The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-10-08
VUTS INoVtE!TUTTV
MARTIN RYAN
GOVERNOR FLEMING's REP


MARTIN RYAN
GOVERNOR FLEMING's REPLY
STATE OF FLORIDA, EXECUTIVE OFFICE, !
TATTAHAssEE, september, "a 1889
Martin Ryan, Esq. Secretary Democratic State
Central Committee Fargo n. Dakota
DEAR SIR-Yuur favor OF the 18Th inst
was duly received. In reply 10 your in
qniy desiring To know what sort of Gin
zen Fred s. Goodrich OF Della ~ is, |
would STATE that he came 10 florida frrln
NJ chiGan about seven years ago, aud has
resided in DcLand since hat time. He
was the republican canddarc for congress
rom the second congressional district -
'his State al The last election, and was de-
Gated by Gen. Robert Bullock, the demo-
cratic candidate. by n majority Of 319j
This mnjpii;y Mr.. Goodrich claimed 10 b.
fraudulent, and Instituted a contest f."
General Bu!locks : at His iuirrs 81 in
your SAFE election may ie intrnstic by
he hope ot adding to tie republican ma
jnri IN congress, and thereby increasing
h. CHIMES of HE Success ct Es contest.
! bad con,ir"rcd Mr. Good''h = >jrop@
,nG to some extent, a n;l.tI partisan. ia
| Id not ~i!iP"-c tha' he would bc ruitN
- traNncing lhr people 81 tie Stat. Wnnn'
ne seeks Ia represent ia congrt>~ i, ,o'
~..lr l., ii.> ,,ouc Iour letter Wa, tnrr,
,nrc, & surprise I" NJ. ""!e th- : .'ic-
.Mrnl that ne never dared 81 II tir,rs 4
,.ubiic incrllrg ii Florida Wi}tinu Il Shot
gun bV lbs siJr and inH revHlvr!, H. his
hip D. cllci> )" aud iiIai he had 10 ~" Gov
-tantv on ;he watch tor ANY su> Ilisi. u
movement IN the au0icncc. or iur II Skuh-
ing assassin IN the rear" | have no h,->,-
a ion ia pr0nnuucing lhr shOl-rnn pail al
j. as lalst. While | Was not 'es ~ a
any nl NJ. Gondrich's meetings. | Was &c
lively engaged in the last canvass lbs
STATE and read The newspapers everyday,
an! ! am c.r'air, ii any such unprtC,-
DIME >pcciacIc bad been prc>cn'r rs Il
chudidatc Tor congress add s>ing an audi
enc aimed with sho>-4un, it would have
nccn 80 commented upon by The press that
II would not have tsc1,td my attention.
! aln Hot prcpntcd Ia deny that he hnd
piS'"l> IN his hip pockets; hol that the
slightest danger 10 him rendered il nee
es-ary 10 b. so armed, but il is noi un-
usual lhat >landrrer i, also Il coward,
aud tni, theory can only accoun' Tor his
apprehension Of II suspicious movement in
his audience, or an assassin in his rear.
The statement that can honest election
aud an honest count of the ballots were inn
possible unless the Democrats had majni-
ity,' that the ballot boxes were stuff,.d
or stolen If the Republicans should have
the most votes, aud that this practice was
encouraged 10y every Official in the State
from the Governor 10 election supervisor,
aud all those officers were pr,jurers," Is
wiltul and malicious falselluod and is re-
luied by the results in the county in which
Mr.. Goodrich resides, in which, al The las,
Ill lNIi 1lu6 t.AA IL,
office OF Senator, two Representatives, Tax
Collector, Assessor, Sheriff, Superintendent
of Education and County Judge, being
every county Office except one; AL of
whom now hold their respective offices,
with the exception of one, who has been
suspended for cause. And Republicans
were also elected in various other COUNTRIES
who are now enjoying their offices. Our
experience when the Republican party had
control of the Slate was such rs to cause
those who have the interest Of the State at
heart to feel thankful however that we
have but few Republican counties al this
time.
His accusation of the citizens Of Florida
that they assassinate any one who votes
the Republican tickets moi only false,
but absurd, the official count showing that
26 .4S5 persons voted for the Republican
Candidate Tor Governor of this State, and a
still larger number for the Republican
| Presidential Electors and | know of no
| homicide resulting from the exercise of the
| right to vote the Republican ticket L is
as safe to express Republican senti-
ments, or vote the Republican ticket in
Florida, as in your State or in any other
portion OF the Union, and this statement
will be sustained by thousands of homes;
| RpOuDiCHnS IN the Stale
The narrowing story OF 500 red shirts,
| who assembled to murder Mr.. Goodrich
and his attorney, is, alike the creation OF
his own fertile brain. The only suggestion
of any disturbance of the kind which has
come to my knowledge, was during the
past winter when Mr.. f. w. Pope, the al
torncy OF MIR. Goodrich, went TO Madison
county to take testimony in his (Goodrichs 3,
contest, when report came to me of threat
ened violence to Mr.. Pope I promptly
notified the Sheriff to use whatever powe,
was necessary to protect Mr.. Pope, and
the Sheriff was ready to do 80 ii OCCASION
had required. Subsequent Information sat
isfied me that there was no fonda lion fl,