The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-08-15

meeting of leading white republicans,
whereby the republican party in
Florida hopes to take advantage of
and profit by the little family quar-
rel between the Call and anti-Call
democrats, is given away in a long
letter to the Philadelphia Press,
dated Tallahassee, August 4. The
letter is interesting, whether it be
true or not. Here it is:
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. August 4.
An anomalous con dition of affairs is pre-
sented in this state, especially with refer
ence to the republican par y, and the poll.
cy to be pursued by it during the next two
years.
The republicans OF Florida will not put
any state ticket in the field in 1892
| A state convention will be called early
in the spring. A platform will be adopted,
setting 10th the reason for the position TO
be tex 10y the r r'v; delegates to the
ra,ioIs' convention will be chosen a res
oIution will prob bly, be passed recon-
Needing that DO county nominations be
made by o. sanzed republicans in tue va
rious counties; the convention will then
al ourn.
| lis course may a. pear suicidal to sue
cess 10 tue future, but there is really a
heap Of good, sound serse III it. The repub-
J can par;y in Florida has absolutely mo
show" at the polls. The eight ballot-box
law pa d by 'he dem ratio legislature
of 1899 was designed : tally to prevent
lie counting o. republ votes-and it
fills the bills exactly. Tue state of Florida
would be largely republican, if the lepul
can cs were counted-but they are not,
aud the democratic leaders don't intend
that they shall be. So that repubica n
leaders have determined to try another pl an
for securing, ifnot republican supremacy,
at least republican recognition.
A conference OF the leading men of the
party was held recently in Jacksonville,
| nearly every section Of the state where the
party is organized being represented. This
| was conference OF white leaders, of course.
The colors act in unison in Florida, but
| they do not iraiernize. No formal action
was taken by this conference, for it had no
power to act officially; but the line of con-
| duct 10 be followed in the near future was
here drawn very plainly and unanimously
d cided upon. 1t will be ratified by the
party organization beyond the shadow OF a
doubt. IOur correspondent had a long
talk with one of the leading republicans OF
Tire state Immediately after the holding of
| this conference, and, as he was fresh from
| the meeting and full its enthusiasm, he
talked very freely, saying among other
| things:
I'VE are going to cut the Gordian knot
| next year. It's no use trying TO unite il
any logger. We can't get our rights at the
polls, so we're going to try what little
JtntSse will do.
| LAS you we'll know, the democratic
party has been split wide open by the fight
over Senator Calls successor-a fight that
began two years ago, and won't be ended
until after the election in 1892, if it is then.
| This IS our oppol tunily-and we are
going TO make the most of il.
| ALLOW THE BREACH TO WIDEN.
IF we should put state ticket in the
field next year, the democratic party lead
ers would raise the cry of bigger suprema.
cy'-Just MS was done in the case of that
ln,amous municipal measure which d.s.
hAncb'sed the citizens Of Jacksonville in
lsS9-aDd THIS would, ia nine instances out
OF ten, bring The democratic faction togeth.
ef ana make The party unit again. In
fact, as well-known Pensacola democrat
le1arked, the other day, the democracy
10 FlOr'ua never will be united again until
it gets beat out by the republicans in two
or three couulies-just a taste OF defeat TO
trlghlen the tactloos.' Nov we are not in
the 'uDiying' business right now. We
want to see The breach made wider, so that
oy ano bv we may jump into 1t and place
the republican party 'ou top'-as the Times
Union says-in Florida. Our policy hence.
for'h will be to give Florida democracy all
Tue rope II s-enough to hang ilstl
with anyway.
by refusing to place a republican
llcket IN the field we shall be in position
to made with the democratic factions
Ihey Will be at war-a very bitter war
too-WIth each other, and each faction
VIII want our votes. We hope in this way,
where we are strong enough in numbers aud
well organized, to be able 10 pane some of
the men TO be placed on the democratic
tickets in the different counties. In Duval
county, OF which Jacksonville Is The county
seat, The auti-Call faction OF the democ-
racy has already struck hands with the
republicans and secured control OF city
affairs by the latler's aid. The Times
|. union, tue organ OF tue Call democracy,
"ou INC Ieau'uS newspaper OF Inc Stale, has
denounced this procedure as "Mahoneism''
DN We don't care what name it gOts by
so we get show in influencing tue nolni
patton OF good men for Office.
I'm some of the counties, such as Duval.
Putnam, Volusia, St. J Inns, Marion,
: A'achua, and perhaps Lake, Hillsborough
and few Others, think We can get some
republicans put ON the democ attic county
i'cke's, TOR the republicans are numerous
10 these counties, and, having no ticket OF
their own in the field, will hold the bal.
f ance Of power.
7 ~ think, too, that we can so trade
with the democratic factions as to secure
! The appointment of at least one repuhli.
can member on some of the boards q,
, county commissioners. The governor
r makes these appointments now upon the
recommendation of the democratic county
: executive committee, and heretofore. OF
course, he has always appointed demo.
. Gratis without exception. Now, however.
3 the party beng at war with itself, / am
0 confident that the republicans can turu
this split o our advantage in influencing