The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-07-04

Call contigent abandoned argument
and fell back upon three claims:
l. That no man in the state woulG
accept Governor Fleming's nomina
tion for fear of the political 'damna.
ton" which defeat would bring
him.
2. That if man was found with
the temerity to accept, Calps vote
for the dependent pension steal would
secure him enough republican votes
to seat him.
8. That Call should be seated be-
cause he secured vote Of the ma
jority of the legislature, even though
done illegally, and by sacrifice o.
principle.
We will consider these claims
backwards.
In reply to the third, it is wei
known that if Carleton, Berry, Clark
Bryant, Wolfe, Summers, Haddock
Bogue and others had voted as theil
constituents desired, they would have
voted against Call, and he would
have been in hopeless minority.
In regard to the second clai m
Mr.. Call will find that senators will
be guided by the law and the con
stitution, and that his debasement
in being the only democrat from the
South, and, in fact, the only one in
the entire senate who voted $780,.
100000 annual pension outlay upon
our people, will not aid him in his
contest.
Now we come to the first claim
Governor Fleming once convinced
that Call was not legally elected.
no power on earth could make him
hesitate in the performance of his
duty. Will he appoint Call? Why
should he? He knows that his re-
turn to the senate would be a calam-
ity. He knows Calls unfitness. He
knows that Call to-day is not the
choice Of the people. Governor Elem
ing is in no respect demagogue,
but, if he was, would his sacrifice OF
principle and the appointment OF
Call make for him a single friend!
Not one. Would it still the bitter
ISLANDERS Of the Times Union? If it
did it could never reconcile such a
man as Fleming to even recognize
the falsifiers who have disregarded
truth always in their mendacious
vilification Of the chief executive Of
Florida.
1t is true that the man the COVER
nor may appoint as Calls successor
will have TO possess several qualif'
cations. First, he must have courage
to meet every assault. Second he
must not have only the will, but the
ability to work as no man ever lab
ored before. Third, he must have the
means, and be willing to expend them,
to secure the most eminent legal as
sistance in the Union. Fourth, he
must be true to principle and Flor
ida's welfare, without regard to the
"political damnation" the Call
contingent prate about
Is there no man in Florida who
can meet these requirements? The
Metropolis makes bold to say there
| is. He is a man who demonstrated
his courage, when he assailed Call,
who, at that time, (his record being
unknown) was, strange to say, a
favorite in Florida. He has illus
trated time and again, always to the
benefit of Florida, both his ability
and willingness to work. He has
never hesitated to use his means
for both his state and party. He has
demonstrated that he could lay aside
his position as the head ofthe party
in Florida, after a campaign which
made him the idol of the party, in
order to avoid all entanglements
with the party organization, and, at
the risk, of political damnation,"
exposed Senator Calls record. The
man is W. D. Chipley. 1t is said
Chipley would not accept the place
The Metropolis has reasons to be-
lieve that he would not accept the
senatorship if handed on silver sal
yer, but Governor Fleming's ap-
pointment would not he merely to
the high and honorable and pro-
fitable office. 1t involves war, and
war to the knife, and the knife to the
hilt, and Chipley could not hesitate,
in our opinion, to accept the con-
test, even if he resigned the office the
day he wins the tight.-Metropolis