The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-06-06
BY DECIMUs TURNBULL-

Editor Constitution The i" New Party
Movement " was fully discussed upon our
streets lately. l thought of the true say
ing that "the price of liberty is eternal
vigilance" During the campaign of 1876.
while Florida was still PROSTATE and
bleeding under the iron heel of Radicalism,
and was almost discouraged by eight
years of systematic plunder and oppres-
sion, the eloquent voices of the Demo
cratic leaders were heard throughout the
State, calling upon the people to rally
and throw off the CALLING Radical yoke
Those leaders (many of whom now oc-
cupy the "seats of power y promised the
people that if the Democratic party was
victorious the blight of Radicalism would
soon be dispelled, and that inactivity and
gloom would no longer hang over the
State like pail. but that Florida would
rise like a giant from her slumbers, and
immigrants, wealth, peace and prosperity
would poor in upon her like flood. In
all candor, l ask you, Mr.. Editor, and
every man who has witnessed the unpar-
allied growth and prosperity of the State
since Drew's Inauguration, has not this
Democratic promise been fulfilled to the
letter? Florida is attracting more atten-
tion to day than any other State in the
Union; we can truthfully boast that even
now she is blossoming like the rose, and
is the garden spot of the world. Amid
this era of boom" and while the minds
and the hands of the people are busy in
further developing the resources of the
State, there is a subtle, insiduous canker
silently gnawing at the heart of our body
polite, and unless it is soon noticed, ex-
posed and extirpated, the speedy doom of
the Democratic party is inevitable. This
canker is the " new paaty movement" or
lndependentlsm alias Radicalism. The
avowed purpose of the Independents in
the next campaign is to combine their
forces with the masses of the Republican
party. We must remember that in 1875,
when Governor Drew was elected, his ma
jority over his Radical opponent amounted
only to few hundred, and Drew had re-
ceived the votes of several hundreds of
colored men. 1t is true that at that time the
registration lists and voting lists were out
landishly doctored by the Radicals. At
present the majority of the voters of the
State are Democrats, but this majority is
not very great. In the next campaign, if
the Independents succeed in enticing un-
der their banner respectable average of
soreheads" and "duped" Democrats
from each one of the counties and unite
their strength to that of the Radicals, the
Democratic party will be defeated. Or
if the Independents succeed In causing a
division in the Democratic ranks, the Re
publican party, under the cunning and
unscrupulous leadership of such men as
Stearns, Bisbee, Dennis & Co., will dis
solve their alliance with the Independents
and be able to capture every Office in the
State. There is danger ahead, Mr.. Editor ;
an enemy is in our camp. The sentries
on the watch-tower of Liberty should at
once sound the alarm over the valleys,
plains and hills Of our Flowery State.
have carefully read the letters of gen.
tlemen who call themselves Independents,
and advocates Of new party, and have
thus far utterly failed to discover a single
plausible argument in their writings for q
Democrat to desert his party and join a
mongrel host of negroes, scalawags, car
pet-baggers, soreheads, office-seekers and
Independents. Birds of feather will
flock together" Their past record is a
stencil to Democratic nostrils, and re-
minds US too wildly of fraud, plunder
and riots, troops, dearth and death.
The Independents first attack the pres
ent administration Governor Bloxham
and the members of his cabinet: they
fail, however, to make a specific charge
against either of them, and why? Be
cause there is nothing against them. Our
distinguished Governor and his cabinet
are ornaments to the State of Florida
they have surpassed all their prede-
cessors in rejecting honor and credit
upon the State, in developing her resour-
ces and establishing her permanent pros
perity. The Democratic leaders before
getting into power promised the people,
if they were elected, to reduce taxes, 70
cut down the expenses of the govern.
ment, to break mp public plundering, 70
encourage, maintain and support the com.
mon schools, and to administer the laws
fearlessly and impartially to oil classes ol
citizens. All these promises have beeu
faithfully kept and punctually fulfilled
Governor Bloxham's administration tins
far has been brilliant; he and bis cabinet
have done their duty, and the people know
it. They are all high-toned gentlemen
and have no propensity or inducement tc
violate law or neglect their duty; were
they to do either the vigilant EDITOR
would be first to detect their crookednese
or remissness, and first to expose them
and an honest Democratic Legislature
would be prompt to impeach them.
The officers of this county were ap
pointed by Governor Bloxham. They
are faithful in the discharge Of their sev
eral duties; they elicit commendationl
from every grand jury empanneled and
have given complete satisfaction to tht
people. And il the people in every county
Of this State do not have good local ON
49, 81 Il - 49, ~ L. &.sAh hk-ll-