continuation of a
quarrel which commenced in 1870, when
Conover, in a public speech delivered at
ST. Augustine, denounced the famous
Jacksonville ring, at the head of which
was L. w. Osborn, which ring embraced
call the brains of the party" as was
said at the time, as well as most of the
unscrupulousness. The quarrel was inten-
sified when Conover was elected to the
Legislature from Leon county in 1872
and became indidate for the Senate in
opposition to Osborn, whose term expired
in March, 1873, or to any person to be
put forward by the Osborn faction, and
there can be no doubt of the fact that his
candidacy prevented the reelection of
that intense, blatant partisan or of some
other individual equally as Objectionable.
The whole power of the Hart-Stearns adj
ministrations was employed to crush Con-
over and their organ never overlooked an
opportunity to strike him. The SentinePs
constant charge and warning was that
ConOyer was only a tool-that Dyke ;"
was using him to disrupt and destroy the
Republican party-that the conspiracy
which eliminated in his election to the
Senate contemplated the alignment of
the colored voters with the Democrats by
means of professions of extraordinary
good WILL" and SO on to the end Of the
chapter.
The only purpose we have in referring
to this matter now Is to expose one of the
numerous falsehoods which Mr.. Camp
BELLS personal organ brings against this
paper. The Commercial charges "that
Gin 1873 the FLORIDIAN divided the Demo
"crats in the interest of Conover and
selected him as United States Senator
" from Florida, dcteatinga Democr,H, and
"forming close and perpetual coalition
" with the radicals
There is an old saying that liar should
always keep probability in view. In this
case that wise caution was not needed
The utterer of the falsehood simply lied
from force of habit. He should have con
suited the record and not have been mis-
led by his malice The Legislature which
elected Conover in 1873 was Repubkicdm
IN both Hooses There were eleven So
called Democrats in the Senate, one of
whom had to be constantly " nursed and
another was threatened with arrest on IA
criminal charge ny the L. 5. authorit les
if he voted for any person except mem
Der of the old jacksonville ring" and
80 he did not vote at all This left ten
Democrats in Senate of twentv-four
members, which gave the Republicans a
majority of three in that body IN the
Senatorial question In the Assembly the
Democrats had t,oentyfUe members, in
Guiding Roberts of Baker who had been
elected as an Independent and voted
first, last and all the time" for Mccall.
The Republicans had t.ce"ty-Secen mem
beers, SO that in point of fact the Demo
Gratis had but "a reliable members on
joint ballot and it took 80 to elect The
Republicans had 40 members. Voting
commenced on the 2lst of January and
ended on the 3lst. The Democrats tried
number of their strongest men, but no
Republican voted with them on a single
ballot and without at least five Repubi-
can votes no Democrat could possibly be
elected, until it was finally made evident
that if there was to be an election it
would be of Republican. In this aspect
there was an almost general agreement
that the Democratic members of the Leg
islature would do we'll to follow the ex-
ample of a certain newspaper editor when
he supported what the COnnerciH calls
the present " Rotten Constitution and
vote for Conover as a :: choice of evils, -
and a majority of them did so. They
voted for him as less evil than the cleo
tion of Osborn or Bisbee, or of any person
whom these malignants and their sup
porters might agree upon.
This election, under these crcumstan-
ces, was the origin of the SentinePs Dyke
Conover cry, now caught up aud re-
peated by an ignoramous who lacks hon
esty enough to consult cotemporaneous
history and thus make certain that his
charges are founded in truth and are not
the outcome of malicious disposition.
1t will add emphasis to the falsehood
Mr.. Campbell endorses or takes for
granted by giving an extract or two from
the Sentinela year or so after Conover's
election to the Senate
The FLORIDIAN glOais with satisfaction over
the prospect of a row in the approaching Re
publican Convention. The interchangeable indus
Try and zeal displayed by the FLURIDIAS TO
bring about row. entities that journal some
compensation in the way of ancipalOIy enjoy
nlent and il the Dyke-Conover conspiracy
should fully succeed in disorganzing and disrupt
ing the party, No one can reasonably claim
larger agency in the result than The Democrat
thmble-riggcr aud necrOmancer who has utilized
Conover 10 that end. From the first inception
OF The conspiracy TO The present time, neither
Dyke nor COnDver have lnst sight of their uhiec
tive point which. first aud last has been The dis
ruptiOn and destruction Uf the Republican party
a..fsn -