The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1894-07-06

who could have opportunity for OBJ
tanning information and the concen-
sus of opinion was that he stood as
well or better than any member Flor
ida had sent to Congress from the Sec
ond district since the war.
In conversation with General Bull
lock not long ago in speaking of his
career in Congress he alluded to con-
versation he had with Governor
Fleming, who had been to Washing
ton to assist the General in the pas
sage of the famous Indian War Claims
bill. The Governor was there about
three weeks and had ample opportuni-
ty to judge of General Bullock's value
to the state and his constituents as
member, and when he was leaving he
said to the General that the interestof
the state demanded that he should be
returned to Congress. This was a
short time before the nominating con-
vention that defeated him. The Gen.
eral said he valued very highly this
endorsement of the governor of his
state, who had such an opportunity of
observation, and that he was after
wards told by an intimate friend of
Governor Fleming's that the governor
meant every word he said. as he had
told him when he returned from
Washington that Bullock was the most
efficient Congressman the second. dis
trict had had for long time.
mention these things that the peo-
pie may know how their representa-
tive stood. 1t is due to him that they
should know it. Then they will en-
quire why was he defeated, and to this
inquiry they will find the answer is
that Bullock relied upon his record
and the people to vindicate him, but
as is too often the case the politicians
beat the people in the convention and
a faithful representative was lost to
the state.
have known General Bullock for
about thirty-five years intimately.
have lived in his family. | have
served under him as soldier. / have
known him as a democrat, have
known what he has done for democ-
racy from the dark days of 1865 up to
the present moment, and know he
deserves the gratitude of the demo-
cratic people. AS an official aud as
citizen he is always approachable.
The offices he has held have always
been given to him gladly and, and
when defeated he has always, come
out of conventions stronger under de-
feat than others in victory. He is an
uncompromising believer in the doc
trine that political office. should seek
the man and not the man the office.
He will pack no convention with his
favorites or his kinsmen. He is not
a nepotist in the slightest sense. He
wants no one sent to convention in
his interest who does not truly repre-
sent the will of the people. He is one
of the people in the .ruest and broad
estsense. He believes in the people. and
is emphatically a peoples man. Al
ways farmer, he knows something
of the needs and hardships of this
class of our fellow-citizens. He told
me the other day that he was making
sweet potatoes for the fellows who
boasted 'that they ate more potatoes
than they ever made"
OF General Bullock's official career
as soldier and civilian / will make
the subject of another letter.
shall only say here now that he has
political record for pure unselfishness
that any man may be proud to carry
and he can therefore afford to treat
with severe contempt the little digs of
little pens in the hands of little men
who have of late Intellectually soughtto
traduce his character in the estima-
tion of his neighbors.
His many old friends, his legion of
amy comrades as well as those who
have only known him but recently,
know that these assaults against him
emanate from those who are under
the influence of the corporate power
now seeking by every possible means
to control the politics of Florida.
Bob Bullock a ssreformer,p And
why shouldn't he be? Don't the times
demand it and need such men as him
to inaugurate it and carry it TO sue
cessful issue.
/ close by saying that the people
should wipe out the foul wrong done
him at Gainesville two years ago by
renominating him at Palatka.
r.