The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-05-13

The assertion that IL was only after hard fight ~
that the famous side show resolution introduced
was adopted, ia known by every one who was pres
ent at that convention to be entirely without found
alton There was no fight whatever made over
1t, and 1t was passed almost unanimously y wss
popular and taking measure, and Senator Mann
merely exhibited sufficient political shrew dness TO
take advantage Of the dr. OF popular sentiment In
order to gain little cheap capital and toriety for
himself-Tdnpa Tribune.
Knowing that Captain Dyke was del
egate to the Gainesville Convention and
was also member of the Committee on
Resolutions he was interviewed by the
FLoRIDIAN as to his recollection of the
action of the Committee, as well as that
of the Convention on the " side-show-res-
olution." After reading the remarks of
the Tribune he said
"The Tribune is right, except that the
Mann resolution was adopted unanimously
at least, l do not remember that there
were any votes against it."
How was it in the Committee?
"There was no opposition in the Com
mittee. The regular platform was pre-
pared by St. Clair Abrams. Some addi-
tions were mad to it in the Committee.
| proposed that portion of it which
pledged the party to the disencumber-
ment of the Internal Improvement Fund.
| had a scheme in my head to accomplish
this which intended to elaborate in the
Convention if necessary, but it was not
| will say right here, and You will pardon
me the vanity implied, that that portion
of the platform which committed the
party to this great movement was the
only part that was applauded in the Con-
vention when the resolutions were read,
showing thereby the overshadowing inter
est felt by the people in releasing the pub
lie lands so that they could be devoted
to the building of railroads When the
platform had been prepared in the Com
mittee, Mr.. Mann proposed as an addition
the side show resolution. | suggested
that the resolution was not proper for
such a place, and that it had better not
be reported by the Committee, but offered
as an independent proposition. MIR. Mann
agreed to this, and so did all the other
members of the Committee. have no
doubt that Col Abrams will substantiate all
ray on this point. | will add right here
that after the regular platform had been re-
ported by him and adopted by the Con
vention, called for the reading of sew
eral resolutions that had been suggested
in the Committee, among which was one
by that old Roman, Col. McCaskill, Of
Walton, complimentary of Drew's ad-
ministration, and Mann's resolution, both
OF which were adopted unanimously"
Well. Captain, this seems to settle the
matter as to the Mann resolution bnt
who originated the thing?
"Mr. Mann presented it in the Com
mittee and is entitled to the credit of its
adoption, but suggestions to the same
end were made TO me by correspondents
from Manatee and Brevard before the Con
vention met AS have said, there was
no opposition to its adoption, and that's
the end of it,"
But what about the Convention itself
1t was grand assemblAge. have
seen a goodly number of Conventions in
Florida, but that beat any | ever attended
for numbers, intelligence, order and en-
thusiasm. There were many Republicans
present as lookers-on who were gratified
at what they saw. They had attended
assemblages of their own party, but were
so impressed that they went away from
this and voted with us in the State cleo
ton following. Property holders, ii
seems to me, will vote with those whose
interests are identical They want hon
esty and economy in the government, and
this they find in Democratic administra
ton Mr.. Mann's resolution was not OBJ
ected to by Republicans as far as heard
for the fact of the matter is that sagaciouf
tax payers, without regard to politics oil
how selected, had rather see intelligent
honest men in subordinate Offices, backed
by good bonds, than the opposite charac-
ters whose integrity is guaranteed by
straw security. We had enough of that
under so-called Republican govern
ment.' Hundreds Of thousands of dollars
were lost to the people of this State by
| dishonest ofice-holders whose bonds were
not werth nickel. should like to say
something more about the Gainesville
| Convention, but it might not be appro-
pirate just now. Every similar body has
an inside history, and 80 had this one,
but do not care to say what I know
about it at present"