The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-06-17
From - Jacksonvth Timss- Iaioe, lsshl. i.,i'
GOV. DLO,XAA Ms REPLY
HE Answers the Z Aarxes Ma46 Z
Gov. II rev. IA

| Gov. ID rev. IA Z;
| if-s4 srst1 Noi tdpn3 .ki Is
The ns-sonal Ral,hons 8st.ces,s tie 7sS4-s7R
Circumstances L aading to Bsorham's Ass&na
tos tn 1SsO-7he Jaeka msills Confsssna4
TAILArnssEE, FLA, June IS, ls84.
To tn Editor Of tAi Times Union: ,,;
In accordance With ny telegram to yed o
June 11th, will now an swer Governor Dsew',
interview as published 10 your issue nE thA
date, make It oTer my pEa signainre, in ar
der tlat there shal be nc doubt % to my reply
Go 'ernor Drew says !" Gentlemen en in Mr.
Biloxi ans interest came here to me, ana nc
doub' forming q 81 rewd uess from my pstsons
relati NJ 10 Mr. l!loxhsi 4, asked me the fques
ton irect, If would ppoFt Dir. BlaxhAtp u
nomi lated o." Gnvcrno Drew. answered uiep
that e would not ,uppor me If were notaina-
ted. This Is the q st intil nation that could no
tice q at Governor Drew' personal relations tSsh
myself were not Ileasan A portion Of Gov
ernOr Dsew's family ha' . besn my weicbtne
guests since have been Governor. HE hassfIe
quenily extended to my self and family cordal
invitations to visit his iome and family since
that time. We nave frequently met and; ex-
tShue" W. CoCA OsuCi pCioOuhi STccttuSs.
| rec' ived from him, as late rs the nneteenth
day sf last April, being ess than two. n,nutis
ago. i most kind and ardial letter. HeaeeI
| can ut express my grea surprise and as:onisll-
ment when he aIlnouces substantially thai our
"pers onal relations" are lch as he indicates =
He states that gentle men approached him
tn MP interest TO q fl ON him the declaration
that ie would not support me, and then used his
reply against him. If any gentleman approached
Cove rnor Drew IL my in crest it was without noY
know ledge. But as they doubtless reside in
Jack onville, they can sr SAX for themselves SO
far az my inform alton ,oes, this statement OF
Cow rnor Drew's is entil ely. incorrect !. VI.
Governor Drew alsO M kes the following state
ment: Some time after this there appeared In
the Savannah o7ning esos an interview had
between Mr.. Blo,ham Ind a reporter OF that
paper, in which MI. Blox ,am was made to shay
that he would never cons mt to become a candi.
date while my name was In the field He caide
into rny office brny ying til paper and handing It
TO me asked what l thot ght of the article. I
said, Governor, you put it pretty strong He
struck quite an attitude, Grew bis hand across
his forehead and said, In rat,tude shall nerer be
written on my 6row sca suffer my r1gA. arm 10
be cut off before / oiu allt 10 my. name to 10 ussd
against yours.'" 4g,
1t is fact, and one wellIknown to my meat
intimate friends of that per iod, that did not d.
sire to be candidate for Governor in 1880 But
l preferred, If wal to held any office. that It
should be that of Sscretar 7, of State 1t Is not
true that went in Governr Drew's office vita
a copy of the Savannah Ne o., as stated by hind
Nor is it true that made I le remarks which lie
attributes to me as having cen made on that oc-
casion. While unwilling for any one to think thdi
there was an absence from ne Of that naturally
kind feeling which any &c 1tleman, occupyiDk
the position which / did in the Democratic
party, would have for one occupying the relas
ton which Governor Drew then held to The
same party, for the Office he appointed me to, 1
felt then, and still feel, that such appointment
was attributable far more to he position held hl
me in that party, on accoun of lifelong mcml
bership and services to it, tn IN to any personst
preference Of Governor Drew for me- do not
mean to say that others hs We not served thd
party as faithfully and we'll IS have, or werd
not more worthy of the position but the kind
feeling Of that party towards me, on account OF
my services had been oreviot sly, and has BEEN
subsequently, manifesto in th, most unqueston-
able manner, and hold tha appointments TO-
Office are properly made (ql affiliations being
considered) in recognition of rvices, and not as
qualification for personal pr ference, and that
no person, appointed urder su ,h circumstances
owes any trauseling debts of gr ttude to the pee-i
son appointing. il
nrovxy u Tho,n n A.
going about the country that N r. Bloxham, hev-I
ertheless, would be candidt te a prominent
citizen of Madison county had j nst written me- to
assure me that this was 80. ] wrote in reply,
just after this interview, that t was impossible.
and repeated some of tie state ments Mr.. Box j
ham had just made TO me. ~ correspondent
wrote in reply that Blorhams assertions were
wholly false, as Captain Dyke nd others Of his,
friends at Tallahassee had Just written letters to-
citizens there that Bloxtam's lame would be
presented to the Convention" !.
As to what Captain Dyke a I'd others of my
friends" wrote, l never knew. never saw one
of the letterss lido kneW lowe, srsthaf Captain
Dyke and myself differed materi lily, 10 1880, on
this subject he always CO ltendiI that my name
was at least more available than Governor
Drew's as q candidate. But always pr ,tested
against his making any effort for my nomip pation 4
as did not desire it. This was never concealed
from any one. 4>n. u +, ,....,,ot.4.
LIDO not recolleet that Cover nor Drew ever
said 70 me that It, desired thu nomination he
would not allow his nams to be used. His ac-
tons then and feelings nov are Inconsistent with
any idea of such personal sacrii ,e. If he made
such offer and actually desired he nomination !.
why was his offer not acc .pted .,r ..
Governor Drew continuing ,ss ysa The mat
ter appeared 80 wholly strange !hai imy friends
determined upon having en- expl cit understand
ing with Mr.. Bloxham. They m ct here In Jack.
sonville and invited Mr. l3loxhs % to meet with
them. Among my friendD prese a. al that inter-
view were General Jesse ~ Finley, Hon p. y.
Bishop, Captain j., L, I,glis I'd others. Mr,
Bloxham came, and some of his personal friends
were present beside. apd afler Ill consultation,
MIR. Bloxham promised that he would publish
card in the Unson positively re using the use Of
his name in the Convention. OF, upon more INA,
ture consideration he the ught to be better
way. he would give Hon, Georg p, Raney let-
ter to that effect, at Tallahassee, to be carried 10
Gainesville and read IL the Convention Mr..
Raney was the recognized lea ler Of my friends
| Of the Convention. This occu rsed three or four
days before the Nominating Convention Mt
| Gainesville" . 9...t..,,..., ,ta
| A more incorrect statement seuld not be made