The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-05-20
Net ReA.Hot - Now.

NOt S00sHOt " Now
A few months since, to-wit: January
20, we enjoyed the privilege" of inform
ing the republican readers of the Flo
RIDIAN C'they all read it'0 that Colonel
J. A. Macdonald had commenced for
their benefit and edifcation the publiea-
ton at Eustis, Fla, of the Florida Ne,c
Yorker. which he announced in his salu-
tatory to be can uncompromisng, radical.
red.hot republican weekly" and which he
boldly prophecied would prove by its sue
cess that it was just the sort of paper that
was needed in Florida. Since then we
have watched his experiment with inter
est, for as he modestly declined to
submit his paper for our criticism after
our first remarks some thoughtful friend
has kept us supplied with the Yorker. We
have noted that the conviction seemed
gradually growing upon him that there
was more money in his real estate bust
ness than there was in radical politics,
doubtless induced by the feeling of GUS
toners seeking investment that their in
terests would be safer with the govern
ment in the hands of the democracy who
have reduced taxes than if it were re-
gained by the republicans. We know not
what his political aspirations we're
whether he expected to editorialize him.
self into Congress or not, and finally con
cluded that real estate was his best
hold but his politics slowed down as
his radicalism cooled off from "red-hot ="
until it fell to zero at the recent ST.
Augustine Convention, and he sits now on
the stool of reflection, if not of repent
ance, and arrives at some very sensible
conclusons-one of them being that if
repubicanism won't do in Florida, indie
pendentism certainly won't, { therefore
democracy will do.) We submit the fol-
lowing paragraphs from the last Yorker
as indicating. the changed condition of
Brother Macdonald's political heart:
We are pleased with the result of our twenty
years of Repu ,lican efforts in Florida 1t has been
a marked success, FL but the time has come to in
augurate a radical change in the fundamental doc
| trines of our party. We peculiarly situated in
Florida; we securing thousands of the best
people of the North, and we arrived at a
crisis in Republican politics that will d. eide our
| fate in the South
The Southern people are not fockng to our Re
| publican standard; the Northern people stand
| ing at respectful distance. The st. Augustine
Convention Of few days ago shocked seventy
white Republicans who were there. To us it seemed
very natural, but our neighbors were very willing
TO 'urn over to proxies after the first day
The Independent movement is said to be ginning
ground in Florida, and We have amongst those
who claim that " coalition might be effected be-
tween the Independents and the Republicans that
would carry the State and get rid of Bourbon rule. "
This Bourbon rule is the bete oir of the Independ
Democrats, but it seems there are only about
dozen Of them and they want office If there is any
| considerable portion of the Democratic party who
| desire to unite with the Republican party some
| important issue wherein differ from eo-caed
| Democracy, let them come out in convention and
declare their principles and announce their nen-
| lions.
| But when we make any such suggestion they will
not entertain any proposal to work openly and
{" face the music" but want to quietly come to
the Republicans as Republican candidates for office,
| claiming that the host of Democratic voters who
| are eager to follow them would not come if they
| were to be openly identified with the Republican
| party. They could not become part of the " mig
| ger party" This is the secret.
| Such coalition would not be of much to Re
| puOlcans. III the so called Independents were III
fact independent it would be altogether a different
| thing. If they would come out squarely and de
nouncc Democracy they would be Republicans The
| Democracy has a name for all such renegadcs
" scallawags" 1t is so long since a white man ha.
dared to come over to the Republicans that the
name is almost forgotten, but it would soon be re-
vived, and all the terrible consequences Of being
| branded as scallawag would follow.
| 1t is enough to say of man that " he wishes to
| place niggers in office over u.s. this will kill him
politically and cause his own children to lose all re
spect for his political sagacity And it that in
| the main this is " about the size Of it,"
IF the success of the Republican party will place
| negroes in Office in Florida again. there are no,
| many of the respectable white colOred Repub
| cans who would hope for such success. There are
thousands of honest and intelligent colored people
| who know that to contend for official position in
the South would be suicidal for their race and few
| white Republicans could tolerate such folly
| The folly of obtruding themselves and clamoring
| for Office, or accepting Office when given them
| caused the total collapse Of the Republican party in
the South and the only hope for the success of the
| Republican party again will be in a guarantee that
| such state of affairs will not occur again till the
| race problem has been forgotten.
1t is reported that Convention of the white Re
| publicans of Florida will meet at some point in
| Florida soon to organize the National Republic 4
party of Florida, and cut loose from the negro ele
| ment entirely.