The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1883-01-09

The aphorism, poets are born, not made" is
no doubt as true concerning statesmen as it is
OF poets, but il often happens that the latter re-
main undiscovered for years, musing in their
solitude over those great ideas and hiding under
bushel the superior talents which, if properly
used for the benefit of mankind, would greatly
increase the common stock of happiness and
change the history of the State. This waste Of
talent arises from the fact that the duty of dis
covering statesmen rests upon the people The
poet like the Bird sings because he can't help it,
and the people are arrested by and charmed with
his melodies, but they are expected to hunt out
from among themselves the fortunate ones who
were born statesmen and push them to the front
10 lead their less fortunate brethren. 1t is not
strange, therefore, that the merits of some in
cipient Webster or Calhoun should now and then
be overlooked, and the world thus miss their
valuable services And this is more liable to be
the case since men of real merit are generally
modest and often unconscious of the great talents
with which nature has endowed them, but luck
lily all are not so; there are some among this
favored class who are so self-cOnscious of their
superior wisdom that they cannot resist the i'm
pulse to discover themselves to the people as
men in every way more ably qualified to lead
them than any whom the people themselves have
discovered. This last seems to be the casewith-
the presiding genius OF the Tavares Herald, judy
ing him by an editorial addressed to the mem
bers OF the Florida Legislature, in which he sets
himself up as both the prophet and priest of the
Democratic party, and informs them that the
party and the future of the State hangs upon
their adoption of the "short cut" method of
calling a constitutional convention as against
calling the said convention by the method pro-
vided for in the Constitution itself In this con-
nection he warns them against the Union and
the FLoRIDIAN, which papers he declares in
the present political crisis in Florida are not
proper and safe advisers" "They represent"
he says, 3" that reactionary element in the Dem
ocratic ranks, which repudiated the solemn
pledges made to the people of Florida in 1875 by
the Democratic party" This element in his
view, is incompetent to grapple with the ext
igencies of the situation" On the other hand,
our contemporary sets up itself as the represent
alive OF that liberal, progressive and aggressive
element which has buried the past, and will not
permit its resurrection" and as such representa-
tive lays down the law to our legislators, like
very Lycurgus, and warns them that unless they
follow its advice, they may look out for first
class political earthquake which will scatter de-
struciOn broadcast through the land
So far as this journal is concerned, and we can
say the same for the FLoRIDIAN, it has been
while under our management in perfect harmO-
ny with the Democratic party and endorses the
policy adopted at the Quincy convention, which
through Governor Drew's and Governor Blox-
hams administrations has brought the State
into It's present most prosperous condition. The
party has repudiated no promises, but on the
contrary las redeemed every pledge, as the pres
ent condition of the State will attest The State
has no floating debt, has money in the Treasury
to pay all current expenses, her bonds are far
above par, her Internal Improvement Fund is
unincumbered, her territory is being rapidly
opened up by new railroads and canals, her
lands are being rapidly settled by an enterpris-
ing population, her property is rapidly apprecia-
ting in value, and taxation has been reduced so
that levy of five mills is all the State will re-
quire next year for all purposes. The accom-
plishment of all this Is but q redemption of the
promise of the Democratic party to the people.
But, says our contemporary, "they promised
new constitution" Show us the letter of this
promise? When and where was it made?
The party did favor and does now favor some
radical changes in the constitution; there has
never been any question as TO the wisdom or
disturbances Of a revision of The instrument,
but there has always existed difference OF
opinion as to the wisdom of convention. But
the Democratic party has once since 1875 caused
to be sumbitted to the people thecalling ola con-
vention. and 1t was overwhelmingly defeated,
but the fact that II was submitted disproves the
assertion that the rary repudialed its pledges
But the question OF calling convention is one
that should stand upon its own merits, as should
also the method of that CALL The interests of
the entire people Of The State are to be consid-
cred. One plan proposed-that advocated by
our contemporaries open to grave objections.
1t Is to some extent revolu tionary, and its adop-
ton under existing circumstances would be to
SET very bad precedent, which might become
a source OF instability and danger in the future.
There Is safer and better way open. The last
Legislature passed a resolution looking to the
calling ola Convention. and said resolution has
been advertised as required by law. 1t only re-
mains now for the present Legislature to con-
cur In that resolution and Convention can be
called according TO the lawfully prescribed
methods, and against which no objection can be
urged by any class or party. If. therefore, the
present Legislature believes that q convention
Is necessary, would II not be wisdom In them to
follow out the plain provisions of the organic
law under which they meet, and which they
have sworn to support, rather than adopt the
quasi revolutionary plan proposed by few In
dividuals whose judgment, TO say the least, is
not superior 70 those who differ with them
about this matter